JD updated 22/12/2014
Author Jo Birch
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY (BCU)
Department of Enterprise Innovation and Business Engagement (EIBE)
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Director of the Institute for Health & Quality of Life
Ref No:
012015-22
Grade/Salary Level:
Circa £58,000 per annum
Location:
University House although can be required to be based at any of the
University’s campus sites
Reports to:
Director – Enterprise Innovation and Business Engagement
Responsible for:
3 posts – 1 Programme Manager, 1 Marketing Manager, 1 Funding Manager.
Hours per week:
37 hours per week or fractional as agreed
1. JOB PURPOSE:
To actively engage across the thematic area (Creative Economy/Sustainable Futures/ Health and Quality
of Life) at an international, national and regional level to broker and secure research and enterprise
income, research networks, partnerships and profile opportunities for the University which will be
instrumental in underpinning employer engagement and pipeline development for research and
enterprise income targets so that Birmingham City University is recognised as a leading HE provider to
the sector. To act as a catalyst and agent internally brokering opportunities and supporting ideas such
that internal experts are supported to maximise their contribution to such opportunities at an
international, national and regional level. On behalf of the University to ensure that the reputational
risk of committing to undertake the delivery of such partnership based projects is managed and
minimised. Deputy for the Director of EIBE.
2. ORGANISATION CHART
Director
Institute
Programme
Manager
Marketing
Manager
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Funding
Manager
JD updated 22/12/2014
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3. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director of Institute is responsible for enabling growth in research and enterprise income and key
business relationships for the thematic area of the economy working in partnership with delivery agents
in the faculties, developing and supporting income pipelines, maximising opportunities whilst minimising
the risk associated with their delivery. The emphasis of work will be driving external relationships at
international, national and regional level and facilitating internal cross University, cross discipline
relationships so that the University is best able to respond to opportunities identified both internally and
externally to drive income and employability.
3.1 Culture and strategy
3.1.1
Strategy
 Contribute to the development of EIBE strategy and programmes that include research
income, innovation, enterprise, professional practice, business engagement and related
areas, providing detailed plans, budgets for the work of the Institute.
 Identify the market requirements for the institute and ensure a clear business
development and marketing approach to meet them.
 Input at a strategic level to external policy forums to inform thinking to ensure HE
representation and secure BCU as a lead partner of choice.
3.1.2
Culture development
 Develop and promote an entrepreneurial/innovative culture which encourages cross
disciplinary working such that academics and academic related staff seek to identify,
develop and deliver research income, innovation and enterprise related opportunities
that benefit the University, themselves, society and the economy.
 Keep abreast of research and best practice in developing cultures which support strong
employer engagement and underpin growth in research and enterprise income.
3.2 Support to Faculties to facilitate delivery
3.2.1
Service provision to faculties and relevant service departments
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Ensure that the Institute team is, and is perceived as, providing the necessary leadership
and support required by Executive Deans, Associate Deans and academics as well as
relevant service departments for external engagement in relation to the Sector.
Working closely with the Executive Deans providing input and guidance on the
implementation of operation plans, in relation to the Sector to secure investment levels,
resources and outcomes are achieved.
Ensure that the Institute team is perceived as adding value in nurturing appropriate
external relationships, identifying opportunities for funding, creating projects which
facilitate the University in responding to these opportunities, supporting these with
robust marketing and communications approaches and providing the project
management support to ensure professional delivery against external commitments and
aligned to faculty plans.
Ensure very close inter-working between the Institute team and the rest of EIBE as well
as with Faculties and other internal departments.
Deliver staff development and training to support Institute activity.
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
Support, coach and occasionally lead relevant Faculty staff in developing strategic
external relationships and their on-going management.
 Support, coach and occasionally lead relevant Faculty staff in managing projects initiated
through Institute activity.
 Coach and support academics and other staff across the University as required in
aspects of being outwardly-facing, networking, opportunity development and
professional project delivery.
3.2.2 Externally facing:
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Understand the external marketplace:
Europe – both the commission and potential partners, particularly in relation to
Innovation led challenges.
Public bodies such as Birmingham City Council, Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP
(GBSLEP) key stakeholders and potential partners relevant to the University’s strengths
and strategic ambitions, etc.
