Partnerships Manager, Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness

About the role

The Sussex Centre for Research on Kindness (SCRK) brings together and interdisciplinary team of academics and and diverse community partners to explore, investigate, and illuminate kindness and its impacts on people and communities. As the Partnerships Manager (PMSCRK), you will:

• Advance the priorities of The Pears Foundation and the University, aligning with the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) for research partnerships, business collaboration, public and third sector engagement, skills, enterprise, local growth, IP, and community engagement.
• Enhance the practical applications of SCRK's work across sectors, curating external engagement programs that showcase Sussex's research and promote behavioral, perspective, and systemic changes.
• Diversify and increase income streams to make the role self-sufficient and enable expansion.
• Improve external engagement to drive social development, wellbeing, and economic growth, focusing on civic engagement and ensuring a coherent approach to project development and external relationships across the University.

About you

The PMSCRK will be a proactive individual, dedicated to embedding best practices for promoting kindness across various organizations, influencing their policies, systems, cultures, and the social fabric of communities.

You should have a proven track record in knowledge exchange, particularly in business engagement and/or community development. Effective and persuasive communication with managers in business and public sector organizations, along with the ability to analyse business needs and identify solutions, is crucial for this role. Experience in managing client relationships and liaising with individuals at different levels of seniority within and outside the University is essential as is familiarity with academic research and knowledge transfer practices.

You must possess demonstrable knowledge of the legal, regulatory, and economic frameworks governing operations with business, public, and third/charity sectors. Understanding the policy and regulatory framework for universities related to knowledge exchange and charitable work is necessary.

As an experienced project manager, you should be able to plan, manage, and prioritize your workload, respond to changing priorities, and deliver innovative solutions within deadlines, maintaining a high standard of service to meet client needs.

The role requires travel within the UK to visit business contacts and other partners.

About our Division

Please find further information regarding the division at Research and Innovation: University of Sussex

Why work here

Find out more about our reward and benefits package.

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion

Further Key Information

Please contact Kate Thorpe (k.thorpe@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK. 

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