Strategic Lead for Industry

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

The Role
The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) provides expert guidance and input to applied health, public health and social care researchers on the design and delivery of research and the development of research funding applications.

The NIHR RSS operates as a national service allowing researchers to access the most appropriate support, irrespective of location. The NIHR RSS is delivered through RSS Hubs and Specialist Centres, each a partnership of research organisations and groups, and offering a wide range of research support and methods expertise.

Historically, services that provide health and care research support have largely engaged with colleagues in higher education institutions and the National Health Service. Over time, this has evolved and led to requests for research support from a range of settings, including industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the Health and Life Sciences Sector.

The NIHR recognises the pivotal role that SMEs play in driving economic growth and enhancing the UK's position in the global market. This has been strongly reinforced by the recent report following the Department of Health and Social Care's Review of NIHR's Industry Engagement and Delivery (January 2025), which placed greater strategic emphasis on SME engagement. Plans are underway to establish an NIHR RSS Specialist Service for Industry (SSI) to further strengthen the RSS offer to industry/SMEs, enabling world-class research in the Health and Life Sciences sector. This direction aligns with broader government priorities, as evidenced by the increased focus on the Health and Life Sciences Sector in both the UK's Modern Industrial Strategy and the 10 Year Health Plan for England, both published in 2025.

We are looking to appoint a Strategic Lead for Industry to join the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) delivered by Newcastle University and Partners, hosted within the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University.

The successful applicant will have a substantial knowledge and experience at a senior level of working with industry and SMEs, including start-ups, spinouts, investors and the wider business support ecosystem. Their strong leadership skills will assist the development and delivery of an England-wide NIHR RSS SSI.

The successful applicant will meet researchers and innovators via MS Teams or face to face, on a one to one or small group basis, to find out about their project, what their needs are and continue to support them throughout their funding application process.

The successful applicant will also play a key role in building research capacity as part of a range of activities and will support the promotion of the NIHR Research Support Service through a variety of mechanisms.

The role is available up to 1 whole time equivalent (37 hours per week), fixed-term until 30 September 2028.

For informal enquiries, please contact rssSMT@newcastle.ac.uk.

To apply, applicants should provide evidence of how they meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in the job description/person specification (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button) by uploading a letter of application along with a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

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