ICURe Regional Hub Manager – Operations

Innovation is the lifeblood of future prosperity and growth in the UK. Powered by world-class research from UK Higher Education, Innovate UK’s Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) supports the development of products and services that benefit people, businesses and the wider economy by enabling spinouts and licensing.

The Regional Hub Manager – Operations will be the lead coordinator for the operational delivery and growth of the ICURe programmes across the Central Belt (East and West Midlands, Oxfordshire, East Anglia, North and Mid-Wales) as part of the Midlands Innovation (MI) ICURe team, Innovation Group, University of Warwick. They will work closely with stakeholders across the MI ICURe team and network, the other ICURe delivery partners, other Regional Hub Managers, key stakeholders in UKRI, Innovate UK, Universities, and research-intensive institutions, and with external innovation partners from both the public and private sectors.

The role will focus on increasing the ICURe programmes successful commercialisation of technologies, products, or services from academic research within UK universities and research institutes.

The post holder will help bridge the gap between academia and entrepreneurship by enabling the translation of discoveries into practical licensing deals and spin-out companies and enabling those spinouts to flourish by connecting them to support from national and regional innovation initiatives (such as Local Innovation Partnerships).

The post holder will be key in recruiting to ICURe cohorts, where their knowledge of the research landscape in the wider Midlands regions and experience in working with deep technologies will be particularly vital. We are keen to connect more closely the universities and innovation ecosystems of both Oxford and Cambridge with those in the Midlands and Wales, therefore innovation experience across these institutions and regions is essential.

The role works closely with other Regional Hub Managers both Operations and Strategic to support the continued delivery and growth of the national Innovate UK funded ICURe programme and the broader national spinout ecosystem.

This role would be ideal for someone who is passionate about helping researchers commercialise their research, building relationships and networks, and about contributing to the growth of an inclusive regional innovation ecosystem. The role holder will have exceptional networking, communication, interpersonal, project management, programme and organisational skills and be ready to apply those attributes to the success of the ICURe programme.

The Manager will be a proactive, highly skilled, organised and self-motivated individual, used to working in a multidisciplinary setting and within matrix management. The role requires a strong connection and experience to research, research commercialisation, early-stage investors, and innovation ecosystems across the Central Belt.

This role covers two aspects: recruitment onto ICURe, and support afterwards. To do this will require a highly creditable experienced university commercialisation practitioner with high influencing skills.

Warwick is one of the UK’s leading universities, with an acknowledged reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation, and for links with business and industry.

We’re a world-leading university with the highest academic and research standards. But we’re not letting the story end there.

That’s because we’re a place of possibility. We’re always looking for new ways to make things happen. Whether you’re a dedicated student, an innovative lecturer or an ambitious company, Warwick provides a tireless yet supportive environment in which you can make an impact.

And our students, alumni and staff are consistently making an impact – the kind that changes lives, whether close to home or on a global scale.

It’s the achievements of our people that help explain why our levels of research excellence and scholarship are recognised internationally.

It’s a prime attraction for some of the biggest names in worldwide business and industry.

It’s why we’re ranked highly in the lists of great UK and world universities.

All of this contributes to a compelling story, one that’s almost 60 years old. But who said youth should hold you back from changing the world?