UK Institutional Research Relationships Manager

Build the partnerships that enable world‑leading research

In alignment with our institutional vision, the newly established Research Strategy Team at Imperial College London aims to enhance our research ecosystem by fostering a proactive and engaged approach to research strategy development.

These positions are central to our ambition of fostering a proactive, strategic approach to research development, enhancing our engagement with funders, and driving innovation through coordinated, high-impact initiatives. By joining this newly established team as UK Institutional Research Relationships Manager, you will play a key role in building, nurturing and strengthening relationships with our major UK institutional research partners.

Working within the Research Strategy Team in the Office of the Vice‑Provost (Research and Enterprise), this role focuses on enabling high‑value, collaborative research by bringing together academic expertise, institutional partners and strategic opportunities across Imperial’s priority domains.

This is an exciting opportunity for a relationship‑focused professional who thrives in complex, partnership‑driven environments and is motivated by the impact of collaborative research.

The role

As UK Institutional Research Relationships Manager, you will proactively support the development of strategic partnerships with Imperial’s institutional research partners, such as the Francis Crick Institute, the Alan Turing Institute, Royce Institute and others.

You will work closely with academic colleagues and external partners to identify shared interests, facilitate collaboration, and help convene the consortia that underpin major interdisciplinary research opportunities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Identifying, researching and cultivating relationships with current and potential UK institutional research partners aligned to Imperial’s priorities
• Developing tailored engagement strategies through stakeholder mapping and targeted relationship planning
• Acting as a connector, bringing together partners and academics who do not typically collaborate to co‑create innovative research solutions
• Working across Faculties to map Imperial’s research capabilities and identify opportunities to add value to collaborative bids
• Supporting interdisciplinary research by convening workshops, working groups and partnership‑building activities
• Acting as a credible advisor to academics and professional services colleagues on partnership opportunities and engagement approaches
• Contributing to initiatives that strengthen research collaboration, engagement quality and funding success rates
• Supporting a collaborative, inclusive and values‑driven research culture

You will play a hands‑on role in translating institutional relationships into meaningful, productive research collaborations.

About you

You will be a proactive and relationship‑driven professional with:

• Experience building and managing strategic partnerships, ideally in a higher education or research environment
• A strong track record of developing and delivering engagement strategies with diverse stakeholders
• Experience supporting or coordinating complex, multi‑partner research bids or projects
• Excellent understanding of the academic research environment and the UK research funding landscape
• Strong networking, communication and stakeholder‑management skills
• Analytical capability, including stakeholder mapping and opportunity identification
• Confidence navigating large, matrix organisations and balancing multiple priorities
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to inclusive ways of working

An undergraduate degree (or equivalent) is essential; a postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional experience is desirable.

Why Imperial?

Imperial College London is a world‑leading science and technology institution, where partnership and collaboration are central to addressing global challenges. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the interfaces of academia, strategy and external engagement, helping to unlock the full potential of institutional research partnerships.

Imperial is guided by its values of respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation, and is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

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