Business Partnerships Manager

We’re looking for someone with a strong scientific background, proven experience in partnership development or business engagement, and the ability to build trust with stakeholders at every level. You’ll combine commercial awareness with excellent communication skills and the confidence to navigate complex academic–industry collaborations.

This is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Join a supportive, ambitious team in a world-class university
• Work with high-value partnerships alongside global industry leaders
• Shape collaborations that drive biomedical innovation and deliver real societal benefit

Help shape partnerships that translate Oxford’s world-leading medical research into real-world impact.

Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division (MSD) is a global leader in health research and innovation. We are seeking a proactive and collaborative Business Partnerships Manager to join our Business Partnerships Office (BPO).

The BPO connects Oxford’s research strengths with industry, government, and healthcare partners, building and managing collaborations that accelerate innovation, attract investment, and deliver benefits for patients, healthcare systems, and society.

In this role, you will:

• Identify and develop new opportunities for collaboration across the life sciences, biotech, pharma, and healthcare sectors
• Manage a portfolio of existing partnerships, ensuring they deliver long-term value for Oxford and our partners
• Build strong networks with researchers, clinicians, funders, and external stakeholders
• Support divisional initiatives, strategic funding bids, and thematic programmes requiring business engagement
• Represent Oxford at external events, conferences, and networking activities

Flexible hybrid working with regular team anchor days, some travel, and occasional out-of-hours events.

For an informal chat about this role, contact Maxine Allen, Director of Business Partnerships (maxine.allen@medsci.ox.ac.uk).

About the University of Oxford

Welcome to the University of Oxford. We aim to lead the world in research and education for the benefit of society both in the UK and globally. Oxford’s researchers engage with academic, commercial and cultural partners across the world to stimulate high-quality research and enable innovation through a broad range of social, policy and economic impacts.

We believe our strengths lie both in empowering individuals and teams to address fundamental questions of global significance, while providing all our staff with a welcoming and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to develop and do their best work. Recognising that diversity is our strength, vital for innovation and creativity, we aspire to build a truly diverse community which values and respects every individual’s unique contribution.

While we have long traditions of scholarship, we are also forward-looking, creative and cutting-edge. Oxford is one of Europe’s most entrepreneurial universities and we rank first in the UK for university spin-outs, and in recent years we have spun out 15-20 new companies every year. We are also recognised as leaders in support for social enterprise.
Join us and you will find a unique, democratic and international community, a great range of staff benefits and access to a vibrant array of cultural activities in the beautiful city of Oxford.

For more information, please visit www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation.

Medical Sciences Division
The Medical Sciences Division is an internationally recognized centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching. We are the largest academic division in the University of Oxford and indeed bigger than many other UK Universities.

World-leading programmes, housed in state-of-the-art facilities, cover the full range of scientific endeavour from the molecule to the population. With our NHS partners we also foster the highest possible standards in patient care.

For more information please visit: www.medsci.ox.ac.uk