SIEC Enterprise Officer

Post Details

Full time, Open ended

The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 08 November 2021

For the purposes of sponsorship, this is a role under SOC code 3543

The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity

The Post

The SIEC Enterprise Officer will take a lead role in coordinating enterprise support for a portfolio of commercial start-ups aligned to the work of Scotland’s International Environment Centre (SIEC). The role holder will work to maximise the potential of SIEC for company creation and growth, supporting the establishment of sustainable and innovative businesses with a focus on supporting the transition towards a net zero economy. The role holder will identify the appropriate range of support structures and mechanisms, including access to workshops and masterclasses, mentoring, company creation resources, business incubation space, networking opportunities with a view to contributing to the establishment of an innovation community with a shared focus on environmental sustainability and green economic development within the City region. Reporting to the Enterprise Programme Manager, the role holder will work with the SIEC Manager, who leads and co-ordinates the SIEC Business Accelerator activities, as well as colleagues from across the Research, Innovation and Business Engagement Directorate, other Professional Services, and Academic Faculties.

This role will be based primarily in Alloa and will involve agile working within the University framework, including working away from the office as required to engage effectively with partners and stakeholders.

Description of Duties

• Working with the University Enterprise Manager, and within the University’s wider Enterprise Programme, drive activity to develop the provision of enterprise support in relation to SIEC to facilitate the establishment of start-up companies with a focus on maximising impact in the form of outputs and benefits for the City Region
• Manage the development of proposals in relation to the provision of enterprise support ensuring that they meet customer need and deliver the required outputs as well as any appropriate revenue return for SIEC
• Manage the provision of incubator facilities as they are established for SIEC-related start-ups, coordinating with the other incubator facilities provided through the University’s Enterprise Programme
• Oversee engagement with accelerator facilities for enterprises supported through SIEC
• Establish and manage external networks through which enterprise support can be informed, accessed and delivered, including with intermediaries.
• Manage the development of appropriate marketing collateral and events to support enterprise-related activities
• Sign post and support enterprises supported through SIEC to submit external funding applications to finance their development
• Within the Enterprise Programme, contribute to the development and implementation of policy and best practice in the area of enterprise support including systematic review and improvement of existing, and the development and introduction of appropriate new, policies and practices
• Lead engagement with SIEC’s enterprise network to identify and increase engagement with growth and scale-up opportunities and increase related income
• Work closely with the SIEC Business Development Officers and the University Enterprise Manager to develop and deliver effective support when commercial research scenarios present enterprise/company creation opportunities in the form of start-ups and spin-outs
• With the University Enterprise Manager, implement a structure that supports opportunities for appropriate equity-holding opportunities in the companies created
• Coordinate and prepare briefing papers, reports, proposals and other information on issues relating to SIEC enterprise activity. Provide officer support for appropriate working groups and projects ensuring that agreed actions linked to enterprise opportunities are implemented
• Maintain, contribute to, and disseminate current expert knowledge of national and international issues in relation to enterprise and company creation
• Support SIEC’s participation in enterprise networks. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders as required on a wide range of enterprise-related issues
• Deputise for the SIEC Manager as required
• Undertake such other duties as may be required, commensurate with the grade and nature of the role

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or employment experience across a range of roles with increasing levels of responsibility
• Extensive experience of practical experience in a directly relevant role, ideally within the HE or funder sector, including experience of working successfully in the area of enterprise support
• Experience of working successfully within complex regulations / frameworks
• Knowledge of the current business landscape and of the wider policy context relevant to SIEC, along with the capability to understand the impact on the ongoing operation and development of related opportunities
• Competence and experience to deliver a high-quality enterprise support, with a strong commitment to operational excellence, customer care and experience
• Ability to initiate processes and procedures to resolve new problems. Anticipates possible implementation difficulties and identifies practical ways of overcoming or preventing them
• Proven ability to provide advice and guidance relevant to enterprise support
• Proven ability to summarise complex ideas or information, which may be highly detailed, technical or specialist
• Highly organised with the ability to work with strong attention to detail, accuracy, and within specified deadlines
• Proven experience of effective delivery of projects and events to deadlines within complex and diverse workload
• Ability to consider the wider impact of decisions, assess the likelihood of possible outcomes and use judgement to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data and taking into account multiple factors. Able to distinguish between the need to make a decision, when to defer and when not to take a decision
• Excellent skills in communicating effectively at all levels, both orally and in writing, with the ability to communicate using a wide range of styles appropriate to different individuals, groups and situations
• Ability to work independently and with initiative, but to also operate successfully in team and wider collaborative contexts
• Ability to build proactively productive and enduring relationships between internal and/or external bodies to benefit SIEC
• IT skills, including proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office 365

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant post-graduate degree
• Professional training, ideally a formal qualification delivered by a professional body