Key Account Manager in Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world‑class university.

Overview

The AMRC’s industrial collaboration framework is essential for building trust, strengthening teamwork across companies, and sustaining our broader success. As a Key Account Manager (KAM), your role is crucial in maximising the AMRC's benefit to our Industrial Partners and the wider network. As part of the Partnerships Team within the Commercial Function, you will develop and deliver a relationship engagement plan for your allocated industrial partner companies (Partners). You will guide and support Partners, promoting effective collaboration, overseeing their portfolio, and harnessing the community’s potential to facilitate high‑impact outcomes for all stakeholders.

Your portfolio may include industry primes who work with the AMRC to develop solutions, as well as technology providers who engage with the AMRC by supplying goods, services, and in‑kind contributions in exchange for participation in our Industrial Collaboration programme. These collaborators are vital for broadening and deepening our research capabilities. You will collaborate closely with research groups to achieve maximum benefit for all parties involved. You will manage the Partners’ annual membership, including renewals, tracking project activity and/or the use of their products and services, and facilitating necessary meetings and activities. You must take a proactive approach to maintaining active and integrated engagement. As the main day‑to‑day point of contact, you ensure a positive Partner experience. Ultimately, you are responsible for the relationship and will be measured based on your Partners’ engagement levels, contribution, participation and satisfaction.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Build strong relationships: Cultivate robust, long‑lasting relationships with key stakeholders through integrity, transparency and regular communication. This involves frequent visits to Partner sites and hosting visits to the AMRC.
• Act as primary liaison: Serve as the first point of contact into the AMRC, answering queries, problem‑solving and connecting Partners with appropriate AMRC colleagues and the wider Partnership community. Proactively identify and promote collaboration opportunities, facilitating the necessary practical arrangements.
• Maintain network and succession: Identify and maintain a comprehensive network contact list for both Partners and AMRC teams, defining key roles within each business and ensuring succession planning is in place for personnel changes.
• Develop strategic engagement plans: Working collaboratively with colleagues and Partners, develop and deliver strategic engagement and collaboration plans for your industrial Partner(s).
• Maintain in‑depth knowledge: Proactively maintain in‑depth knowledge of AMRC strategy, capability, processes and personnel. Use this knowledge, including relevant examples, to steer and support your Partner(s) through all aspects of working with the AMRC.
• Project and activity oversight: Maintain comprehensive oversight of all relevant Partner activity and opportunities across the AMRC. Follow up as appropriate, supporting the Partner(s) to maintain clear transparency of project status and escalating issues as required. Where necessary, act in the Partner’s interest to further project activity and aid successful delivery.
• Identify opportunities: Work with Partners to fully understand the breadth and depth of their organisation and actively seek out and execute opportunities across the full capability of the AMRC.
• Facilitate technical alignment: Liaise effectively between AMRC technical staff and the Partner’s technical team. Mediate and successfully resolve conflicts, ensuring good working relationships are maintained.
• Promote awareness: Work with Partners to find and execute opportunities to raise internal and external awareness of the capability and/or opportunities for collaboration within both organisations.
• Market insight: Work with Sector Theme Leads to provide and receive information regarding a ‘future view’ of emerging trends and drivers for your Partners’ sectors that could impact the AMRC’s effectiveness.
• Manage membership and in‑kind: Manage the Partners’ annual membership, including renewals, and is responsible for tracking in‑kind contribution drawdown and managing the related paperwork. Ensuring financial compliance and robust documentation management for audit trail.
• Support funding and bids: Be aware of relevant funding streams and assist your industrial Partner(s) with the development, scoping and successful application of Research bids.
• Maximise engagement: Monitor potential Partner engagement opportunities and support the AMRC management team in implementing suitable infrastructure and processes to maximise potential.
• Demonstrate impact: Commission impact case studies to support and promote the impact the AMRC delivers to your industrial member companies.
• Adhere to standards: Foster an inclusive OneAMRC culture that promotes excellence through diversity. As a member of Professional staff, you are expected to demonstrate commitment to the professional behaviours set out in the Sheffield Professional Framework and embed the University’s sustainability strategy into your working activities.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn’t match perfectly with this role’s criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• Ability to build strong relationships, inspire confidence and communicate clearly and directly with diverse internal and external audiences.
• Excellent listening, writing and verbal skills, including strong report writing, summarising complex information and delivering effective presentations.
• Proven ability to manage strategic relationships and effectively influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders across partner organisations.
• Capacity to quickly understand and interpret complex technical information and then communicate it accurately to different audiences.
• Ability to rapidly develop and maintain expertise in evolving technology fields and the operational processes of a complex organisation.
• Ability to analyse and solve problems while considering the long‑term, organisation‑wide consequences of the solutions.
• Clear understanding of industry commercial pressures, market drivers, the innovation landscape and relevant business challenges.
• Strong organisational skills to manage individual workload, oversee a portfolio of work, accurately track activity and arrange partner events.
• Experience adapting skills to new situations, demonstrating a proactive approach and taking ownership of successful outcomes in unfamiliar contexts.
• Proven track record as a supportive team member who communicates well, collaborates effectively and operates with a curious, coaching mindset.
• Demonstrated understanding of manufacturing processes and related industrial supply chains.
• Experience working within or closely alongside the defence, aerospace, and/or nuclear or renewable energy sectors.

Benefits

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development, access to learning and mentoring schemes.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies: Paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies. Support for those going through menopause. Paid time off and support for fertility treatment.

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right.

More information can be found on our Information for candidates page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates.

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