Job Description

Role:

Administrator (Knowledge Exchange)

Grade and Salary:

Grade 6, 30,805 - 36,130 per annum

FTE and working pattern:

1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday

Holiday Entitlement:

33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of and shape the School's Knowledge Exchange strategy. The post holder will be an integral part of the core team that will deliver our knowledge exchange priorities. They will work in a supporting role to the Associate Executive Dean of Business Engagement and Impact and will be in the School's Research and KE Team. The role is expected to liaise with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to deliver significant growth in income through these activities. The post holder will have day to day supporting responsibility for key aspects of the KE including data management, marketing and communications support, events curation, administrative support for all aspects of KE, and be the first point of contact for KE related services.


The successful applicant will have a proven track record in the delivery of administrative services to senior staff and will be relied upon to provide an excellent administrative service to a wide range of stakeholders.


The ability to initiate and complete tasks to the highest standard is essential. Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills are also vital to this role, as are strong IT skills (particularly with Microsoft Office Packages). Applicants should also have experience of working in a customer-oriented role. The role will suit a self-motivated individual who is able to work flexibly as a member of a team within a challenging and dynamic environment.


The work will be varied, and the post holder will be expected to be able to deliver a fair, friendly and timely service to all our students, staff, and business partners such as consultancy clients. All the support services within the school are committed to delivering a customer focused service to students, staff and business partners. To achieve this commitment all support staff need to be adaptable, flexible and prepared to support other teams and individuals within the School.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Reporting to the School's Manager of Research & Impact, and working closely with the Associate Executive Dean of Business Engagement & Impact, the post-holder will:


Support the Associate Executive Dean of Business Engagement & Impact in the delivery of the School's Knowledge Exchange Strategy, establishing industry partnerships and practice led consultancy and research opportunities. Act as an access point to integrate the expertise and services provided by the University's Business & Enterprise team and various Global Research Institutes in respect to proposal development; project budget costings and project oversight; using project management systems, funding platforms and financial administrative systems. Acting as the first point of contact for academic and business partner queries and making appropriate referrals including maintenance of relevant databases. Building and maintaining effective trust-based working relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Liaise with enterprise-teaching and other EBS staff and map out what specialisms are available amongst staff. Liaise with HWU extra-curricular enterprise provision in EBS and HWU and map out what extra-curricular opportunities (support, training, events) are planned for students, businesses, and Global Research Institutes (GRIs). Operate as part of the School Research and Impact office team as required at university, business, community and other events and meetings in person and online. Coordinating the PEN programme and other support to students/staff, businesses, and GRIs/Centres/Labs including the tracking of PEN projects. Work with the PEN team to convert PEN projects into fundable and revenue-generating KE projects (e.g. KTPs, consultancy projects). Coordinating the recruitment of students and business partners and the matching system. Act as an access point to integrate the expertise and services provided by the University's Business & Enterprise team and various Global Research Institutes in respect to KE data management including a Partner Relationship Management system (e.g. CRM), providing intelligence and information for internal and external reporting. Establishing and maintaining the School's KE web presence, branding, and social media channels, including updating the School SharePoint site and associated communications strategy. Operational and administrative support, arranging and attendance of meetings, workshops and other events, taking of minutes, diary management etc. Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the School's Manager of Research & Impact or the Associate Executive Dean of Business Engagement & Impact. The role holder will also, on occasion, be expected to act as deputy to the School's Research & Impact Manager representing the team in appropriate meetings at school and University-level as well as providing line management support for a G5 team members in the absence of the Research & Impact Manager. Work collaboratively and effectively with colleagues in the wider Professional Services team with particular reference to supporting events (e.g. Executive Education) Work collaboratively with a variety of relevant University central services, in particular the Directorates responsible for Research and Business & Engagement.
Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential


Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience. Proven experience in business development support, stakeholder engagement, event organisation (both online and in-person), and data management, including submissions to external bodies and use of data platforms. Proficiency in social media, web-based tools, and office management (e.g., diary management, minute taking, administration). Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong internal and external relationships, network effectively, and represent the School to stakeholders. Ability to collaborate across all levels of organisations, adapt to complex and changing environments, and work proactively to identify and develop innovative solutions. Commitment to personal development, with the ability to reflect on skills and seek growth opportunities. Desirable


General marketing skills, including content creation and social media management. Experience with research grants management systems, Full Economic Costing (FEC), and budget forecasting. Direct experience with KTPs and/or supporting grant-funded projects in Higher Education. Strong understanding of Knowledge Exchange activities, partnership working between business and academia, and the broader Knowledge Exchange and Impact landscape. Proven ability to collaborate successfully with external partners and navigate cross-organisational challenges. Experience in grant-giving or managing organisations, and Knowledge Exchange funding. Ability to travel to business locations not accessible by public transport (full UK driving licence or alternative means).

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on

Sunday 25th May 2025.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.


For an informal discussion on this post please contact : Juergen Munz, Manager Research & Impact ( juergen.munz@hw.ac.uk )


We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.


Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.


Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .


Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.


Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.