Job Description

Partnership Administrator, SCENE Commercialisation Programmes

(

Job Number:

25000820

)

Research and Innovation Services
Grade 4: - 12,421.50 - 12,866.50 which is pro rata the full time salary of 24,843 - 25,733
Fixed Term - Part Time

Contract Duration

:

This contract has a fixed end date of 30th April 2030 with the possibility of extension subject to funding

Contracted Hours per Week

:

17.5

Working Arrangements

:

Hybrid working arrangements available with a mix of on site and home based working

Closing Date

:

27-Jul-2025, 5:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement

:

Not Applicable.

Background; Strategic Research Commercialisation in the North East

Since 2018, the five North East universities have worked increasingly closely to build a strong collaboration to commercialise our research through the creation of high-growth businesses. Since launching the Northern Accelerator programme, 54 spinouts have been created, catalysing new investment and jobs.


Supported by Research England's CCF-RED fund with 8.9m in funding over a five year period, the Strategic Commercialisation Eco-system North East (SCENE) programme represents an exciting next phase in our regional collaboration with the aim of wrapping new activities around and into Northern Accelerator to strengthen our support for the spin out process, and building new services and activities to extend successful research commercialisation in new areas, such as licensing and commercial partnerships.


Underpinning these propositions is the creation and development of a structured and connected ecosystem around University research commercialisation, drawing together partnerships with business, investors and institutions to drive a sustainable step-change in our impact.


Through the delivery of seven workstreams over a five year programme, SCENE will:

Strengthen and expand the region's ecosystem, engaging businesses, sector bodies, Catapults and investors more actively in commercialising university research; Expand the pipeline of high-quality, investible new spinouts; Support growth for existing spinouts, helping secure them for the long-term; Increase adoption of university IP by businesses of all sizes in strategic sectors; Attract new UK and international investment into the formation and growth of research-led businesses; and Enhance structures, systems and leadership to support regional commercialisation ambitions.

SCENE is led by Durham University and involves as key partners the other 4 North East Higher Education institutions - Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside - who come together through Universities for North East England (UNEE).


SCENE is also supported by a number of strategic partners - our two Combined Authorities in the North East and Tees Valley, Catapults, Business Support organisations and key Businesses as well as associated universities in York and Cumbria.

The Role and the Department

Both the SCENE and Northern Accelerator programmes are led and hosted by Durham University on behalf of the North East universities however the success of the programme will lie in the success of the collaboration between the five Higher Education Institutions and our partners in the commercialisation eco-system. The Programme is therefore investing into Partnership Administrators in each of the 5 Universities, working closely with Partnership Managers and wider Research Commercialisation Teams.

The Role

The Partnership Administrator will be located in Durham University's Research and Innovation Services Division, you will be a member of both the regional team supporting the SCENE programme and the University's Research Commercialisation Team.


The postholder will work on a 'matrix' basis, with line responsibility to management structures within the host institution but may from time to time work with other Partnership Teams located in the other 4 Universities or support the regional team, building on the experience of successful collaborative working development through the Northern Accelerator programme. Examples of occasions where this might happen would be to support events, or two work together on financial administration across the programme.


Overall, you will support the Partnership Manager to work with the core team and other Partnership Managers to drive the SCENE programme at Durham and across the partnership.


You will ensure that the activities and programmes being led and developed through the SCENE programme with partners in the eco-system are well supported to the Teams within the University, drawing from our capacity and reflecting our needs and priorities. You will support the University to take advantage of the various aspects of the programme. You will engage with the regional Programme Manager and Programme Co-ordinator to support the administration and financial administration of the programme.


An illustration of the UNEE Governance Structures and SCENE Staffing Structures will be available here.

The Department

The postholder will sit within Durham University's Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team, working closely alongside both the Core Regional team which is hosted by Durham and as part of the Research Commercialisation Team. RIS is a professional services directorate at the heart of Durham University.


RIS provides expertise, leadership and support to academics and professional colleagues across the University for all research, research-related, knowledge exchange and economic development activities. Our aim is to strengthen Durham's role at the leading-edge of research and innovation, inspiring extraordinary change across the world and in our region. Our vision is to facilitate world-leading research and knowledge exchange through a high-performing, high-quality service.


The team is based in our exciting new professional services hub at Bolden House, which is located on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Bolden House brings professional services teams together across the University in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working.

Useful links

If you would like further information you may find the following will help:

Helping Business - Durham University Home - Northern Accelerator Universities for North East England - Durham University 30 million to grow regional research commercialisation ecosystems - UKRI University spinouts to grow industries of the future with new government backing - GOV.UK UNEE Governance and SCENE Staffing Structures

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.


Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.



We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.


Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. On site nursery is available plus access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16. Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. We offer generous pension schemes.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.


As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.


We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.


To be considered for this role, here are the skills/experience we're looking for:

Qualifications/Experience

1. Five GCSE's at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or equivalent experience.


2. Experience of working in a busy office environment delivering front line administrative services or having relevant qualifications for the role.


3. Experience of financial administration.


4. Experience of managing time to meet deadlines and working under pressure without compromising on quality.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

5. Good spoken and written communication skills.


6. Good interpersonal and team working skills.


7. Good digital skills including experience in using digital devices and apps including email, digital communication and meeting tools, Microsoft 365 applications (particularly Excel and Word), digital booking systems, etc.


8. Ability to organise and prioritise workload.


9. Attention to detail.


10. Ability to solve problems and resolve straightforward issues yourself and as part of a team.


11. Ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of colleagues and customers.


12. Ability to understand and maintain confidentiality when required.


13. Committed to continuing professional development.

Desirable Criteria

14. Experience of providing administrative support in a Higher Education environment.


15. Experience of working on externally funded projects.


16. A basic understanding of research commercialisation/technology transfer.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence.


While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

What you are required to submit:

A CV. A covering letter of not more than four pages which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification.

Typical Role Requirements

Here are the kind of activities that you'll be asked to undertake and ways in which you'll be expected to operate.

Service Delivery

Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. Provide an excellent and timely service to colleagues, delivery partners and stakeholders. Use your experience and problem-solving skills to resolve routine issues with things relevant to your role such as financial processing queries and provide information and updates to help your team find solutions. Collect, organise and record data and information accurately, checking and reconciling anomalies and providing reports as required. Promote positive wellbeing arrangements which benefit you and your team. When carrying out your role, use and apply relevant professional and regulatory standards e.g. data protection when managing data. Use standard office-based devices and applications such as MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and Powerpoint to deliver services. Update guidance on standard operating procedures followed by the team. Arrange meetings, events, venues and travel arrangements to support service delivery.

Teamwork

Resolve queries and respond to requests for information and advice and bring any complex issues to the attention of more experienced team members. Help your team organise and provide administrative services that support key activities undertaken by Northern Accelerator and contribute to team planning activities. Help your team ensure that products and services are adapted in response to feedback and to meet changing demands.

Communication/Liaison

Seek feedback from colleagues, delivery partners and stakeholders on their requirements from your service to ensure that their reasonable expectations are being met. Record information and respond to queries which you receive, including preparing records for reporting and financial audit. Act as first point of contact for queries about Northern Accelerator services, including managing the shared mailbox and pass these on as appropriate. Liaise with colleagues, delivery partners and stakeholders to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way. Liaise with external suppliers and providers to plan the delivery of services and events. Provide support for meetings, working groups and committees, such as preparing and sending documents for meetings, drafting reports and taking minutes. Any other reasonable duties.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.



When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

SECONDMENT

The post is full time, fixed term until Mar/Jun 2030 and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.