CyberFocus Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) Project Manager
We are looking for a dynamic manager to lead and build a diverse team to deliver an exciting £5M project to radically grow the North West Cyber Ecosystem. CyberFocus is a unique project led by Lancaster University, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to work with partner universities across the North West to forge trusted interconnections that instil confidence in research-led impact partnerships to propel national prosperity and protection.
The CyberFocus Project Manager will work in collaboration with the project PI to oversee all aspects of the project’s activity. This role involves developing and delivering the core innovation programme, managing our flexible partnership, engagement and impact funds, working with our partner universities, developing relationships with external partners – specifically our civic partners, promoting activities and working with our funder.
Key Responsibilities
Manage the overall CyberFocus activity and funds
Develop and maintain relationships with all key project and external partners
Promote and develop project activities and initiatives
Develop and deliver the projects core innovation discovery programme.
Reporting on project progress and financial performance
Key Requirements:
Experience in developing diverse, inclusive relationships and collaborative partnerships
Experience of managing, large, complex projects or programmes
Understanding of the innovation process and experience of developing, innovation programmes
Understanding of cyber security and innovation in cyber security
An ability to build and lead inclusive and diverse teams
Excellent communication and engagement skills.
The growing reputation of Lancaster is reflected by high rankings year-on-year in three of the UK’s major university league tables –The Complete University Guide 2025 (10th), The Guardian University Guide 2025 (11th), and The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 (12th). Lancaster is a truly international University with four overseas teaching partnerships (in Ghana, Germany, Malaysia and China) and a new joint branch campus planned in Bandung, Indonesia. Lancaster is ranked 141st out of more than 1,500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2025.
The 2024 Knowledge Exchange Framework, which measures how well universities perform in areas from business support to local regeneration, recognised Lancaster among the top 20% of English institutions for Local Growth and Regeneration, Working with Businesses and Working with the Public and Third Sector. The University also placed in the top 40% for Research Partnerships and IP and Commercialisation. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 91% of Lancaster’s research has been independently rated as ‘internationally excellent’ or ‘world leading’ with 46% rated in the highest category of 4*.