Head of Business Development in Edinburgh

Grade and Salary: Grade 9 (£58,225 - £69,488)

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35 hours per week), Open Ended

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

Heriot-Watt University is entering a critical transition period as Strategy 2025 concludes and Strategy 2035 is implemented. Strategy 2035 positions Heriot-Watt as a mission-led, partnership-powered, globally connected university, with growth driven through:

• An intentional and transformed approach to partnerships
• Mission-based research and innovation anchored in Global Research Institutes
• Scaled knowledge exchange, commercialisation and income diversification
• The Heriot-Watt Virtual Campus and lifelong learning

Knowledge Exchange and Innovation (KE&I) is central to this ambition. The University’s KEIF Strategy (2025–2030) commits to a step-change in industry partnerships, consultancy, commercialisation, and entrepreneurial outcomes, with KEIF acting as a core institutional enabler. The Head of Business Development will lead the University’s institutional approach to industry and public-sector partnerships, major mission-led propositions, and income-generating knowledge exchange activity.

The role holder will:

• Lead the delivery of the KEIF KPIs and SFC expectations.
• Create, shape and close large, multi-partner, mission-driven propositions aligned to Strategy 2035 and the Global Research Institutes.
• Drive significant growth in industry research, consultancy, contract research, licensing and collaborative programmes.
• Lead and develop a high-performing business development and partnerships team.
• Act as a senior strategic partner to academic leaders, translating research excellence into scalable impact and income.

This role moves beyond transactional business development to strategic partnership creation, operating at system, sector and mission level.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnerships & Mission-led Growth
   • Lead the development and execution of an institution-wide partnerships strategy aligned to Strategy 2035 and the University’s partnership taxonomy (Anchor, Cluster, Strategic Alliance & Growth Partnerships).
   • Design and deliver large-scale, mission-driven partnership propositions aligned to priority challenge areas (e.g. Net Zero, Health & Care Technologies, Robotics & AI, Earth & Marine Science, Quantum & Photonics).
   • Build long-term, high-value relationships with global industry, public sector, government and civic partners, operating at C-suite and system-leader level.
   • Position Heriot-Watt as a partner of choice for complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-partner initiatives.
2. Institutional Leadership of KEIF
   • Translate the approved KEIF strategy into operational plans, pipelines and delivery mechanisms.
   • Ensure delivery against KEIF KPIs across research income, consultancy, commercialisation, entrepreneurship and impact.
   • Coordinate KEIF-funded activity across Business & Enterprise, Global Research Institutes, Schools and professional services.
   • Support institutional reporting, governance and assurance relating to KEIF.
3. Income Growth & Commercial Performance
   • Deliver sustained growth in: Industry-funded research and collaborative R&D, Consultancy and contract research, Strategic partnership income streams.
   • Build and manage a robust institutional sales and opportunity pipeline, with clear prioritisation aligned to strategic missions.
   • Work with academic leaders to improve commercial readiness, proposition design, pricing and costing.
   • Contribute to broader income diversification and financial sustainability objectives.
4. Leadership & Team Development
   • Provide strategic leadership to the Business Development team, creating a high-performance, commercially astute culture.
   • Set clear priorities, targets and expectations aligned to Strategy 2035 and KEIF outcomes.
   • Coach and develop staff to operate confidently with senior external partners and academic leaders.
   • Embed consistent approaches to account management, opportunity development and deal closure.
5. Institutional Influence & Collaboration
   • Contribute to shaping policy, funding calls and national innovation agendas where relevant.
   • Act as a senior advisor to University Executive, Deans and Global Research Institute Directors on partnership and KE strategy.
   • Work closely with Research, Finance, Legal, IP & Commercialisation, Marketing and International teams to deliver joined-up propositions.
   • Represent the University externally at senior forums, boards, sector bodies and partner engagements.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
• Significant senior experience in business development, partnerships or commercial leadership within a university, RTO, research, innovation or knowledge-intensive environment.
• Experience working with mission-led or challenge-driven research and innovation programmes.
• Proven track record of creating and closing complex, high-value partnerships and income-generating propositions.
• Strong understanding of knowledge exchange, research commercialisation and innovation funding landscapes.
• Demonstrable leadership experience, including building and managing high-performing teams.
• Ability to work confidently with senior academics, industry leaders and public-sector stakeholders.
• Highly developed influencing, negotiation and communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience of leading or coordinating KEIF or similar public innovation funding.
• Understanding of Global Research Institutes or equivalent interdisciplinary models.
• Experience operating in an international or multi-campus context.

Personal Attributes

• Strategically minded, outcome-focused and commercially astute.
• Comfortable with complexity, ambiguity and system-level leadership.
• Collaborative, credible and trusted by both academic and external partners.
• Resilient, adaptive and motivated by impact at scale.

Citizenship & Values

The post holder will demonstrate Heriot-Watt University values at all times and actively contribute to:

• An inclusive, collaborative and enterprising culture.
• Ethical partnership working.
• Public value, economic impact and societal benefit.

This role is central to delivering Strategy 2035 and represents a step-change in Heriot-Watt University’s ambition for partnership-led growth, mission-driven impact and sustainable income generation.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to 23:55 (UK time) on Thursday 20th of August 2026. Please submit your CV and covering letter describing your suitability for the role via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.