New Vacancy - Head of Academic Consultancy Services

Do you want to be part of a dynamic team at a prestigious organisation, helping us to create commercial impact?

The University of Birmingham is one of the most ambitious institutions in the UK with what is widely accepted to be one of the most professional and efficient academic consultancy units in the country.  We are looking for a talented individual with proven experience to lead our highly regarded Academic Consultancy Services and to be the University’s academic consultancy ‘expert’.

University of Birmingham Enterprise Limited manages the Academic Consultancy Service, arranging hundreds of contracts on behalf of the University’s academic members of staff each year.  It is an innovative high performing business unit generating up to £2,000,000 per annum.  As Head of the Academic Consultancy Service you will have a high profile in leading the small experienced team to build on this success.

We are looking for a talented, well organised, entrepreneurial and financially astute individual, with proven experience to continue to deliver an efficient and professional service in a fast-moving environment.

Duties will include:

• Responsibility for the ongoing development and delivery of academic consultancy support across the institution.
• Manage and continue to develop the small team who deliver the Academic Consultancy Service (and UoBE’s operating divisions) ensuring that individuals continue to operate as a cohesive, supported and efficient unit with high performance standards.
• Become the University ‘expert’ in all aspects of academic consultancy enabling the development and maintenance of close trusting relationships with academic clients, UoBE and business engagement colleagues and senior leaders within the University. 
• Use commercial expertise to negotiate an appropriate fee rate for academics and use legal experience to ensure that risk factors are mitigated, reputational and ethics issues are considered and that any realisable intellectual property has been accounted for, whilst ensuring that contracts are arranged in a timely manner and that bid deadlines are met.
• Take full financial responsibility for the business unit including growing turnover and profit, oversight over financial transactions undertaken by colleagues within the University Finance Office, financial reporting, and responsibility for the financial year-end revenue recognition process.

In order to be considered for this role you will need to show us that you have a proven track record in managing and growing a comparable commercial business unit and how you have grown turnover and profit year-on-year whilst continuing to deliver outstanding service to the benefit of clients.

This is a role that demands demonstrable legal and financial experience coupled with excellent leadership, interpersonal and communications skills.  You will be conscientious, detail- and goal- oriented, resilient and tenacious with the ability to quickly devise innovative solutions to issues, prioritise workload, run a number of competing projects simultaneously, and ensure that the team feel supported in a fast-moving environment.  A competitive salary will be offered, commensurate with experience.

To see the full job description please click here:  Head of Academic Consultancy Services

For informal enquiries please contact David Coleman, Chief Executive Officer (Interim), d.coleman@bham.ac.uk

If you are interested in applying for this Head of Academic Consultancy Services post please email a 2 page CV together with a 1 page covering letter explaining why you would like to work for University of Birmingham Enterprise and showing how you meet the above job criteria to:  m.kaiser@bham.ac.uk

Closing date: Monday 28th June 2021.