REACT Centre Business Development Manager in Glasgow

Overview

Responsible Electronics And Circular Technologies (REACT) will enable a shift to a fully sustainable electronic manufacturing model using a multidisciplinary strategy, with a focus on supporting the ‘Electech’ industry in Scotland. The Centre allows the region to address the current sustainability problems and provides an opportunity to scale across the UK to achieve a greater market share of this global industry. Our research spans semiconductor design and manufacturing in power electronics, RF/wireless, and photonics, recycling and material recovery, in addition to circular finance and responsible business models. The position offers extensive industry-facing networking opportunities, and an opportunity to support cross-disciplinary research and commercialisation activities.

Job Purpose

The Business Development Manager will lead on business development, marketing and stakeholder engagement activities for REACT to drive commercial growth and build a strong pipeline of strategic partnerships with industry, SMEs and academia. You will play a key role in championing the Centre, building productive relationships with stakeholders, opening new avenues for collaboration, and strengthening its profile nationally and internationally.

The postholder will provide comprehensive support to the PI and Co-PIs, including supporting governance, financial monitoring, research dissemination, risk management and operational planning, and will have opportunities to learn and contribute to systemic and translational research. You will also oversee the effective management of the Centre’s activities, including establishing and maintaining strong project management practices to ensure programmes of work progress efficiently, resources are well planned and reporting obligations are met.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead on the development and implementation of comprehensive marketing and business engagement strategies utilising market insights and analysis to fuel business growth.
• Lead on developing and securing a mature pipeline of strategically relevant contracts/collaborations with SMEs, academia and industry and enhance direct commercial funding in support of the REACT activities.
• Initiate and lead business attraction and bid initiatives to seize new opportunities.
• Represent the Centre including at exhibitions at industrial tradeshows, technical conferences, and other events, in the UK and internationally.
• Proactively build and maintain effective relationships with key partners and stakeholders, identifying opportunities and facilitating collaborations for new projects.
• Collate complex and varied information and create reports to provide oversight and inform progress against agreed strategies to the REACT leadership team, highlighting challenges and opportunities.
• Propose relevant key performance indicators and lead on their introduction within Centre processes.
• Analyse trends/data and make proposals to learn from and build on knowledge obtained, including benchmarking against best industry practices.
• Oversee management of the Centre; maintain risk register, coordinate reviews and reporting to funders, organise bi-annual Steering Board meetings, and communicate progress to project partners and aligned industrial stakeholders, as appropriate.
• Develop and implement a consistent and robust project management methodology, including the delivery of the overarching project and its work packages (WPs) within agreed timescales, budgets and scope.
• Provide comprehensive project management support to the PI and co-PIs, including planning and monitoring, financial management, logistical support, change management, reporting, and co-ordination of funds allocated to WPs.
• Collaborate closely with project staff to ensure efficient project planning, resourcing, and delivery.
• Effectively communicate with all relevant partners and stakeholder communities, including consultation and management of expectations and engaging and managing stakeholders at all levels to ensure clarity in the delivery of key programme messages.
• Design, co-ordinate and implement continual process improvements across the Centre, ensuring that they are understood and communicated to both staff and stakeholders and continually reviewed and evaluated for enhanced effectiveness.
• Prepare and develop research and dissemination documents including whitepapers, press releases, and non-technical briefs in collaboration with the research team.
• Act as the key contact coordinating any requests from funders for periodic updates on the grant progress, visits and requests for information, audits or to attend events or activities organised by funders concerning the programme.
• Contribute in the delivery of workshops, sandpits and annual events in collaboration with external stakeholders.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the PI or Deputy PI.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential:

• A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or number of different specialist roles.
• A2 Knowledge of the Higher Education organisations, and their purpose, infrastructure, policies and contractual legislation.
• A3 A thorough understanding of grant management processes.
• A4 Knowledge and understanding of data integrity and its importance.

Desirable:

• B1 Detailed knowledge of UKRI funding schemes, their rules and their processes.

Skills

Essential:

• C1 Well developed analytical skills, including critical assessment of data and financial information, with proven ability to formulate clear policy, advice and guidance relevant to business development and engagement.
• C2 Excellent project management skills – both short-term deadline driven and longer term involving multiple conflicting deadlines and coordination across multiple organisational units.
• C3 Excellent time management skills with an ability to prioritise competing demands and multiple projects.
• C4 Proven exceptional verbal and written communication and organisational skills to produce clear project management documents and stakeholder focused content, presented in an engaging and constructive manner.
• C5 Ability to provide advice and guidance in relation to funder requirements.
• C6 Ability to build and manage business relationships bridging between higher education and partners from industry and charity organisations.

Experience

Essential:

• E1 Track record of effectively planning and managing business development and improvement opportunities.
• E2 Knowledge and experience of working and collaborating with electronics/circular economy or similar companies and understanding of their business drivers.
• E3 Experience of managing a portfolio of projects across the full lifecycle with a successful track record of delivery.
• E4 Experience of establishing, developing and maintaining relevant marketing intelligence and knowledge systems and utilising them effectively in business development and customer support.
• E5 Experience of attending partnering meetings and hosting company visits.
• E6 Experience of financial management, processes and systems.
• E7 Track record in electronics and/or circular economy.

Desirable:

• F1 Experience working in the electronics industry.
• F2 Experience of managing research projects.
• F3 Experience of providing high quality advice and guidance on research management.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 8, £50,253 - £58,225 per annum. This post is full time (35 hours per week) and has funding available for up to 2 years in the first instance. Please note that, as part of this role, the successful candidate will be expected to travel for up to one month each calendar year.

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit the following resource.

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

• A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
• An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension, benefits and discount packages.
• A flexible approach to working.
• A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University.

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. We endorse the principles of Athena Swan and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website for more information.

Closing Date: 1 March 2026