Head of Enterprise and Business Engagement

Who we are

The University of Roehampton sits on a parkland campus in South West London - close to Clapham Junction – within in one of the capital's most diverse SME economies. We are consistently ranked among the top modern universities in London and were jointly the highest-ranked modern university in the country for research quality in REF2021.

The Faculty of Business and Law has more than 125 staff and 5000 students across three departments: Management and Enterprise, Finance and Digital Economy, and Law. We are investing significantly in our teaching portfolio, our employability offer, and our enterprise activities.

The Role

The Faculty of Business & Law are seeking a Head of Enterprise and Business Engagement to build and lead our outward-facing commercial and enterprise strategy. This is a leadership position for an entrepreneurial professional who can build credible, high-value relationships with SMEs, startups, and scale-ups across South and South West London. The successful candidate will serve as the primary point of contact for businesses engaging with the Faculty of Business and Law, driving income through externally funded programmes while overseeing the Faculty's student enterprise and startup support offer. This role will also come with some broader responsibility for student enterprise across the University.

Main duties and responsibilities:

1. Proactively develop and maintain relationships with SMEs, startups, and professional services firms across South and South West London, and actively manage these relationships to drive an increase in external engagement/income across the University and Faculty.

2. Serve as the primary point of contact for the local business community, identifying needs and tailoring the faculty’s support offer accordingly.

3. Build and sustain relationships with local enterprise agencies, chambers of commerce, councils and other relevant organisations.

4. Represent the Faculty at Sector events, business networks, Growth Hub forums and regional economic development bodies.

5. Lead the Faculty's Small Business Charter accreditation application and associated programme development and income-generating activity.

6. Take lead responsibility for student enterprise activity across the University, working collaboratively with colleagues in other Faculties and central professional services.

7. Oversee the Faculty’s student enterprise co-curricular offer, including startup mentoring, enterprise competitions and entrepreneurship workshops.

8. Develop new and innovative pathways that support student entrepreneurs to progress from idea to viable business, connecting them with appropriate support, funding and networks.

9. Develop pathways that support student entrepreneurs to progress from idea to viable business, connecting them with appropriate support, funding and networks.

10. Work with academic staff to integrate business engagement into teaching and research, identifying opportunities for collaboration and student involvement.

11. Line manage any enterprise and business engagement staff within the Faculty as the function grows.

12. Undertake any other appropriate duties as requested by the Executive Dean.

13. Represent the School atrelevant subject and industry-specific events, networks and organisations.

14. To undertake any other requirements commensurate with the seniority of the post/as required by the head of department

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