Job Description

This role sits within UKHSA's award-winning Commercial Directorate, which played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Truly dynamic, our teams operate at significant pace in a commercially complex environment to procure a diverse range of goods and services in a highly competitive global market.



UKHSA's Commercial teams continue to play a central role in priority activity, supporting responses to health threats as they occur, and ensuring enduring, resilient scientific and technical capabilities that secure the UK in the strongest position to protect the public from future threats to health.

Key duties will include, but are not limited to:

providing business development support and generating new business opportunities for Research and other operational staff across UKHSA.



supporting commercialisation of UKHSA intellectual property (IP).



undertaking a variety of standard and non-standard contractual negotiations.



providing support to a variety of commercial and R&D services through representation on routine business support meetings and supporting internal review processes.



coordinating and supporting preparation of compelling tenders in response to competitive exercises.



assisting line manager in developing, managing and delivery of progress against assigned business targets and priorities.



providing support for training and ad hoc advice on marketing, intellectual property, contracting and other business disciplines when required.



raising awareness of service, IP commercialisation and research-funded opportunities across UKHSA.



maintaining timely, accurate and up to date bid and contracting records in the BD record/filing systems, including liaison with operational managers in relation to the progress of active proposals.



We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.



UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.



Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers



The Business Development Department supports achievement of UKHSA's goals by helping win external funding for research, and commercialising services created through the agency's wide-ranging scientific and public health expertise. In particular the department manages and exploits the agency's strong Intellectual Property portfolio, realising a financial return on the investment of public funds to generate high quality public health interventions and assets, and reducing the cost to the government of cutting-edge public health capabilities.



Business Development must constantly adapt to meet the changing needs of the organisation and, in particular, continually seeks to strengthen its skills base in the spectrum of capabilities represented by UKHSA. The team aligns with Department of Health and Social Care and HM Treasury commercial policies related to managing public money and knowledge asset management, thus ensuring the organisation meets its obligations under the current legislation and case law. The team also coordinates the response to external audits and external enquiries related to income generation fulfilling statutory requirements such as freedom of information requests.



Our Assistant Business Development Managers (Assistant BDM) directly support commercial ventures targeting external revenue streams, from initial opportunity through to contract signature. This support includes providing appropriate advice to UKHSA project managers when they apply for research funding or pursue sales, by active review of terms and conditions related to funding bodies or any non-standard terms the client wishes to negotiate, ensuring the project leader and their team understand the potential impacts of contracted terms and means to mitigate them where risks are identified.



The role involves all aspects of developing business cases, supporting project managers to design and deliver their tender proposals, service or research offers, identifying and articulating the benefits to UKHSA for the proposed resource investment, through close liaison with the internal quality, regulatory and financial stakeholders to ensure all costs and factors have been included in the proposal.

Key responsibilities:

To identify opportunities for externally funded work, liaise with technical and contractual colleagues pertaining to tenders including development of appropriate templates and standard materials, and review/improve service delivery standards



To help UKHSA operational managers increase external income in line with organisational targets, develop standard cost and pricing models and advise on pricing strategies where applicable



To liaise with UKHSA's scientific, financial, legal and regulatory functions to assist formulation of proposals for generating external income



To work as part of the wider BD team to maximise the value of intellectual property (IP) within operational directorates, including identifying IP commercialisation opportunities



Provide up to date non-confidential information leaflets and web bulletins as marketing tools for attracting potential licensees of UKHSA intellectual assets and service expertise



To manage assigned projects delegated by line manager



To prepare and submit monthly reports on performance of assigned tasks/projects.



To assist the line manager to develop innovation and commercial awareness across the Agency by means of training, workshops, newsletters, intranet sites, as required.



The post holder is expected to contribute to marketing and exhibition activities, develop and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of individuals, clinical, non-clinical and technical, internal, and external to UKHSA. Examples of the relationships are as follows:

Internal Stakeholders:

Business Development staff, at all UKHSA locations.



UKHSA Legal Affairs.



UKHSA Publications and other communications colleagues.



UKHSA Commercial Operations and Engagement colleagues.



Business Managers and wider UKHSA scientific team members.



Administrative staff.

External Stakeholders:

Commercial customers.



Other Government agencies and departments.



International funding bodies.



National funding bodies.



External suppliers.



Please see the job description for the full list of duties and responsibilities.



Essential criteria



Degree in a relevant scientific, technical or business-related subject (for example public health, business administration, biochemistry) or equivalent qualification



Significant experience preparing and delivering effective verbal and written presentations.



Demonstrable experience of negotiating research and or service contracts including service level agreements, material and information licensing/re-use agreements, non-disclosure agreements and similar



Knowledge of the different types of intellectual property including their protection, exploitation use and transfer



Demonstrable experience of successful collaboration with others to achieve positive business outcomes through effective networking, communication and compromise



Ability to assess complex project proposals, tender requirements and to interpret detailed documents quickly and efficiently to meet internal and external deadlines.



Able to undertake national/international travel, working irregular hours when required (by agreement)



Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload effectively



Selection Process



This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and experience.

Stage 1:

Application & Sift



You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria and this will be in the form of:



an application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)



a 750 word supporting statement



This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.



The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.



Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:



Meets all essential criteria



Meets some essential criteria



Meets no essential criteria



Please note only those applications meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:



Significant experience preparing and delivering effective verbal and written presentations.



Demonstrable experience of negotiating research and or service contracts including service level agreements, material and information licensing/re-use agreements, non-disclosure agreements and similar



If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.



Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.



Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2:

Interview



You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.



Behaviours and experience will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

Communicating and Influencing



Working Together



Managing a Quality Service



Working at Pace



Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.



Location



This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus in Didcot, Oxfordshire.



We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month).



Eligibility Criteria



Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).



Security Clearance Level Requirement



Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.



Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter Terrorism Check clearance.



For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.