Government and government bodies with responsibility for the sector
Multinationals and businesses influencing agenda’s on a national or regional basis
For opportunities to undertake consultancy, contract research, knowledge transfer,
intellectual property and, in particular, non-credit bearing CPD and facilities &
equipment hire
Working within the framework of EIBE, Faculties and Marketing & Communications:
Lead the co-ordination of the pan-University team for the external business-facing webpages for the creative economy
Lead the requirements for the Experts/Expertise to showcase to potential external
clients
Lead on the areas for content development including case studies to highlight the
Universities credentials monitoring both internal and external content and driving
opportunities for external content placement and profile.
Lead on the strategy development for social media
3.2.3 External partnerships and representation
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Keep abreast of and seek to influence emerging policies in the UK, West Midlands and in
Birmingham to ensure that the University can continue to contribute effectively
particularly in the role of creative/cultural/outwardly-engaged universities contributing
to the vibrancy of the city and to up-skilling agenda for the benefit of the economy and
society.
Represent the University on the Associated Executive Boards for the sector (e.g. Creative
City Partnership/ Smart City Alliance) and actively engage with national agencies e.g.
(Arts Council, Creative England, Creative Skillset, DCMS for creative economy),
representing the needs of the University and its agendas
With Faculties, identify relationships that need developing in relation to their portfolio
With Faculties identify key external areas and their influencers that need a proactive
influencing strategy
Make sure that Directorate is kept on board.
Represent the University on a variety of external bodies central to the sector agenda.
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3.2.4 Developing ‘platforms’ for exemplar external engagement
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Identify new opportunities, initiate, write and/or support proposals for external profile
raising events/projects
Mastermind, plan and deliver key business facing and/or reputation building events in
key areas (e.g. culture, creativity)
Where possible win funding/sponsorship/support-in-kind for the event/project
Identify potential commercial and curriculum-based collaborations for identified
Faculties and/or Schools.
Promote an outward-facing and professional delivery culture within the University via
proactive everyday interactions with University staff and students by organising
presentations, workshops and training on networking, etc.
Secure high profile and prominent people as advocates in the selected key area to
contribute to profile raising activity
Monitor delivery against milestones and put in corrective actions when required even if
this means undertaking Faculty owned work
Monitor performance against objectives
3.2.5 Business development
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3.2.6
Support faculties engaged with the theme to grow research, innovation and enterprise
related revenues to enable faculties to deliver against targets.
Support the faculties to diversify sources of revenue
Work with academics to translate their entrepreneurial and innovative ideas into
projects that will benefit the University, the faculty and member of staff.
Lead on development of commercialisation of facilities across the University– (Creative
Economy institute only)
Support the faculties to improve profitability where required.
Support the faculty with bid preparation and management – ensuring bids are of high
quality.
University wide
 Lead the co-ordination of large cross-University projects e.g. Cultural Strategy and its
implementation.
3.3 Quality assurance and risk management
 Lead, establish and maintain corporate relationships with client groups and external agencies
 Work with the External Project Assurance and Faculty Financial staff to ensure contract and
financial procedures are followed
 Ensure that staff and student intellectual property is appropriately protected
 Ensure that activity is covered by MOUs, contracts, etc.
 Apply project management methodology to managing external work
 Ensure that senior managers from Faculties are engaged in the project and provide appropriate
resources
 Ensure best practice in relation to Health & Safety
 Lead negotiations and/or support University staff in negotiations with third parties which will
form the basis of contractual agreements including collaboration deals.
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3.4 Management information & continuous improvement
 Provision of management information in terms of external events/projects
 Improve processes and standardise ‘paperwork’ where possible
 Identify project risks, specifically contract based risks, and build in appropriate measures of risk
management into the specific projects for Faculties and/or Schools
 Organisational learning:
 Processes to ensure that the University learns from one project to another.
 Provide guidance to University Faculties and departments.
3.5 Budgets
 EIBE budget holder for the University’s Institutes budget which combines internal funding and
external project funding.
3.6 Staff
 Motivate, develop and manage approximately 3 people directly
 Responsible for Health & Safety of team.
3.7 Other
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Uphold and promote the University’s core values of Excellence, People Focused, Partnership
Working, Fairness and Integrity. These values define the principles of how we work together with
our staff, students and partners.
Support the Director’s commitment to Investors in People and to maintaining its Gold standard
Other duties as appropriate to the role
The role can be based on any of the University’s sites.
4. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
Who
Purpose of relationship
Key external players
To understand and promote the University’s agenda e.g.
importance of the University and its particular strengths and
contribution for the city region.
Key external clients/funding
bodies and potential
clients/funding bodies
To establish and maintain a good relationship between BCU,
securing interest to facilitate future collaborative activity.
To influence perceptions of key strategic opinion formers to
drive improved engagement at regional/national and
international level.
