Partnership Administrator, SCENE Commercialisation Programmes (25000820)

Support SCENE’s delivery by coordinating partnerships, administration, and finances across universities to strengthen regional research commercialisation.

Since 2018, the five North East universities have worked increasingly closely to build a strong collaboration to commercialise our research through the creation of high-growth businesses. Since launching the Northern Accelerator programme, 54 spinouts have been created, catalysing new investment and jobs.

Supported by Research England’s CCF-RED fund with £8.9m in funding over a five year period, the Strategic Commercialisation Eco-system North East (SCENE) programme represents an exciting next phase in our regional collaboration with the aim of wrapping new activities around and into Northern Accelerator to strengthen our support for the spin out process, and building new services and activities to extend successful research commercialisation in new areas, such as licensing and commercial partnerships.

Underpinning these propositions is the creation and development of a structured and connected ecosystem around University research commercialisation, drawing together partnerships with business, investors and institutions to drive a sustainable step-change in our impact.

Through the delivery of seven workstreams over a five year programme, SCENE will:

Strengthen and expand the region’s ecosystem, engaging businesses, sector bodies, Catapults and investors more actively in commercialising university research;
Expand the pipeline of high-quality, investible new spinouts;
Support growth for existing spinouts, helping secure them for the long-term;
Increase adoption of university IP by businesses of all sizes in strategic sectors;
Attract new UK and international investment into the formation and growth of research-led businesses; and
Enhance structures, systems and leadership to support regional commercialisation ambitions.

SCENE is led by Durham University and involves as key partners the other 4 North East Higher Education institutions – Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside – who come together through Universities for North East England (UNEE).

SCENE is also supported by a number of strategic partners – our two Combined Authorities in the North East and Tees Valley, Catapults, Business Support organisations and key Businesses as well as associated universities in York and Cumbria.

Both the SCENE and Northern Accelerator programmes are led and hosted by Durham University on behalf of the North East universities however the success of the programme will lie in the success of the collaboration between the five Higher Education Institutions and our partners in the commercialisation eco-system. The Programme is therefore investing into Partnership Administrators in each of the 5 Universities, working closely with Partnership Managers and wider Research Commercialisation Teams.

The Role

The Partnership Administrator will be located in Durham University’s Research and Innovation Services Division, you will be a member of both the regional team supporting the SCENE programme and the University’s Research Commercialisation Team.

The postholder will work on a ‘matrix’ basis, with line responsibility to management structures within the host institution but may from time to time work with other Partnership Teams located in the other 4 Universities or support the regional team, building on the experience of successful collaborative working development through the Northern Accelerator programme. Examples of occasions where this might happen would be to support events, or two work together on financial administration across the programme.

Overall, you will support the Partnership Manager to work with the core team and other Partnership Managers to drive the SCENE programme at Durham and across the partnership.

You will ensure that the activities and programmes being led and developed through the SCENE programme with partners in the eco-system are well supported to the Teams within the University, drawing from our capacity and reflecting our needs and priorities. You will support the University to take advantage of the various aspects of the programme. You will engage with the regional Programme Manager and Programme Co-ordinator to support the administration and financial administration of the programme.

An illustration of the UNEE Governance Structures and SCENE Staffing Structures will be available here.

The Department

The postholder will sit within Durham University’s Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team, working closely alongside both the Core Regional team which is hosted by Durham and as part of the Research Commercialisation Team. RIS is a professional services directorate at the heart of Durham University.

RIS provides expertise, leadership and support to academics and professional colleagues across the University for all research, research-related, knowledge exchange and economic development activities. Our aim is to strengthen Durham’s role at the leading-edge of research and innovation, inspiring extraordinary change across the world and in our region. Our vision is to facilitate world-leading research and knowledge exchange through a high-performing, high-quality service.

The team is based in our exciting new professional services hub at Bolden House, which is located on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Bolden House brings professional services teams together across the University in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working.

Useful links

If you would like further information you may find the following will help:

Partnership Administrator, SCENE Commercialisation Programmes (25000820)

Vacancy Overview