At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead external research collaborations and secure funding to accelerate quantum technology.
- Company: OQC, a pioneering quantum computing company with a bold innovation culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, unique lab infrastructure, and a positive work culture.
- Other info: Opportunity for significant career growth in a high-impact environment.
- Why this job: Join a world-class team shaping the future of computation.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading research collaborations and a background in quantum technologies.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
At OQC, we aren’t just theorising about the future; we’re building it. Born from a philosophy of bold innovation, we’ve successfully transitioned quantum computing from an academic dream into a commercial reality. The most exciting thing is that we’re just getting started and we’ve recently closed our £260 million Series C funding round – the largest fundraise ever completed by a quantum computing company in Europe.
You will shape and lead OQC’s external research ecosystem, turning scientific collaboration opportunities into funded, strategically aligned programmes that accelerate our technology roadmap. Working closely with our Founder and senior leadership team, you’ll build high-impact partnerships that strengthen OQC’s scientific influence, unlock funding opportunities, and support long‑term business growth.
The RoleYou will own OQC’s approach to research partnerships, grant funding, and external collaborations, ensuring that scientific priorities are translated into well‑governed, executable programmes that deliver meaningful technical and commercial outcomes.
What You’ll Be Working On- Defining and executing OQC’s external research and collaboration strategy across universities, research institutions, funding bodies, industry partners, and the wider quantum ecosystem.
- Identifying, prioritising, and securing strategic grant funding opportunities aligned with OQC’s technical roadmap and business objectives.
- Leading end‑to‑end delivery of grant applications and funded programmes, coordinating stakeholders, budgets, governance, reporting, and partner engagement.
- Building and maintaining senior relationships with academic, research, industry, and funding organisations to create high‑value collaboration opportunities.
- Partnering with Science and Innovation leadership to drive research prioritisation, funding strategy, budget planning, and resource allocation.
- Ensuring collaboration programmes are delivered effectively, proactively managing risks, dependencies, governance requirements, and stakeholder expectations.
- Driving cross‑functional alignment across Science, Engineering, Product, Finance, Legal, Commercial, and People teams to maximise collaboration success and business impact.
- Significant experience leading complex external research collaborations, strategic partnerships, grant‑funded programmes, or equivalent scientific initiatives.
- Strong background within quantum technologies, quantum computing, quantum hardware, physics, engineering, or another deep‑tech environment.
- Proven ability to influence senior scientific, technical, commercial, and operational stakeholders in complex and ambiguous environments.
- Experience managing relationships with universities, research institutions, funding bodies, industry partners, or comparable organisations.
- Demonstrated success delivering complex programmes against milestones, budgets, governance frameworks, and reporting requirements.
- Experience contributing to business planning, strategic prioritisation, budget forecasting, and resource planning within technical or scientific organisations.
- Excellent ability to translate complex scientific and technical concepts into clear proposals, plans, decisions, and stakeholder communications.
- Degree in Physics, Engineering, Quantum Technology, Computer Science, or a related scientific discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- Expertise in strategic planning, grant development, programme management, stakeholder engagement, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and technical proposal development.
- Experience securing or managing significant grant funding through organisations such as UKRI, Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, EPSRC, or similar funding bodies.
- Experience within a scale‑up, commercial R&D, or high‑growth technology environment.
- Background in shaping research strategy alongside academic or industry collaborators.
- Exposure to intellectual property management, collaboration agreements, and research governance.
- Experience leading teams, matrix organisations, or cross‑functional delivery groups.
- PhD, MSc, or equivalent research experience in quantum physics, quantum computing, superconducting circuits, engineering, or a related field.
- Knowledge of partnership governance, research commercialisation, change leadership, data analysis, and talent planning.
You will join a world‑class team at the forefront of the next computational era. We offer a culture of bold innovation, the chance to work with unique lab infrastructure, and the opportunity to see your work redefine the limits of computation.
External Research and Collaborations Director in Reading employer: OxfordQuantumCircuits
At OQC, we pride ourselves on being a pioneering employer in the quantum computing sector, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters bold innovation and collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our extensive support for professional development and the unique opportunity to work alongside leading experts in cutting-edge technology. With our recent significant funding success, we are poised for rapid expansion, providing employees with the chance to make a meaningful impact in a transformative field.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land External Research and Collaborations Director in Reading
✨Leverage Innovation Hubs
Tap into local innovation hubs and research centres. These places often host events and workshops where you can meet like-minded people and industry leaders. Plus, they might have job openings that aren't widely advertised, so keep your ears open!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Turn your past innovation projects into compelling stories. Create a portfolio showcasing your creativity and problem-solving skills. This can give hiring managers a real flavour of what you can bring to the table at companies like OxfordQuantumCircuits.
✨Connect at Industry Conferences
Make it a point to attend industry conferences and seminars focused on R&D and innovation management. These events are fantastic for networking and often have job boards or career fairs where you can connect directly with firms looking for talent.
✨Use Your University’s Resources
If you're fresh out of university, don't forget to tap into your institution's career services. They often have exclusive partnerships with companies seeking new talent in R&D, especially for full-time roles. It's a good shortcut to landing a gig at places like OxfordQuantumCircuits.
We think you need these skills to ace External Research and Collaborations Director in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Creative Thinking:In innovation and R&D management, it's all about thinking outside the box. Make sure your CV highlights any projects or experiences that showcase your creative problem-solving skills. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've developed and implemented innovative ideas in previous roles.
Tailor Your Experience to R&D:When you're crafting your CV, focus on your experience in research and development. Highlight any relevant projects you've worked on, including methodologies used and results achieved. This will show us at OxfordQuantumCircuits that you understand the R&D process and can contribute meaningfully to our projects.
Let Your Passion Shine in the Cover Letter:For a full-time role like this, your cover letter should reflect your genuine passion for innovation and development. Share your excitement about the opportunity to work at OxfordQuantumCircuits and touch on how your goals align with our mission. This helps us see your motivation for wanting to join our team!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers speak volumes in R&D! Whenever possible, quantify your achievements in your CV. Whether it’s a percentage improvement in project outcomes, the budget size you’ve managed, or the number of successful products you've launched, these figures will help paint a clearer picture of your impact and capabilities.
How to prepare for a job interview at OxfordQuantumCircuits
✨Show Off Your Innovative Thinking
In an Innovation R&D Management role at OxfordQuantumCircuits, they're going to want to see how you approach problem-solving. Be ready to discuss previous projects where you introduced a new idea or process. Highlight your ability to think outside the box and provide examples where your innovations drove significant results.
✨Familiarity with Tools and Technologies
Make sure you're clued up on the latest tools and technologies related to innovation management, such as project management software and data analysis platforms. Being able to discuss specific tools you’ve used or have experience with will show OxfordQuantumCircuits that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration Skills
Since this is a full-time gig, emphasising your teamwork skills will be essential. In innovation, collaboration often sparks the best ideas, so be ready to talk about how you've worked effectively within cross-functional teams in your past roles. Have concrete examples at the ready!
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions in your interview that reflect real challenges you might face in the role. £At OxfordQuantumCircuits, they might want to see how you handle tight deadlines or manage conflicting ideas within a team. Prepare some responses that demonstrate your critical thinking and decisiveness in high-pressure situations.