To secure major strategic partners which will leverage
commercial income opportunities for the University.
Executive Deans, Associate
Deans
To facilitate development and delivery of their faculty’s
external engagement agendas. To develop and deliver activity
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with shared ownership.
VCO
To brief and guide PVC for Research Engagement and
Enterprise contributing to strategy and top level policy
development around the Sector.
Directors of relevant service
departments e.g. Marketing &
Communications
To develop and deliver activity with shared ownership.
Academics and related staff
To nurture their enterprising ideas into external projects that
deliver value.
Direct Reports
To ensure:
 Cross-team working and a shared sense of direction.
 Effective 2 way communication
 Delivery of guidance and support
 Identification of personal development
 Knowledge of achievements
 Agreement on priorities
 Formal record and tracking of progress
5. SPECIAL FEATURES
Executive Deans own the delivery of the University’s revenue, surplus and non-financial targets from
innovation and entrepreneurship engagement. There are no ‘dotted line’ relationships from the faculties or
elsewhere into EIBE.
The post is very challenging and the post holder has to be sensitive to the fact that that the strategies,
priorities and modus operandi vary within and between faculties and yet be the ‘glue’ which holds the
diverse and distributed externally facing activities together so that they advance consistently with the
University strategy.
The key challenge is to face externally to create the opportunities and to face internally to make sure that
Faculties deliver what they promise with no direct management control to an exemplar standard.
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PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job Title:
Post Ref:
Faculty/Department:
Director Institute –Health &
Quality of Life
012015-22
Department of Enterprise Innovation
and Business Engagement
Salary:
School/Section:
Reports to:
Director – Enterprise Innovation and
Business Engagement
Circa £58,000 per annum
Category and Guidance
Essential
Desirable
Smart and professional appearance
1.
Physical
Able to travel to meet others at their place
of work
Educated to Degree Level
2.
Qualifications
Relevant business/professional
qualification
Membership of Professional
Bodies
Qualification in related field of
Institute Theme.
Proven leadership and management skills
3.
Experience
Demonstrable track record of engagement
within the sector in a business
development/ leadership capacity and
evidence of credibility in leading activity in
this space.
Substantial experience and knowledge of
building and maintaining external
relationships and partnerships at Director/
CEO level.
Programme and project management
delivery (>£1m)
Successful experience in a Higher
Educational externally facing role
Significant experience of master-minding
and delivering creative and high profile
events and projects
Significant experience of strategy
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development for marketing and
communications
Substantial successful negotiation
experience
Excellent project management skills
Evidence of working with others to develop
innovative ideas.
Partnership development and working.
Business case and planning experience
Successful proposal-writing experience
Experience of managing budgets
4.
Training
Evidence of professional updating
5.
Special Knowledge
Awareness of Higher Educational and how
that impacts ability to deliver against
external commitments.
Detailed knowledge of the sector, its needs
in respect of the growth agenda.
Flexibility to work some evenings and
weekends as required.
6.
7.
Circumstances
(Personal)
Disposition and
Personal
Characteristics
May also be required to attend
events/conferences that require
national/international travel
Sensitivity towards the University culture
and its organisational and political
complexities.
Demonstrates a commitment to the
University’s core values of Excellence,
People Focused, Partnership Working,
Fairness and Integrity.
Excellent interpersonal, communication
and client liaison skills.
Ability to build confidence, credibility and
rapport with team, academic colleagues
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and external partners and clients
Ability to comprehend the critical elements
of a situation, quickly and accurately to
inform sound judgments.
The resilience necessary to overcome
obstacles and resistance.
Having a breadth of outlook and
appreciation of longer-term strategic
consequences
Flexibility to modify own behaviour and
thinking in order to reach goals.
Ability to work within a team as well as
independently.
Ability to lead through influence and
persuasion.
Ability to manage multitask portfolios
8.
Practical and
Intellectual Skills
Able to network and build relationships
internally and externally
Attention to detail, completer-finisher
Good negotiation skills
Ability to prioritise
Ability to work to tight timescales
Flexible approach
Excellent business, PC, administrative
presentation and communication skills:
Upholding confidentiality.
Strive for excellence within available
resources
Ability to facilitate commercial and
research collaborations between
organisations and a university
Ability to work across disciplines and
functions
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Ability to facilitate an
outward-facing and
professional delivery culture
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9.
10.
Legal Requirements
Health and safety of events
Other Requirements
Providing support for Faculty staff to
ensure delivery to a high standard and
wider recognition when they have
achieved.
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