Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) - Fixed term for 24 months

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Department of Strategy, Management and Marketing
Location:  Birmingham, West Midlands
Salary:  £32,000 to £36,000 per annum
Fixed Term
Post Type:  Full Time
Release Date:  17 January 2024
Closing Date:  23.59 hours GMT on Sunday 25 February 2024
Interview Date:  Tuesday 12 March 2024
Reference:  012024-36

James Lister and Sons Limited and the College of Business, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship at Birmingham City University (BCU) are looking to appoint a high calibre graduate (graduated within the last five years) as a Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) with specialist expertise in market research, business and marketing strategy, product management and marketing campaigns. The candidate will implement a process of change management within the firm.

This position forms part of the Knowledge Transfer programme (KTP), co-funded by a grant from Innovate UK and James Lister & Sons Limited. It is essential you understand the fundamentals of how a KTP works between a business and the University and the vital role you will play if you successfully secure this position.   The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) will have access to a wider range of benefits including a personal development budget of £4,000 to upskill during the project.  For more information, please go to: http://bcuadvantage.co.uk/funding/knowledge-transfer-partnerships.

The successful candidate will be employed by Birmingham City University, working full time delivering a 24-month KTP project in partnership with James Lister & Sons Limited. 

James Lister & Sons Limited is a well known name in the Midlands, with a heritage over 145 years old. The business is organised into four main engineering activities; listersupplies, listerfluidpower, listertube and listersubcontract. For more information, please go to: www.lister.co.uk  

The successful candidate recruited for this position will be employed as an The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate). This role presents an exciting opportunity to work in collaboration with leading academics at Birmingham City University (BCU) to apply knowledge and technical innovation, delivered on site at the company. The Marketing and Change Management lead  (KTP Associate) should have a minimum 2.1 University qualification in a relevant subject area and should be graduated within the last five years

Location and Reporting:

• The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) will based at the James Lister & Sons Limited site
• The successful candidate will have full access to Birmingham City University’s resources such as offices, labs, and library to complete the KTP project (a workplan has already been written with KPIs and outcome deliverables) 
• The post-holder will also have access to staff and facilities in the College's Centre for Enterprise, Innovation and Growth, which has an internationally excellent reputation for business analytics.  This role presents a unique and exciting opportunity to collaborate with industry and leading academics, to apply academic knowledge and business innovation to the firm's marketing strategy and business development process, and identify market trends and opportunities for its expansion.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• To focus the firm’s marketing strategy and roll-out implementation plan, supporting the company in identifying routes to growth, including new products and new markets
• Support the marketing team in building in-house capacities in developing marketing collateral, e.g. graphic design, copywriting, and advertising
• To facilitate a new culture of product management (the function dealing with new product development, business justification, planning, verification, forecasting, pricing, product launch, and marketing of products at all stages of the product lifecycle) and customer relationship management
• To enhance intellectual property protection, alongside the relevant University teams and the firm
• To support the marketing team in looking at potential in making acquisitions
• To oversee the project for its duration

The role requires the successful candidate to develop the firm’s marketing potential to successfully increase revenue over the timescale of the programme

The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) will be expected to interact with the University's Academic Supervisor and Academic Lead and with the Senior Management within James Lister and Sons.

The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) must also be adept at applying their knowledge to commercial projects, driving value, and making an impact where possible, with an ability to solve problems and create innovative solutions.

The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) must have the following key attributes to ensure the project’s successful completion.

The ideal candidate will have excellent business and marketing research and analysis skills. They should also have excellent interpersonal skills, and be willing to work as part of a tightly knit, innovative group of highly motivated individuals, both at James Lister and Sons and the College's Centre for Enterprise, Innovation and Growth. The candidate must be adept at applying their knowledge to commercial opportunities, driving value and making an impact.
The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) must have completed their latest degree (studies) within the last five years and have the following key attributes to ensure the project's successful completion.

Skills and Experience:

Person Specification:

The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) Associate will hold a relevant business degree. This may be a good first degree (equivalent to a first class or 2:1 honours) in business, management, business information systems, or marketing, or a Master's degree in a business and marketing discipline. 

Relevant business experience, for example worked in industry, or on university placement would be expected.
Essential:

• Practical working experience of working with businesses to solve complex real-world problems
• Completion of a substantial business research project, demonstrating quantitative and qualitative skills, in either university or industry
• Understanding of the complex relationship between people, information, processes, and market
• Keen interest in developing enabling marketing strategies to facilitate business growth through aligning organisational change with international market opportunities
• Analysing and redesigning product management processes to improve international expansion and reputation, as well as brand awareness and enhancement
• Effective interpersonal skills to establish good working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and industrial partners will be essential. Excellent verbal, written and analytical communication skills
• Project and time management skills commensurate with the role of Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) 

 Desirable:

• Academic acumen to enable successful reporting through research publications in academic journals and marketing/training materials
• A willingness to travel to industry events throughout the UK
• Involvement in the implementation of a new culture of continuous improvement using tools such as journey mapping and customer experience, and soft systems methodology
• Practised in training and mentoring to embed new IT capabilities
• The Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) must be a proficient communicator and engage fully with all stakeholders, in seminars, workshops and events, to highlight the work of the project
• Practical experience of working in the engineering supply sector

On a personal note, the Marketing and Change Management Lead (KTP Associate) should be enthusiastic, motivated, punctual, conscientious, trustworthy and a good team worker.

Personal Skills:

• Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and able to take a proactive role in delivering the proposal's work plan successfully
• Practical interpersonal skills to establish good working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and industrial partners
• Excellent communication skills to express ideas adequately and articulate complicated matters between the academics and the company project team members either orally or in writing
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and computational skills, along with being Adept at applying knowledge to commercial projects, driving value and making an impact where possible
• Strong leadership and project management skills

For further information please contact David McGee ([email protected]) and David Cashmore ([email protected])

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so, and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly

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