Innovation and Enterprise Executive in Kilmarnock

Role: Innovation and Enterprise Executive

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £47,389)

FTE and Working Pattern: Full‑time (35 hours a week)

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

Purpose of Role

As a key member of the Enterprise Team, the Innovation and Enterprise Executive has a broad remit which includes growing our entrepreneurial culture; nurturing budding innovators and entrepreneurs, supporting the promotion of entrepreneurship and ideas in start‑up/spin‑out companies and contributing to the development and delivery of new innovation and enterprise activities for the university.

The Enterprise team supports the University’s strategies through delivery of a wide range of Knowledge Exchange and Entrepreneurship activities that create real impact and value to industry and society.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Identify commercialisation opportunities across Heriot‑Watt University and develop them into successful commercial outcomes.
• Promote enterprise opportunities for staff and students across the five campuses of the university and interact with key stakeholders including investors, corporate partners and government/economic development agencies.
• Support development of an enterprise network across the university linking academic schools, professional services and external stakeholders as appropriate.
• Support new industry‑led innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives such as accelerators and innovation challenges.
• Provide hands‑on business support to staff and students of HWU, including delivery of enterprise creation workshops and training.
• Participate in networks of enterprise support activities in Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia.
• Nurture a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors and support agencies.
• Develop content for internal and external audiences.
• Support the University in leveraging appropriate funding to support company creation and enterprise activity (e.g. SE High Growth, RSE, RAEng, ICURe, Converge).
• Support colleagues in collating KPI data that exemplifies the University’s delivery of innovation and enterprise activities.
• Assisted the B&E leadership team to deliver strategic initiatives to further innovation and enterprise developments across the university.
• Connect and collaborate with the external enterprise ecosystem and signpost entrepreneurs to relevant external opportunities.
• Other duties to support enterprise delivery and wider commercial objectives.

Essential & Desirable Experience

• Proven track record of working within a start‑up or industry environment.
• Commercial experience operating in an innovation‑centred environment.
• Evidence of prior workshop delivery or event management experience.
• Financial management, business planning and writing funding proposals.
• Ability to work in partnership across public and private sector organisations.
• Good first degree in a Technology, Engineering or Business‑related subject.
• Understanding of available business start‑up support across UK, Malaysia and Dubai.
• The ability to provide clear reports and advice for the different senior stakeholders within an entrepreneurial and academic ecosystem.
• Ability to negotiate and sell opportunities.
• Line management or team leader experience beneficial but not essential.
• Ability to secure funding in an early‑stage innovation environment.

Essential Skills

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong public speaking experience with delivery of training and workshops.
• Co‑ordinating activities across large organisations.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to plan workload and prioritise effectively.
• A good understanding of and ability to use a range of software applications and services (CRM, word‑processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, PowerPoint).
• Ability to understand complex ideas and help articulate them into a coherent value proposition.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to 23:55 (UK time) Sunday 9th August 2026. Please submit your CV and covering letter via the Heriot‑Watt online recruitment portal.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns such as part‑time working and job share options.

Equal Opportunities

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 under‑represented groups. For more information, see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and our award‑winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.