Knowledge Transfer Development Officer

Support academics to grow knowledge exchange, funding bids and enterprise partnerships at UWL. Working with the Head of Knowledge Exchange and Business Engagement to proactively grow UWL’s knowledge exchange (KE) and enterprise activities. This role provides central support to coordinate our growing academic-led knowledge exchange income generating activity.

Responsibilities

• Leading on delivery of internal knowledge transfer programmes (Knowledge Exchange Seed Fund, Knowledge Exchange Staff Conference).
• Supporting Regional Engagement with project-based supervision from the Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional Engagement).
• The identification, drafting and submission of knowledge exchange funding opportunities, ensuring high-quality applications are supported from bid outline to project submission (such as consultancy projects, contract research tenders and innovation focused funding schemes).
• Administration of Knowledge Transfer governance groups (academic knowledge exchange growth group, Professional services business engagement group).
• Improving the scale and quality of awards submitted by university business-facing services coordinating submissions for regional and national competitions.
• Support with Internal and External Events related to Knowledge Exchange including local and national business expos where required.
• Identifying opportunities and brokering collaborations between the university and businesses for enterprise focused activity (such as research partnerships, consulting, project funding).

Ideal candidate

The ideal person will have a passion for innovation, interest in grant and bid development and capability to coordinate staff development in knowledge exchange. Literate to business and industry needs, experience across or awareness of innovation funding application processes and/or holding an understanding of grant funding schemes available to Higher Education institutions is valuable but not conditional to the role.

Key Focus of this role

• Provide professional support to academics to develop and deliver knowledge exchange (KE) and consultancy activity.
• Identify, promote, and support applications to KE, consultancy, innovation, and regeneration funding opportunities.
• Work with academics to develop high-quality funding bids, including proposal review, financial planning, and compliance.
• Coordinate institutional approvals and liaise with internal teams to ensure governance, legal, and financial requirements are met.
• Broker collaborations between academics, industry partners, and external stakeholders.
• Support the growth and promotion of UWL’s consultancy and business engagement offer.
• Manage KE systems, data tracking, reporting, and monitoring against HEIF, KEF, and HE-BCI metrics.
• Coordinate post-award activity, including contracts, budgets, reporting, and impact delivery.
• Plan and deliver KE training, workshops, events, and networking to build academic capability.
• Contribute to process improvement, organisational learning, and continuous enhancement of KE activity.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent postgraduate or professional qualification.
• Knowledge of the UK Higher Education environment and experience developing and submitting bids to national funding bodies or experience in bid writing within private, non-HE sectors.
• Well-developed written communication skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly MS Excel.
• Strong planning, organisation, and scheduling skills.
• Project management experience with an understanding of research or innovation financing.
• Ability to build positive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly self-motivated, able to work flexibly and effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, with a commitment to continuous improvement.
• PhD or additional postgraduate or professional qualification.
• Background in research or research administration.
• Experience developing and submitting bids to Innovate UK, procurement portals, or other non-research funding bodies.
• Knowledge of Knowledge Exchange performance frameworks, including KE Concordat, Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), and HESA HE-BCI survey.

The University of West London (UWL) is ranked as 41st in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2026 and is the 1st London modern university in The Times/The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. We are also the Number 1 London university for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2025. The UWL community is a diverse body of students and staff who work together to create an environment of success and achievement. We celebrate the diversity of our staff and promote our values in practice through our commitment to inclusivity, progression, and success.