Senior Programme Manager, Innovation Programmes

Are you interested in the translation of health and social care innovations? Are you excited by working in a fast-paced dynamic team environment? Would you like to engage with multiple stakeholders across industry, academia and the NHS?

We are looking for 3 Senior Programme Managers who are passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship and thrive in a busy environment.

The LGC GMG Innovations team manages multiple funding programmes from several clients, including the NIHR i4i Programme and the SBRI Healthcare and NHS Cancer Programmes.

The NIHR Coordinating Centre Business Development team helps industry (from SMEs to large multinationals; across a range of sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, IVD and digital technology), charity and public research funders, to work in partnership with the NIHR and the wider UK research and healthcare community to conduct research and to facilitate regulatory approval, market entry and adoption into the NHS, the UK and other global healthcare markets.

Job Description

• You will play a key role in the Innovations team and foster close collaboration with the Business Development team.
• You will support the day-to-day delivery of a number of new activities and funding calls aimed at expanding the NIHR offer to industry and its engagement with investors, manage a portfolio of exciting projects led by small and medium enterprises, academia and NHS Trusts which are thriving to make an impact in the NHS and the UK economy.
• You are expected to develop close relationships with innovators and entrepreneurs, drive the collection of outcomes, contribute to the generation of case studies and participate in the planning of ad hoc events, workshops and/or webinars.
• You will act as an ambassador for our funding programmes, representing and promoting them externally to a wide variety of stakeholders, including industry.
• You have a good understanding of the UK health innovation ecosystem and an appreciation of current and evolving technology developments and commercial exploitation routes and experience of working across industry, NHS and academia.
• You will be expected to manage and support other team members and contribute to the continuous improvement of operational processes and working practices.
• You need to be comfortable with working to tight deadlines and competing priorities while maintaining a high quality of outputs.

Key Responsibilities

The following activities comprise the key responsibilities for the Senior Programme Manager role. Subject to agreement with your Line Manager, additional activities may be required from time to time.

Programme operations and commissioning

• Supporting all aspects of translational funding, including scoping potential call themes, advising applicants, reviewing applications for funding and providing feedback to applicants
• Support Programme Leads, Assistant Directors and the Head of Business Development with the preparation of papers for Contract Management and /or Advisory Boards and strategic proposals for new initiatives
• Leading on continuous improvement activities across the team and drafting work instructions as appropriate

Due diligence, contracting and portfolio management

• Undertaking due diligence of funding proposals, including reviewing the scientific, technical and clinical rationale, analysis of project budgets and value for money, evaluation of proposed intellectual property protection and freedom to operate positions and assessment of the proposed adoption and commercialisation strategies
• Negotiating funding agreements for projects recommended for funding, including the negotiation of milestones, financial arrangements and reporting requirements to enable successful project development
• Managing a portfolio of projects at various stages of development across different health tech sectors
• Leading on portfolio analysis and collection of relevant metrics to support activities around programme promotion, business intelligence, impact and evaluation
• Contribute to the generation of case studies for programme promotion, customer reporting and shared learning

Comms & engagement

• Supporting the delivery of communications and engagement activities or leading on elements thereof, including competitions’ promotion and launch events, newsletters and annual reports
• Supporting on engagement with small and medium enterprises and researchers to help navigate the NIHR and the UK’s wider research system and gain access to the NIHR expertise and facilities to accelerate the translation of their innovations to market and in the NHS
• Working with relevant stakeholders across the NIHR, including the research infrastructure, and externally to identify health priorities or areas of unmet clinical need with the aim of developing industry-focused offers
• Supporting engagement with other funders and charities, the investment community, and other relevant stakeholders to build awareness of UK policies, priorities and strategic initiatives to build an informed support to industry
• Planning and/or contribute to the delivery of key events, consultations and/or workshops
• Identifying and attending relevant conferences
• Liaising regularly with internal and external stakeholders, including attending, organising and leading meetings, representing the funder’s perspective at project meetings to facilitate successful project development, and promoting and representing funding programmes at external events

Staff management

• Mentoring and training of new and existing staff
• Championing equality, diversity and inclusion within the team and the organisation

Qualifications & Experience

• Good understanding of health and social care innovation ecosystem including product development (either therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices or digital health technologies) and the translational research pathway
• Educated to MSc/PhD level in biomedical, health or engineering sciences
• Experience of working in research management, technology transfer environment, health tech accelerators, start-ups, organisations supporting innovation or experience engaging with industry at senior level, either within a sales, promotional, consultancy or negotiation capacity
• Experience of working within multiple areas of the health, social care and life sciences sector including industry, academia and the NHS with proven experience in commercially focused projects
• Experience in managing diverse internal and external relationships
• Understanding of intellectual property and commercial aspects in relation to research commercialisation
• Committed team player
• Excellent presentation and communications skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proven organisational and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage own time to meet demanding deadlines and excellent attention to details

Why work for us?

Join our team and you’ll be working with an exceptional organisation who manage high quality health and care research for the benefit of patients and the public. NIHR is one of the UK’s largest funders of health and care research.

Salary & Benefits

• £45,700 to £53,500 - "More for exceptional candidates"
• Bonus - subject to company performance
• 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Life Insurance
• Benenden Healthcare
• Season Ticket Loan
• Laptop, IT equipment and remote IT support

We offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, flexible working arrangements.

This is an office-based, hybrid role with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices a minimum of 4 days a month, usually worked as 1 day per week, and may increase, subject to team requirements.

To Apply

If you are interested in working with us and feel you have the appropriate background and skills, please apply with your CV, with the cover letter attached in the same document, explaining what you feel you could bring to the company, outlining your suitability for the role.

Please quote REF706N on all correspondence.