Head of Regional Commercialisation Programmes

**Head of Regional Commercialisation Programmes** **(**Job Number**:25000769**)**

Research and Innovation Services

Grade 9: - £59,139 - £66,537 per annum

Fixed Term - Full Time

**Contracted Hours per Week**: 35

**Working Arrangements**: Hybrid working arrangements available with a mix of on site (minimum 2 days) and home based working

**Closing Date**: 14-Jul-2025, 5:59:00 PM

**Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement**: Not Applicable.

**Background; Strategic Research Commercialisation in the North East**

Since 2018, the five North East universities have worked increasingly closely to build a strong collaboration to commercialise our research through the creation of high-growth businesses. Since launching the Northern Accelerator programme, 54 spinouts have been created, catalysing new investment and jobs.

Supported by Research England’s CCF-RED fund with £8.9m in funding over a five year period, the Strategic Commercialisation Eco-system North East (SCENE) programme represents an exciting next phase in our regional collaboration with the aim of wrapping new activities around and into Northern Accelerator to strengthen our support for the spin out process, and building new services and activities to extend successful research commercialisation in new areas, such as licensing and commercial partnerships.

Underpinning these propositions is the creation and development of a structured and connected ecosystem around University research commercialisation, drawing together partnerships with business, investors and institutions to drive a sustainable step-change in our impact.

Through the delivery of seven workstreams over a five year programme, SCENE will:

- Strengthen and expand the region’s ecosystem, engaging businesses, sector bodies, Catapults and investors more actively in commercialising university research;
- Expand the pipeline of high-quality, investible new spinouts;
- Support growth for existing spinouts, helping secure them for the long-term;
- Increase adoption of university IP by businesses of all sizes in strategic sectors;
- Attract new UK and international investment into the formation and growth of research-led businesses; and
- Enhance structures, systems and leadership to support regional commercialisation ambitions.

SCENE is led by Durham University and involves as key partners the other four North East Higher Education institutions - Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside - who come together through Universities for North East England (UNEE).

SCENE is also supported by a number of strategic partners - our two Combined Authorities in the North East and Tees Valley, Catapults, Business Support organisations and key businesses as well as associated universities in York and Cumbria.

**The Role and Department**

Both the SCENE and Northern Accelerator programmes are led and hosted by Durham University on behalf of the North East universities. The Director of Economic Development, Commercialisation and Policy (the Director of EDCP) at Durham University is the Accountable Officer for the programmes and the lead sponsor on behalf of the Business and Innovation Group of UNEE.

**The Role**

The Head of Regional Commercialisation Programmes will report to the Director of EDCP at Durham University, and support and report to the SCENE Management Group which includes Director level leads from the five Universities, and will be responsible for the delivery, integration and ongoing development of this group of programmes. The postholder will also liaise closely with the structures supporting the new University Commercialisation and Spin Out fund.

Looking forward, the postholder will work with the five Universities and the wider network of strategic partners to develop new opportunities to promote successful Research Commercialisation

The postholder will lead and bring together the core team currently supporting the Northern Accelerator programme alongside new staff appointed through the SCENE programme ensuring close integration in delivering the objectives of the programmes. This will include the postholders appointed within each of the five institutions to support these programmes.

The postholder will be responsible to the Director of EDCP and the Management Group for the effective management and development of the resources available for delivering the programmes, taking into account the requirements and expectations of funders and drawing on best practice from within the partner institutions and the wider university sector.

An illustration of the UNEE Governance Structures and SCENE Staffing Structures will be available here.

**The Department**

The postholder and the Durham based members of the Team of staff will sit within Durham University’s Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team. RIS is a professional services directorate at the heart of Durham University.

We provide expertise, leadership and support to academics and professional colleagues across the Univers