Intellectual Property Commercialisation Lead

The UK Government has established UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) Ltd, a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKFE is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype.

Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKFE, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year.

As an employee of UKFE, you will benefit from:

• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
• Wide range of career development opportunities.
• A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £51,317 plus excellent benefits including outstanding pension.

This position is to be based at West Burton, Nottinghamshire and onsite working is expected for 3 days each week.

Fusion energy offers the potential for significant quantities of low-carbon, inherently safe, abundantly fuelled, baseload energy, supporting sustainable climate action and energy independence. While the technical challenge remains high, confidence is increasing, and the rewards of realising fusion are almost incalculable. Anticipated to come online for commercial purposes in the middle of this century, fusion offers a viable means to sustainable net zero in the UK and globally, as well as to increased energy security.

STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is the UK’s flagship national programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant, targeting 2040, and a path to commercial viability of fusion. STEP is deliberately bold and ambitious and seeks people who want to be part of a world-changing endeavour and who have credible and relevant experience in delivery.

What you’ll be doing:

STEP is a bold and ambitious programme, and we are developing pioneering new technologies in order to achieve the goal. We are generating considerable intellectual property which we will use to inspire and enable the fusion industry, strengthening the UK’s leadership in the industry.

As the programme progresses and our whole plant and other partners come on board, you will have responsibility for leading on a range of intellectual property commercialisation projects designed to stimulate the STEP commercial supply chain and generate value from the intellectual property developed on STEP.

Accountability 1: Stakeholder Engagement

Responsibilities:

• Stakeholder identification across UKFE, STEP programme and other bodies or entities.
• Stakeholder relationship building and maintenance.
• Tracking, monitoring and reporting to stakeholders.

Accountability 2: Fusion industry and supply chain understanding, engagement and mapping

Responsibilities:

• Creating and maintaining an understanding of the developing fusion supply chain landscape.
• Leading on mapping of supply chain IP portfolios, interests and gaps and mapping to UKFE IP portfolio.
• Collaborating with other teams within STEP programme.
• Attending industry events to publicise STEP and our IP commercialisation opportunities.
• Building and maintaining relationships with fusion industry parties.
• Working with internal and external resources.

Accountability 3: Leading on the identification and development of IP commercialisation opportunities

Responsibilities:

• Leading on the IP commercialisation process in specific areas.
• Identifying clusters of commercialisable IP rights.
• Mapping potential use application of IP or IP clusters to industry requirements to industries and industry challenges.
• Creating market engagement materials.
• Working with internal and external resources.

Accountability 4: Commercialisation value development

Responsibilities:

• Leadership of commercialisation value development.
• Developing and understanding the potential use cases of IP assets.
• Determining industry use case.
• Developing an understanding of the potential value of an industry use case.
• Working with internal and external resources.

Accountability 5: Support commercial negotiation

Responsibilities:

• Working alongside others in the commercial function to prepare for IP commercialisation negotiation.
• Leading, progressing or working alongside others in the commercial function to negotiate IP commercialisation opportunities with industry.
• Working with internal and external resources.

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of activities, and you may be required to undertake other reasonable tasks or duties requested.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Minimum of a graduate degree in a relevant topic.
• Demonstrable commercialisation or technology transfer leadership experience.
• Proven experience advising technologists and engineers on commercialisation and technology transfer opportunities.
• Experience managing an IP commercialisation pipeline and portfolio.
• Demonstrable experience as a technology transfer or industry commercialisation expert.
• Extensive working knowledge of IP, particularly patent rights.
• Experience working in a high energy, busy project-based environment, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• The ability to build, collaborate and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, ranging from technical to executive.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, priority setting and attention to detail.
• Strong technical background with a degree in Scientific or Engineering discipline.

Beneficial:

• Experience negotiating with industry and academia.
• Familiarity with the fusion or fusion adjacent sectors.
• Certified IP valuation expert.
• Experience developing and presenting business use case examples.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team actively promotes Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future.

As we work towards our mission and goals, guided by our principles, STEP has six behaviours that are intended to capture the spirit of how we work:

• We champion safety.
• We all matter.
• We act as one.
• We embrace change.
• We are pioneering.
• We deliver.