Summary
We are seeking an experienced individual who will help grow our R&D program portfolio in the UK, Europe and beyond. Your job will be to connect the Digital Catapult to business and industry in the UK and Europe. You will be part of a team that helps companies transform around the adoption of advanced digital technology and to become more effective in a more challenging marketplace.
This is where the Catapult provides key value to the UK economy. You will be responsible for developing a pipeline of opportunities for collaborative R&D proposals and commercial tenders, taking them to successful submission, generating income to help the organisation grow and expand its capabilities.
What You’ll Do
- Form novel ideas and external partnerships to submit proposals and secure funding for new collaborative R&D projects in response to calls for proposals and commercial contract R&D tenders opportunities published in the UK, Europe and Internationally that fit Digital Catapult strategy
- Manage bid teams of internal and external stakeholders through the proposal development process, writing the strategic parts of the proposal, ensuring all requirements are met directly contributing to the design and execution of our collaborative R&D and commercial strategies and be involved in influencing national and international funding bodies
- Supervising and taking to submission national and international collaborations within calls selected across multiple funding cycles
- Create and maintain positive account relationships with new and existing collaborators and public funders aimed at retaining and growing income over several years
- Help to communicate what digital transformation means to the manufacturing and creative sectors
What We’re Looking For
- Excellent understanding of the national (DCMS, BEIS, UKRI, etc.), regional (LEPs, CA) and international funding landscape and mechanisms (including interpreting the variety of different rules around grant funding)
- Track record of leading & securing large contract R&D deals and large collaborative R&D projects (over £20M worth)
- Organised and strong bid manager with a proactive project management led approach, used to dealing with large, complex proposals
- Technical writing skills - vision and operational capabilities to design and specify work
- Experience with R&D and/or innovation, in particular the ability and instinct for developing novel ideas with customers/users/technology providers
- Experience of defining, scoping and operationalizing new R&D projects, including work packages, resources and priorities
- Well networked with like-minded organizations / collaborators in the R&D space both in the UK and the international space
- Breadth of understanding of digital technologies, in particular related to digital transformation, depth in some technology areas a plus
