Business Development Lead

We are looking for aBusiness Development Leadto join the NIHRCC's Business Development Team hosted in LGC’s Grant Management Group.

About Us

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public.

The NIHRCC Business Development Team engages with a wide range of companies from SMEs to large multinationals; across a range of sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, IVDs and digital technology.

Through our work, we support industry to navigate the UK’s research ecosystem, gain access to relevant expertise, facilities, data, patients and samples, and catalyse collaboration. We work closely with government departments and a wide variety of organisations from the UK and beyond including HINs, the Department for Business and Trade, BioAlberta, NHSA and the Office for Life Sciences.

Job Description

You will be an experienced individual leading a team of Business Development Managers to ensure the successful day-to-day delivery of all aspects of the BD team’s work. This will include the delivery of key NIHR Industry services and engagement with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the team deliver to the key outputs and impact metrics expected. You will work closely with the Head of Business Development, Assistant Directors of Innovations and other colleagues to develop and deliver the strategic aims of NIHR Industry.

You will have an excellent understanding of the UK health innovation ecosystem and an appreciation of current and evolving technology developments and commercial exploitation routes. You will act as an ambassador for the NIHR and its support for industry, in particular for companies from the Life Sciences Sector, representing and promoting the organisation externally to a wide variety of stakeholders, but with a particular focus on engaging and supporting industry.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Line manage a team of Business Development Managers
• Engage with companies developing new therapeutic and healthcare innovations to navigate the NIHR and the UK’s wider research system to support their access to the NIHR expertise, facilities and other elements needed to help them generate evidence to translate their innovations into products suitable for adoption by the UK’s health care system
• Support the annual strategic and operational business planning process
• Develop new company accounts aligned to the NIHRCC BD Team’s key account strategy
• Lead the development and delivery of focused business development activities with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Use information sources and market intelligence data to identify companies developing new treatments and healthcare innovations within a specific therapeutic area (e.g. cardiovascular), or sector (diagnostics) from across the globe
• Work with stakeholders across the NIHR including the research infrastructure, and when required with those externally across the UK, to identify health priorities or areas of unmet clinical need, to develop industry-focused offers
• Independently, and as part of the BD team, engage with stakeholders from across the UK’s research and healthcare system to increase the team’s understanding of the overall system, the key initiatives and priorities currently ongoing to ensure accurate and informed support to industry
• When required, lead on the development of marketing materials, working with various stakeholders to develop content and messaging, as well as working with the communications team around design and publishing
• Support the Head of Business Development in delivering the team’s event strategy through attending national and international conferences, as well as supporting the setup and management of NIHR events
• When required support cross NIHR initiatives working with colleagues from other teams within the two NIHR Coordinating Centres

Behaviours and Competencies

• Interest in life sciences and the development of new technologies to improve healthcare and improve patient’s lives
• Able to work on multiple projects and initiatives in parallel, working with senior colleagues across the organisation to prioritise workload, define deliverables and manage timelines
• Be proactive and use initiative to explore new avenues for industry engagement
• Strategic thinker able to interpret complex information while having a clear view of the “big picture”

Qualifications & Experience

Required Criteria

• A BSc / Medical, or equivalent degree, with a biology and/or chemistry
• Experience engaging with industry at senior levels, either within a sales, promotional, consultancy or negotiation capacity
• Experience engaging with scientific/medical leaders from industry and, or academia
• Good understanding of healthcare product development (either therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices or digital health technologies) and the translational research pathway
• Be able to gain a good understanding of the needs and priorities of companies looking to develop or evaluate their technologies and articulate the NIHR’s support to help them achieve this, either through focused meetings or in the form of presentations at events.
• Broad understanding of the scientific and technical concepts underpinning a variety of healthcare products
• Experience of line management, conducting annual performance reviews and recruitment
• Experience of effective operational management ensuring direct reports deliver to annual business plans

Desired Criteria

• Industry experience, within a company developing healthcare products, or from the associated service businesses (i.e. CROs, other life science businesses)
• Good understanding of the UK health research system and NHS
• Experience using client relationship management (CRM) software
• Experience analysing and reporting on market intelligence data
• An advanced degree (MSc / PhD) in a related life science or health technology discipline
• Project management experience, ability to prioritise and management multiple tasks across the team as well as one’s own workload
• Advanced IT skills (data management and analysis software, programming and website development)

Why work for us?

Join our team, and you’ll be working with an exceptional organisation that enables and manages high-quality health and care research for the benefit of patients and the public. NIHR is one of the UK’s largest funders of health and care research.

Salary & Benefits

59,500 pa. (higher compensation available for outstanding candidates)

Bonus - subject to company performance

25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

Life Insurance

Benenden Healthcare

Season Ticket Loan

NB: This is an office- based, hybrid position, located in Victoria, Central London and requires occasional travel to Twickenham, NIHR sites across England, and international locations as needed. Employees are expected to attend the office at least four days per month, typicallyone day per week, with the possibility of increased office presence based on team requirements.

Application

If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background, we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a 'Statement of Suitability' that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the 'Required Criteria' outlined in the job description. Additionally, share your enthusiasm for working with NIHR.