Are you passionate about a career in science and technology?
Come and contribute to maximising the impact that ground-breaking technologies can have through licencing or spin outs. Your role is to help realise the impact that technologies have within their original field or for dual use, on humanity, or on prosperity through the creation of jobs, and GDP growth especially during these challenging times.
Ploughshare Innovations converts technology research crafted by government organisations into civilian applications. We have an exciting opportunity for a Commercialisation Manager to join our team on a 6 month fixed term contract. At Ploughshare, we'll invest in your career development through technical training programmes, mentoring and on the-job training. Our work is hugely multifaceted, providing many intellectual challenges to assess IP in support of MOD's wealth and prosperity strategy. We evaluate a wide variety of technologies and therefore need upbeat, versatile and passionate people to review technologies for commercial application. At Ploughshare, you'll see how your work can really make a difference.
We empower businesses of all kinds to benefit from defence and security technologies developed by leading government laboratories including Dstl and AWE plc, among others. Ploughshare provides commercialisation advice and expertise, enabling the UK to harness IP for the nation by working with our colleagues in industry, academia, and Government departments.
The work will include the full range of activities associated with the exploitation of scientific research and development:
- Participate in commercialisation management reviews of each opportunity, during which collaborative decisions will be taken as to whether to commercialise each opportunity.
- Develop potential applications for the technology.
- Undertake market research to establish addressable market sizes by geography. It will be crucial for the market data to be compiled by a mix of desk based research supported by information gathered from interactions with key industrial contacts.
- Identify competitors and the relative competitive strengths and weaknesses.
- Create and document Value Propositions, Licensing Strategies, Spin-out business plans using Ploughshare systems and standards. Ensure that all documentation is in place and appropriately authorised.
- Broker licencing deals, supported by the commercialisation team.
- Participate in the formation of spin-outs.
- A desire to continuously seek to improve working practices, tools and techniques for the positive development of the capability
You won't have any line management responsibility but will be an integral part of the Ploughshare team and will be encouraged to attend all relevant team meetings.
Candidates are likely to be more skilled in one area, e.g. specific technology area in either the Life or Physical sciences, than across all disciplines. The role requires that you have ample experience of the ‘scientific process’ to be able to ask probing questions about any technology and to get to an understanding of the main points being presented. You'll have an overall technical and know-how capability rather than a deep but limited expertise. The ideal being the overall capability plus a deep skill in Defence and Security or Life Science.
You'll also need:
- An ability to focus and prioritise in order to meet specific targets.
- Good interpersonal skills: the essence of the role is interaction with a diverse set of individuals including experts in specific areas of science, patent attorneys and contacts in commercial companies. Being able to link all these require high level verbal and written skills.
Person Specification
Ploughshare recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.
We are seeking a curious and creative individual with an innovative and entrepreneurial mind-set and approach to problem solving. This post requires a relevant degree /MBA and a proven range of experience across an array of leading edge digital and data science technologies, either advisory or client side.
An understanding of Intellectual Property Rights and the UK patent process is highly desirable.
To succeed you will need to work effectively at all levels and build positive relationships with commercial partners as well as with scientists and managers.
6 month fixed term contract.
Location
Our office is based at Porton Down Science Park, Wiltshire. However, due to COVID, the working location is flexible if you are able to travel to Wiltshire if required.
Clearance
Applicants need to hold UK nationality and to gain appropriate security clearances as part of their employment.