Business Development Manager

Contract Type - Fixed Term Till 30 September 2027

Full Time - 35 Hours Per Week

The Opportunity:

The School of Informatics is the UK’s leading academic institute for Computer Science and Informatics with over 300+ PhD Students and 150+ Academic members of staff across six key institutes. 

This exciting post will play a pivotal role in developing strategic partnerships and generating significant value for the School, the University and wider City of Edinburgh & South East Scotland Region. 

You will be responsible for developing relationships with key industry and public-sector partners to further research and innovation activities with a particular focus on our recently awarded CDT in Responsible NLP. Additionally, the post holder will liaise extensively with academics and researchers within the Institute for Language, Cognition and Communication (ILCC) at the School of Informatics. 

The post holder will provide assistance in the construction of proposals, tenders & contracts for key business opportunities.

The post-holder will perform against assigned quarterly targets while prioritising and delivering an outstanding experience to industry partners engaging with the University of Edinburgh. 

There may also be an opportunity to support new start-up & spin-out companies.

This is a business development role where a relevant first degree and experience in at least one of the following areas is required: Speech Technology, Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Mathematics or Physics.

The role requires strong commercial skills and the ability to take a business view on technology, understanding contracts, developing value propositions and the ability to close deals. 

This role is full-time, 35 hours per week and is fixed term until 30 September 2027.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Educated to degree standard in an appropriate discipline.
• Well organised with strong business development skills.
• Good communicator with excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good selling skills - ability to take a business view on technology, understand contracts, develop value propositions, form and close deals.
• Ability to form strong working relationships with senior research managers in the School of Informatics.
• Self-motivating, ability to take initiative and follow up on decisions and detail without being micro managed.
• An ability to work, on occasions, to very tight deadlines in a diverse and demanding environment is essential.
• Experience or interest in AI

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