Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business Engagement & Innovation

Faculty of Environment, Science & Economy

This is a full-time role, 0.6-0.8 FTE will be spent on the duties of this position, the remaining FTE available is to enable the role holder to maintain an active profile in research and/or scholarship.

Summary of the role

The Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy is a vibrant interdisciplinary community dedicated to delivering world-class education and research that has a positive impact on the world, by working  across fundamental sciences, engineering and business.

We are a diverse group of staff and students that bring together the very best in fundamental sciences, engineering and business to deliver a powerful combination of talent to help analyse and solve some of the big environmental and societal problems globally, nationally and locally.

We are seeking an experienced individual with a passion for driving business engagement and industry partnerships with university research and education to join us as Associate PVC for Business Engagement and Innovation to join the University of Exeter and help us strengthen our ties with the business community.

As a senior academic in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, you will be responsible for providing clear and effective leadership to the Faculty in this key role.  The role holder will be responsible for developing new business relationships and funding opportunities, and and supporting and growing existing business engagement and innovation to support the delivery of interdisciplinary academic excellence. 

The role holder will build strong relationships with stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines within the University, promote a vibrant, enquiring, collegial and creative culture to support and encourage enterprise and engagement with business. You will have the opportunity to work closely with a range of industries to identify their needs, develop innovative solutions, and facilitate knowledge transfer that benefits both academia and industry.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of engaging with industry, be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of business needs and trends, and possess excellent communication and relationship-building skills. You will also be able to work across a range of disciplinary areas, have a strong profile in research and innovation and be able to leverage your academic expertise to inform and influence the business community.

We offer a dynamic and supportive environment that fosters professional development and encourages collaboration across disciplines.

If you are a visionary academic looking to make a tangible impact in the business world, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity. Join us in shaping the future of business education and research at our world-class University.

Please ensure you read the Role Profile for full details of this role by clicking on the attachment.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 and the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities released by Shanghai Rankings).  

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99% of our research is of international quality and our world-leading research impact is growing faster than any other Russell Group university (2021 Research Excellence Framework). We are using the power of our education and research to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future.  Our shared purpose and vision continually moves us forward to make a difference to our people, our communities, our partners and the world around us.  Read about our world leading research on Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO City of Literature

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

For an informal and confidential discussion about the post please contact Prof Dan Charman, Pro-Vice Chancellor ESE, email [email protected] .