Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Officer

Weekly Working Hours:  37

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

In this key role, you’ll be an integral member of the External Engagement and Partnerships Team, playing an important part in our knowledge exchange, research and innovation programmes. Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (KE&I), is a thriving and developing area in the OU in Scotland, and involves creating opportunities for Open University research related expertise to address industrial and societal challenges, sharing The Open University’s world-class know-how with a range of audiences including the public, and working with organisations to share ideas, and best practice to solve complex real-world issues.

The Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Officer will support and take forward a wide range of knowledge exchange, research and innovation activities in Scotland. You’ll work directly to support other members of the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Team and with Open University colleagues and external partners to grow and develop this area of work. Key aspects of the role include managing and coordinating outreach programmes, projects and events, while providing the support needed to ensure successful delivery and maximum impact. You will have your own dedicated work areas and will be expected to work with appropriate autonomy, demonstrating drive and initiative to progress programmes to agreed deadlines. Contributing ideas for new programme development will also be an important part of the role.

The Open University in Scotland is an integral part of the Scottish higher education community and actively involved in the development of HE policy alongside the other 18 higher education institutions in Scotland. Since April 2000, the teaching of OU student’s resident in Scotland has been funded by the Scottish Funding Council. 

With over 16,000 students, Open University students can be found in virtually every postcode district and community in Scotland. Social justice and equality of opportunity are at the heart of everything the OU does, and widening access to higher education is the ambition on which it was founded. The Open University is committed to extending opportunities for educational success to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

More information can be obtained from The OU in Scotland website at www.open.ac.uk/scotland

External Engagement and Partnerships Team  

The post will be located in the External Engagement and Partnerships Team at The Open University in Scotland. The External Engagement and Partnerships Team engages with the external environment that The Open University in Scotland operates in. It plays a critical role in maintaining and developing external relationships and creates opportunities for the OU to raise its profile as a unique provider of higher education in Scotland.   

Led by a Depute Director (External Engagements and Partnerships), and supported by a highly skilled team, currently the strands of work include:

• Developing our partnerships with employers.
• Working with Schools and Colleges to develop learning pathways and opportunities for students to undertake OU study in familiar places. 
•  Working alongside community and third sector organisations to widen access to higher education and to work collaboratively in designing learning solutions. 
• Developing opportunities for knowledge exchange, research, and innovation.  
• Working with colleagues across the university to promote the OU’s offer in Scotland as a high quality, flexible distance learning provider.  

As a Scotland wide provider, we are engaged in partnerships from Shetland to the Borders and with OU students residing in all of Scotland’s parliamentary constituencies.     

Key Responsibilities

• Provide all aspects of project support and administration, including:
• Online and face to face events coordination: Manage operational and logistical delivery of a large portfolio of activities and events and leading on post-event evaluations.
• Liaising with internal and external partners where appropriate.
• Developing and maintaining accurate record-keeping systems.
• Generating, compiling and checking data from various databases in compliance with GDPR and contributing to internal and external reports and documentation, including the presentation of final documents.
• Supporting external and internal communications activities.
• Working with colleagues across the University to ensure cost-effective and appropriate logistical support for all events (e.g., catering, AV support).
• Maintain and develop administrative systems and procedures, including finance, scheduling and budgets.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required within the scope of the role.
• There will be an occasional need to work evenings or weekends to support the departmental workplan.

All staff are expected: 

• To comply with the University’s Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities policies.
• To take reasonable care of the Health and Safety of yourself and others who may be affected by your work.
• To co-operate with the University to ensure compliance with statutory requirements, codes of practice, University policies and departmental Health and Safety arrangements.
• To demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles and practice of equality and diversity.

About You

Essential criteria 

• Well-developed oral and written communication skills with a high degree of literacy and numeracy.
• Excellent ICT skills across the Microsoft Office Suite and a commitment to developing a high level of proficiency in the use of new ICT tools.
• Experience working in an office environment with a high level of accuracy and detail, including working as part of a team.
• Ability to confidently liaise internally and externally with a variety of people and organisations, often with different needs and expectations.
• Considerable experience of supporting finance and budgetary related work.
• An ability to change plans and deal with ambiguity as and when required.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence in their interactions with others.
• Previous experience, supporting/co-ordinating project related work e.g. event planning and organisation, working with partner organisations etc.  
• Ability to respond flexibly to wide-ranging requests for information and service, demonstrating openness and interest, and always maintaining a willing and helpful attitude.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and organise own workload, including acting on own initiative appropriate to the role.
• A growth mindset, with an openness to learn and develop. 

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of working in a Higher Education environment.
• Experience working directly with an academic community including research active colleagues.
• An understanding of Scottish Government policy imperatives in the university innovation landscape.
• Previous experience in the knowledge exchange or innovation arena.
• Experience in contributing to, or supporting external funding bids.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Working Location: It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Edinburgh office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be at least 2 days per week, but this could be more often if business needs dictate. There will also be a requirement to undertake some travel around Scotland to engage with stakeholders.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews for this post are likely to be in the week commencing 12th or 19th January 2026.

Early closing date notification

We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following document(s):

• CV
• A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed in the job description.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.