Programme and Development Manager in Glasgow

Job Purpose

The University of Glasgow is looking for a highly motivated candidate to join a dynamic team tasked with successfully delivering the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone (GCR IZ) Laser Supply Chain and Advanced Packaging Project and positioning the University for a sustainable long-term Critical Technology Accelerator (CTA) Team in support of advanced semiconductors and critical technology, once the current round of funding expires in March 2031.

Working as part of the GCR IZ Leadership Team, the postholder will be directly responsible for leading and delivering a complex, multi-workstream programme with several interdependent sub-projects. The role combines strategic programme leadership, technical oversight, people management and external engagement. The postholder will manage an integrated Engineering and Project Management team and work closely with Academic Leads to ensure effective delivery across multiple workstreams. The postholder will work closely with existing industry partners while developing new customer and partnerships opportunities, including identifying external funding sources to secure the long-term sustainability of the CTA.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• 1. Own the end-to-end delivery of a large, multi-project programme, ensuring alignment with overall GCR IZ Project objectives, industry partners and customer requirements, and align with the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC), Critical Technology Nanofabrication Centre (CTNF), and College of Science & Engineering (CoSE) strategy.
• 2. Working with the Technical Project Manager and Academic Leads, establish, maintain, and govern programme plans, schedules, budgets, and risk register across all sub‑projects. Ensure effective coordination and integration between sub‑projects, managing dependencies, interfaces, and resource conflicts, ensuring project outcomes are delivered in a timely manner.
• 3. Provide clear programme reporting to senior stakeholders, including progress, risks, issues, and opportunities. Support programme reviews, project decision‑making, and change control processes.
• 4. Line manage and provide leadership to a multidisciplinary Engineering and Project Management team, fostering a high‑performance collaborative culture with strong accountability for delivery, quality, and safety.
• 5. Ensure that resource is dynamically balanced throughout the programme lifetime to achieve the best overall outcomes for the programme and for industrial partners.
• 6. Act as a senior interface with GCR IZ Leadership Team, Academic Leads, industry partners and funders, ensuring requirements are clearly understood, managed, and delivered.
• 7. Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing industry partners and collaborators, and identify, develop, and manage new industry partnerships and customer relationships to support programme delivery and future opportunities.
• 8. Work strategically with the GCR IZ Leadership Team to develop and deliver an industry and external engagement strategy, informed by industry intelligence that is aligned with GCR IZ's strategic objectives.
• 9. Contribute to the preparation of proposals, costings, delivery models, and risk assessments for new work.
• 10. Provide input to long‑term programme and capability strategies aligned with JWNC/CTNF/CoSE and customer needs.
• 11. Ensure robust programme governance, assurance, and decision‑making frameworks are in place, in accordance with University policy and funder requirements as appropriate.

This is not an exhaustive list, and the role holder may be required to undertake other activities commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of the role.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge / Qualifications

Essential:

• A1 Either, the ability to demonstrate the necessary strategic competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and leadership experience in a similar or number of different specialist roles. Or, Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9,10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent, including being professionally qualified in relevant discipline, with a broad range of professional leadership experience in strategically important specialist areas.
• A2 Significant knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing the development of technology or new products in a relevant technical area, and how to communicate this authoritatively with stakeholders.
• A3 Working knowledge of the commercial, contractual, and financial challenges faced by SMEs and Corporates throughout the project lifecycle, and the strategies used to address and overcome them.

Desirable:

• B1 Qualification in programme/project management/change management.
• B2 A well-developed network of contacts within industry and/or funders working with the Higher Education Sector.
• B3 An understanding of the journey from research, through translation to economic impact.

Skills

Essential:

• C1 Excellent leadership and management skills, with evidence of supporting and enabling staff with specialist skills who work with a high degree of autonomy.
• C2 Demonstrable diplomacy, influencing and negotiation skills in engaging and working with a broad range of senior internal and external stakeholders including academics, industrialists, senior civil servants, and funding bodies, with a willingness to work across organisational boundaries.
• C3 Significant networking, relationship management and facilitation skills.
• C4 Excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills.
• C5 Significant business development and entrepreneurial skills, with the tenacity and drive to lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams in achieving commercial, research, funding, and project goals.
• C6 Ability to plan and manage own, and other's activities to deliver the long-term strategic priorities while meeting shorter term operational deliverables.

Experience

Essential:

• E1 Substantial professional experience in the public and/or private sector, with a demonstrable track record of winning major commercial contracts or coordinating the development and delivery of large-scale technology projects across academia and industry.
• E2 Proven ability to develop and implement innovative engagement strategies that build effective partnerships across diverse stakeholders and enable the successful delivery of large-scale programmes.
• E3 Demonstrable experience of developing and leading on strategy for large scale/complex projects.
• E4 Track record of engaging and working with professional project teams and ensuring timely delivery of projects to achieve key targets.
• E5 Experience of communicating and influencing at senior levels in the public and/or private sector towards the successful delivery of organisational objectives.
• E6 Proven ability to lead and develop effective teams, creating an environment that supports individual growth, capability building, and a high-performance culture.
• E7 Experience of working in a complex matrix organisation.
• E8 Proven track record of raising substantial funding or of winning significant commercial contracts for technology/product development.

Desirable:

• F1 Track record of success in winning large commercial projects or academic funding.
• F2 Proven experience of working at the interface between academia and industry.
• F3 Experience of working with or within large businesses and SMEs.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 9, £59,966 - £67,468 per annum.

This post is full time (35 hours p/w) and has funding to 31 March 2031 in the first instance. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.

Closing date: 23 November 2026

All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK or be eligible to obtain permission to work in the UK.

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant Home Office requirements, including any applicable tradeable points criteria. Further information can be found on the University of Glasgow’s UKVI Website.

For research and academic roles, we will also consider whether the Global Talent visa route may be available, subject to individual eligibility.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• 1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
• 2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
• 3 A flexible approach to working.
• 4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organization, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

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