Salary: Grade 7 (£35,333 - £42,155 p.a.) or Grade 8 (£43,414 - £51,805 p.a.) depending on experience 

This role will be based on the university campus with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner.   We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you an experienced and ambitious Research and Innovation Development professional looking to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities? Would you like to help progress interdisciplinary research and innovation opportunities? Are you a confident leader capable of building excellent working relationships with academic colleagues? 

The University of Leeds is one of the top 135 universities in the world.  We have a truly global community, with more than 39,000 students from 170 different countries and over 9,000 staff of 100 different nationalities.  Established in 1904, we have a strong tradition of academic excellence, reflected in first-class student education, along with world-leading research that has a real impact around the globe. 

The Astbury Centre brings together 400 researchers, with >65 academic staff from across the University - largely from the biological sciences, physics, chemistry and medicine to allow interdisciplinary approaches to be harnessed to understand the molecular basis of life. The Centre has outstanding expertise and research infrastructure in all major techniques in structural molecular biology, chemical biology and biophysics. Together, these approaches are combined with analyses of biological function with the ultimate aim of understanding the molecular basis of biological mechanisms in living cells. 

You will work with Astbury’s leadership team, the Centre’s Industry Advisory Board, and Astbury aligned academic staff to identify and develop new strategic opportunities and leverage internal and external funding and to assist in the preparation and submission of high quality interdisciplinary research proposals in response to new external funding opportunities. 

You will need to quickly establish a University-wide profile, forge strong links with key academics, build networks across the University and work in partnership with other Research and Innovation Development professionals within Research and Innovation Service to ensure that the highest quality proposals are developed. You will need to work effectively as part of multiple dynamic teams that can operate effectively in a complex and changing environment. 

You will work with colleagues from across the University to provide a coordinated service across the full range of research and innovation activity: including knowledge-led innovation support to businesses (contract/collaborative research and consultancy) and commercial exploitation of intellectual property and the promotion of skills development programmes, in addition to the provision of support across the full range of research funders (including the UK Research Councils, government departments and charities and institutionally held Impact Acceleration Accounts). 

As the successful candidate will have the capability to develop research and innovation proposals in complex organisation’s, they will have excellent project management skills and the ability to build performance-based partnerships alongside experience of working with academic teams in the development of successful external funding applications. 

Please note: It is possible to be appointed to this role at University of Leeds grade 7 (officer level) or grade 8 (manager level) depending on experience. To be considered for appointment at grade 8, you will be required to address the grade 8 criteria (listed in ‘What will you bring to the role?’) in addition to the grade 7 criteria. 

What we offer in return

•    26 days holiday plus 16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s over 40 days a year!

•    Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 21.6% of salary

•    Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.

•    Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team, and self-development courses including languages, Creative Writing, Wellbeing Therapies and much more.

•    Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!  

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Professor Adam Nelson, Professor of Chemical Biology & Deputy Director of the Astbury Centre 

Email: [email protected]  Or

Dr Ellen Hewitt, Head of Innovation and Business Development 

Email: [email protected]