Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Head of Enterprise and Ventures
£50,702
Open Ended
Swindon
Full Time
Closing Date:15th June 2021
Interview Date: 12th July 2021
About the role:
This is a new role leading a new team within BBSRC. As the Head of Enterprise and Ventures you will be a senior leader within the BBSRC Capability and Innovation Domain (CID), playing a lead role in championing, developing and delivering the BBSRC vision, investments and approach to supporting innovation from bioscience research to make a real, positive difference for the UK and beyond, this will include leading on:
- Coordinating and driving BBSRC strategic approach to Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
- Development and delivery of new approaches to create and incentivise stronger relationships with the investment community to support the creation of sustainable, scalable bioscience-based companies.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to influence research and innovation policy, strategy and investment on a national stage, within the UK’s largest public research funding organisation. As Head of Enterprise and Venture at BBSRC, you will take on the new role at the start of a new a Comprehensive Spending Review cycle, and be working within a challenging policy environment that the UK Government has set out through its ambitious targets to achieve total R&D expenditure to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. This ambition has been reinforced further by the drivers set out in the UK R&D Roadmap, along with broader narratives such as “levelling up” and increasing UK global competitiveness through harnessing our world-leading research.
As Head of Enterprise & Ventures, you will:
- Lead BBSRC development and delivery of the BBSRC Enterprise Strategy to incentivise, support, and connect opportunities to create commercial, social and economic value from UK bioscience research
- Create a strategic framework to incentivise wider private investment in bioscience companies, including directly supporting the role of the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and developing new networks within the investment community
- Develop the Enterprise and Venture team of Senior Portfolio Managers who hold responsibility for the strategic portfolio areas to create the appropriate expertise and capability to support BBSRC colleagues and bioscience communities
- Provide insight on innovation trends and manage the evaluation and benefits realisation planning for BBSRC’s interventions in enterprise schemes and the portfolio analysis of private investments in bioscience-based companies
- Review and build on the current portfolio of enterprise interventions, develop new approaches and mechanisms to collaborate with the investment community and oversee delivery of these activities
- Develop the specialist knowledge, mechanisms, approaches and connections to support the bioscience communities to create commercial, social and economic value from bioscience research
- Coordinate and engage with relevant strategic external stakeholders including policy makers, technology transfer offices, innovation leaders and investment communities
- Work with colleagues across Commercialisation and Innovation Domain (CID), Research and Strategy Programmes (RSP) and more broadly to develop a BBSRC International Innovation Strategy
- Ensure enterprise and investment thinking is fully integrated through working effectively across CID and BBSRC more broadly, contributing and collaborating at senior levels across key internal interfaces and teams, such as the Executive Leadership Team; Research Strategy and Programmes Domain; and the Strategy, Planning, Evidence and Engagement Domain
- Contribute to the leadership of CID as a member of the CID Senior Leadership Team and deputise as/when necessary for the Associate Director – Innovation in order to support BBSRC in developing, delivering and championing its vision, investments and approach to supporting innovation from bioscience research to make a real, positive difference for the UK and beyond.
Shortlisting and Interview criteria
Essential
- Significant experience in the development, implementation and evaluation of strategic enterprise programmes, activities and/or investments either across the biosciences and/or Life Sciences, to successfully drive the creation of value from research
- Track record of leadership and team management, and/or a proven ability to motivate, empower and inspire others to work effectively to deliver personal, team and corporate objectives
- Demonstrable experience of working in, or directly supporting, new technology companies raise seed/early stage private equity investment
- Proven ability to be innovative in leading the development and implementation of new ideas and approaches that positively challenge established thinking in yourself and others while effectively supporting your ideas with evidence
- Knowledge of strategic communication frameworks and approaches, and/or experience in developing and delivering effective, strategic communications to a mixture of audiences
- Ability to establish influential, strategic relationships and networks with a wide range of stakeholders at a senior level and harness them to deliver value
- Hold a degree in a biological (or related) subject and/or equivalent relevant professional experience.
Desirable
- Understanding of the political and strategic environment in which UKRI operates
- National level strategy and policy development and delivery experience
- Experience of managing budgets, risk and assurance frameworks, and wider financial control processes such as forecasting and modelling
- An understanding of how to use data-driven descriptive, diagnostic and predictive analytics to inform strategic decision-making and investment planning.
About BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. We are the UK's largest public funder of research of the non-medical biosciences, and our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.
Funded by Government, we support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. The research and the people that we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact, see: https://bbsrc.ukri.org/
For more information about BBSRC strategically funded institutes, see https://bbsrc.ukri.org/research/institutes/strategically-funded-institutes/
How to Apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit your CV and a covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for BBSRC and the role you’re applying for. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit your application without a covering letter may result in your application not being considered. You will only be assessed on the content of your CV and covering letter and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
About UKRI
Launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, and a vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to flourish and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’
Disability Confident Employer
As a Disability Confident employer, UKRI will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for the job (this is the description of the job as set by the employer). To enable us to do this we ask the appropriate questions within the candidate application.
For more information on this scheme, click here.
Salary:
£50,702
Closing date:
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Originating organisation: