Director of KE and Business Engagement

Location: University Park

Interview date: Thursday 12^th February 2026

This strategic Leadership post is a fantastic opportunity for someone with a strong background in business development and knowledge exchange. The Director of Knowledge Exchange & Business Engagement will play a crucial role in leveraging the university's research strengths and infrastructure to foster new partnerships and activities.

The successful candidate will need to be a visionary leader with a proven track record in delivering transformational results and leading teams to success. They should be comfortable working in various settings, including academic, corporate, charitable, and government environments.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and delivering strong, mutually beneficial relationships with key partners from business and industry.
• Providing strategic oversight and leadership for business and regional engagement, knowledge transfer partnerships, faculty innovation teams, consultancy, and IP commercialisation.
• Ensuring the university continues to make a positive impact locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Driving the implementation of the Knowledge Exchange Strategic Delivery Plan.
• Maximizing the opportunities and impact of the university's knowledge exchange activities.

This role will be pivotal in enhancing the university's knowledge exchange and impact outcomes. It will involve working closely with the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Knowledge Exchange & Innovation and other senior leaders to contribute to the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) and the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction survey (HEB-CIS).

Key responsibilities –

• Lead the development and implementation of the Knowledge Exchange Strategic Delivery Plan, ensure strategic alignment with stakeholders, support IP and commercialization efforts, chair relevant boards, and manage conflicting strategies to influence and deliver the University RKE strategies.
• Lead the university's business development and knowledge exchange activities, fostering partnerships and maximizing the impact of research and innovation locally, nationally, and internationally, while ensuring strategic oversight and leadership across various engagement and commercialization initiatives.
• Lead and optimize submissions to KE external performance frameworks, develop performance measurement frameworks, and drive strategic plans, while maintaining awareness of external changes and adopting best practices.
• Oversee business engagement, funding applications, and major KE-related funding bids, ensuring effective reporting and continuous improvement of Knowledge Exchange and Impact outcomes.
• Lead and support line managers to enhance team performance, foster collaboration and respect, build relationships with stakeholders, prepare reports, advise senior staff on R&I matters, and act as an escalation point to resolve issues for the University's long-term benefits

What next - 

Further information is available in the role profile. 

Hours of work are full time (36.25 hours per week); however applications are also welcome from candidates wishing to work part-time. Please specify in your application if you wish to work part time and the number of preferred hours.

Informal enquires may be addressed to Niall O’Loughlin, Director of Research & Innovation Strategy (niall.o’loughlin@nottingham.ac.uk). Please note, applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

Further details:

We are the first university to have achieved Athena Swan Gold Award.

To help you succeed, we published Candidate Guidance to provide support on the application and interview process.

Discover our benefits, visit Your Benefits website.

We welcome applications from UK, Europe and worldwide and aim to make your move to the UK as smooth as possible. Visit the Moving to Nottingham page for details.

Your application will be considered on an equal basis, subject to the relevant permission to work in the UK as set out by UK Visas & Immigration.

Advert information