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Knowledge Transfer Adviser – North East London and Essex

Knowledge Transfer Adviser – North East London and Essex

We connect ideas, people and communities to drive innovation that changes lives.

Innovation is complex. The journey from idea to market is not straightforward and requires a diverse range of know-how, investment, market knowledge and research. KTN exists to connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.

The future holds both challenges and opportunities. We are passionate about working with innovative businesses to overcome these challenges and shape the opportunities and solutions that follow.

Our vision is to create a network of innovators so powerful its ideas will change the world.

While business is at the heart of our work, our diverse connections span government, funders, research and the third sector. This unrivalled overview and connectivity enable us to be a trusted guide through a complex global landscape of research, development and innovation. Over the next five years, we will build collaborations at a local, national and global level.

 

Directorate Strategy

The Knowledge Transfer Adviser (KTA) team sits within the Ideas Directorate of KTN along with the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Project Manager and her team and the Emerging Technologies and Industries team. The mission is to have powerful connections with the UK research base and strong networks within the local innovation eco-systems helping to shape innovation communities of the future.

Our deep expertise is shared across KTN by partnering with teams within the other KTN directorates to ensure ideas and innovations are shared across sectors and in so doing build connections and communities to address key global challenges.

 

Purpose of the role:

How this role links in to the KTN 2025 strategy
We create powerful connections, with business at the heart of everything we do.
Assisting UK businesses to innovate, grow and profit from effective transfer of knowledge from the research base into business – covering all technologies and industries.

We shape the innovation communities of the future.
All KTAs have both a local role and a national role, acting as a knowledgeable conduit between the Innovate UK family, the local research base and innovation ecosystem and the national equivalents. A significant part of the role will be the facilitation; brokerage, mentoring and support of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships funded by Innovate UK and other KTP sponsors.

We have wide ranging expertise and convene the expertise of others.
The role will suit an individual who knows how businesses work and enjoys helping them to work better. This will mean working with many different organisations at a senior level and so a passion for effective translation of science and technology into new and improved products, processes and services in business is vital.

Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Creating and sustaining a strategic relationship with University senior management of institutions in your region to drive positive change and increase their support for business innovation.
  • Identification of and liaison with key innovation stakeholders within the research base.
  • Promotion of KTP through pro-active meetings.
  • Analysing the needs and capabilities of businesses contacted or met to facilitate new B2R and B2B collaborations and suggesting other funding options where KTP is not the most suitable support for their needs.
  • Brokerage of business–led new KTP for high growth-potential innovative businesses by helping identify suitable research base partners (utilising the knowledge and awareness of all KTN colleagues).
  • Assisting suitable new Partnerships to develop high-quality projects and the provision of on-going monitoring and support through the duration of the KTP project.
  • Assessing and scoring KTP applications as part of an assessment panel.
  • Coaching and mentoring of KTP Associates to encourage their development towards being a business leader of tomorrow.
  • Project completion review and reporting, including active connection of businesses to the appropriate follow-up support across the Innovate UK family and other suitable support sources mechanisms.
  • Follow up of completed projects to gather information on outcomes and continue support.
  • Participation in the local innovation eco-system including but not limited to liaison with Innovate UK Regional Managers, local Catapult activity, Innovate UK Edge, Local Enterprise Networks, other Innovate UK or KTN supported activities.
  • Full participation in KTN mapping of the innovation landscape, identifying business and academic needs and capabilities, identifying high-growth potential businesses and signposting to other forms of support and finance.
  • Assisting in the development and maintenance of a database of UK University spinouts and start-ups attracting Angel and VC funding.
  • To contribute to KTN wide internal communications facilitating new innovation connections and development of case studies and evidence of impact.
  • Timely and accurate completion of reports within KTN and to Innovate UK.
  • Any other reasonable tasks consistent with the job purpose and the needs of KTN.

Requirements

  • A technical degree or equivalent industry experience.
  • Notable business experience or demonstrated business awareness – credible with a wide range of stakeholders and clear ability to understand business strategy and the needs of a wide variety of businesses. 

  • Experience of building and managing collaborative partnerships to deliver innovation. 

  • Experience and awareness of the needs and drivers of the research base and credibility
 with senior academics across a range of disciplines. 

  • Ideally with experience of managing early career scientists in industry or the research
base. 

  • Evidence of working alone and as part of a team to deliver innovation outcomes.
  • Results oriented self-starter with demonstrated delivery capability, with good levels of numeracy (including business finance). 

  • Innovative and creative – able to see the big picture, identify new ideas and opportunities, with a deep interest and curiousity in the latest scientific and technological developments.
  • Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively across multi-disciplinary teams and stakeholders, explaining complicated matters simply
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate confidently and build effective relationships
  • Team player with good relationship building and influencing skills; enjoys working in a collaborative manner in an open, honest, and diverse environment
  • Demonstrated analytical thinking, experience in roles that require accurate record keeping and attention to detail. 

  • Adaptability and flexibility, demonstrated initiative and openness to work in new areas. 

  • High level of IT literacy

 

  • Location Covered: North East London, Essex with some activity in Suffolk and Norfolk – Home based role with regular (often daily) travel within the region, and occasional UK wide.
  • A driving licence and vehicle is essential due to the nature of the region covered.

 

Benefits

  • This role has a salary range of £40,000 to £60,000 pa dependent on experience
  • 28 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
  • Pension Plan
  • Life Assurance
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Wider Wallet employee benefits high street discounts scheme.
  • Opportunities for continuous professional development as part of our Talent & Development Programme

Vacancy Overview

Knowledge Exchange
Closing date:
5th October 2021
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