Servitization and Service Innovation Lead – KTP Associate in Birmingham

This position offers a unique opportunity for a highly motivated individual to work at the interface of academia and industry in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate role that will deliver transformational impact. You will lead and deliver a service innovation programme within a fast-growing British SME manufacturer, helping to drive innovation and business growth in a company with strong values centred on teamwork, innovation, and excellence.

The project is fundamentally focused on servitization; supporting an engineering company transition from providing equipment through traditional capital expenditure (CapEx) systems towards a service-led, lifecycle-oriented business model. You will lead the co-design and implementation of a product-service system within the company, developing service-led concepts and offerings that create value for customers over the lifecycle of their operations.

This role is designed to enable the transition of a company towards a service-led business model, developing new forms of value creation and strengthening long-term customer relationships. You will play a key role in establishing the foundations for ongoing servitization, embedding new capabilities, and supporting the sustainable growth of the business beyond the duration of the KTP.

Candidate Profile:

• A minimum of a 2:1 BSc degree in Engineering or Management, or a related discipline.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work across technical and commercial domains.
• Experience of adapting theories and/or tools to commercial practice.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to engage across multiple levels of an organisation.
• Strong project management capability, able to manage complex projects, coordinate roles, and work independently, as well as part of the team.
• Commercially aware and able to link innovation to business value.
• Organised, adaptable and able to work effectively in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment.

Desirable for the role:

• A postgraduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field, such as Engineering Management, Service Design, Operations, Innovation, or Marketing.
• Knowledge or experience of servitization, product-service systems, or business model innovation.
• Experience of working in manufacturing or industrial settings.
• Experience in customer research, data analysis, or development of commercially informed strategies.

Key responsibilities of this role include:

• Service design and product-service system development.
• Commercial and go-to-market activities.
• Customer and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge transfer and embedding.
• Academic contribution to conference papers/ journal publications.

Additional Benefits and support:

• Up to £4,000 for personal and professional development for the duration of the project.
• A flexible blend of on-site and remote working arrangements can be negotiated in case of positive ongoing performance.
• This role opens up exciting career opportunities in new business development and servitization. Over 60% of our KTP associates are offered employment by their host companies at the end of the KTP.

This is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). It is essential you understand how KTP works and the vital role you will play if you secure this position.

The Company: A Birmingham-based, industry-leading manufacturer, specialised in engineering and producing material handling equipment.

Aston University: You will work in a project team consisting of Dr Reza Marvi, Dr Geoff Parkes, Dr Daniel Andrews from Aston University and the Senior Management Team of the Company, with the support of a Knowledge Transfer Adviser from Innovate UK.

Location: The successful candidate will be based in central Birmingham, West Midlands, with regular access to Aston University facilities. Occasional travel to client sites across the UK will be required. The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the work base.

For informal enquiries about this role please contact Dr Reza Marvi, e-mail: r.marvi@aston.ac.uk

This role is likely to qualify for endorsement under the Endorsed Funder route of the Global Talent visa. This visa is for talented or promising individuals in academia or research in fields such as science, engineering, medicine, social sciences, or humanities.

It is an Innovate UK requirement that candidates hold a visa or immigration permission to cover the full duration of the contract. The successful candidate is therefore expected to apply for a visa as necessary in line with their contract duration.

The University celebrates the rights of freedom of speech and academic freedom and is committed to maintaining and protecting these rights within the law. An offer to work at Aston University will never be denied on the basis of an individual’s lawful expression of their beliefs, ideas or opinions.

Aston University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. It promotes equality and diversity in all aspects of its work. We strive to have robust inclusivity strategies in place, to encourage colleagues to have the confidence and freedom to be themselves in the workplace.

Guidance on AI-Assisted Applications: While we cannot prevent applicants from using AI tools to support our application, we ask that all submissions reflect your own experience, achievements, and motivations. We want to understand what you personally bring to the role, so please ensure your application represents your own voice and capabilities.

We recognise the value of flexible working. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss what flexible working options are available for particular roles.

If you require the job details document or an application form in an alternative format please contact the recruitment team at recruitment@aston.ac.uk