Commercial Partnerships Manager (Human-Relevant Science)

Remote working with occasional travel throughout the UK. At a time when the future of medical research is being transformed, the partnerships that power progress have never mattered more. This is your chance to build influential collaborations and help accelerate the transition to animal-free research.

Who We Are

Animal Free Research UK is the leading charity working to create a world where human diseases are cured faster without animal suffering. By pioneering excellence, inspiring and supporting scientists and influencing change, we are ending the use of animals and improving medical research. By 2040, we aim to transform medical research and regulation in the UK so that the development of treatments for human diseases can be entirely animal-free and breakthroughs can be achieved faster.

The Centre for Human Specific Research has been created to facilitate a step change in the adoption of human-specific technologies across academia, industry and policy. The Centre brings together scientists, innovators and decision-makers, raising awareness of advances in human-relevant research, supporting collaboration and advocating for the systemic changes needed to modernise medical science.

We are now looking for a Commercial Partnerships Manager to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 35 hours per week.

What You’ll Gain

• Salary of c.£40,000 per annum
• Pension
• 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• The chance to join a charity that places ethics at the heart of science

This is an incredible opportunity for a partnerships professional with experience in scientific or technical account management and a talent for turning complex scientific value into compelling partnership opportunities to join our pioneering organisation. You’ll have the chance to help accelerate the transition to animal-free science, building collaborations that support faster breakthroughs for patients and a better future for animals. This remote role offers the flexibility to do meaningful, high-impact work while maintaining a healthier balance in your life outside work.

Your Impact

As our Commercial Partnerships Manager, you will drive impactful collaborations and partnerships that accelerate the transition to human-specific research methods and strengthen the reach and influence of the Centre for Human Specific Research. Leading the development of high-value scientific and commercial partnerships, you will secure sponsorships, grow supplier relationships and generate income to support key initiatives, including attending conferences and events. To achieve this, you will position the Centre as a trusted partner that works closely with stakeholders to align scientific innovation with meaningful real-world impact. You will also take ownership of the antibodies database to ensure it is a core commercial platform. Ensuring it is accurate, comprehensive and widely used, you will use data and insights to grow partnerships, enhance engagement and continuously refine the organisation’s offer.

Additionally, you will:

• Build and manage relationships with animal-free and human-specific suppliers
• Identify opportunities to grow the database and supplier engagement
• Collaborate with marketing and science teams on campaigns and messaging
• Represent the Centre with partners, suppliers and stakeholders
• Monitor partnership performance, income and retention

What You’ll Bring

To be considered as our Commercial Partnerships Manager, you will need:

• Experience of business development, partnerships or account management, including delivering against income or growth targets
• Experience managing partnerships or key accounts in a scientific or technical context
• Experience prospecting, pitching and closing partnership or sponsorship opportunities
• Experience working with CRM or partnership management systems for logging interactions and tracking pipelines
• Confidence communicating with scientists and commercial teams
• The ability to translate scientific value into clear partnership offers
• The ability to interpret complex scientific information and present it clearly to mixed audiences
• To be educated to degree level or have equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g. life sciences, biomedical sciences, or related)

Closing date: Sunday 10th May 2026, midnight. First-round interviews: Held via Microsoft Teams w/c 18th May 2026 (Monday –Tuesday and Friday). Second-round interviews: Held via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 26th –Thursday 28th May 2026.

Other organisations may call this role Partnerships Manager, Research Partnerships Manager, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Science Partnerships Lead, Research and Partnerships Manager, or External Partnerships Manager.

Webrecruit and Animal Free Research UK are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you’re ready to step into a role with genuine purpose as a Commercial Partnerships Manager, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.