Economic Development Senior Manager

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. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.

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.

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.

The Role and Department

The Economic Development Senior Manager is a managerial position within the University’s Commercialisation, Economic Development & Policy (CEDP) team, which sits within the Research and Innovation Services (RIS) Directorate. The post will report to the Head of Sector & Place Development and will work closely with professional services colleagues across CEDP and RIS, as well as senior colleagues in faculties, academic departments and wider University teams.

Durham University is a significant driver of economic growth for County Durham, the North East and the UK. In its last economic impact evaluation, Durham University generated £1.9 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) and 17,320 jobs in the UK, including £668 million GVA and 10,790 jobs in the North East. The current University Strategy sets out an ambition to deliver still greater impact and to play a key role as an anchor institution\: translating emerging research and development, influencing policy, supporting priority sectors and enhancing our commercialisation and income generation opportunities.

The Economic Development team helps Durham University apply its research, knowledge exchange, skills and innovation strengths to economic opportunities. It provides targeted support for major projects, investment propositions, skills initiatives and external relationships that deliver economic, intellectual and financial value to the University and its partners.

The Economic Development Senior Manager will lead and support a portfolio of activity focused on economic development, business and industry engagement, investment propositions, strategic partnerships and fundable opportunities. Working with academic, professional services, civic, public sector, further education and industry partners, the postholder will help develop shared priorities, coordinate collaborative programmes and shape business cases and bids aligned to regional and national economic priorities.

The role will have responsibility for supporting sector skills activity where this is directly linked to economic development priorities, including identifying opportunities to align the University’s education, research and innovation strengths with business and industry needs in priority sectors. The postholder will also contribute to place-based programmes, regional innovation ecosystem development, investment pipeline activity and strategic proposals where Durham’s capabilities can support local and regional economic transformation.

The Economic Development Senior Manager will also support the development of staff, including at least one direct report. They will contribute to continuous improvement across Economic Development service delivery, processes, governance and reporting, ensuring the team provides a coordinated, professional and high-impact service to internal and external stakeholders.

The Location

The base location for this role is Boldon House, our exciting new professional services hub. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House brings a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working. To find out more, visit the project webpage\: Boldon House – Durham University.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University\:

• You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.

• We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).

• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.

• We have 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.

• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.

• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.

• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).

• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.

• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.

• Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.

• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

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.

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.