Innovation Manager

Location(UK): Office Hybrid* - London
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £53,809 per annum (London)
Benefits: Read more about the excellent benefits we offer
Contract type: Permanent
Travel: Occasional travel across the UK including Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
Closing date: 23:59, Monday 29 July 2024

Join us and use your skills, knowledge, passion and energy to help us achieve a future free from arthritis.

We are looking for an experienced Innovation Manager to join the Innovation and Industry team. If you have a good understanding of translational research and knowledge exchange, experience of managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders particularly within the industry sector, and are passionate about advancing research along the translational pathway for clinical benefit, we would love to hear from you.

About the role

You will apply a scientific and commercial approach to help deliver on our research strategy. You will be responsible for overseeing the translational research activity within the existing portfolio of Versus Arthritis funded research to support innovation and commercial development of research intellectual property. You will work with research award holders, University technology transfer teams and internal teams within the charity to ensure all Versus Arthritis research is adequately identified, protected and exploited. As well as identify, develop and maintain strategic partnerships that contribute to the growth of our current translational research portfolio and the development of new areas of research activity that will increase the likelihood of clinical and/or commercial success for musculoskeletal (MSK) research.

About you

If your knowledge, skills and experience include the following then we’d love to hear from you:

  • A science PhD, MD or equivalent research experience and good understanding of translational research.
  • Experience of the practical application of research exploitation and its considerations.
  • Experience of relationship management, particularly with industry/corporate partners.
  • A flexible and collaborative approach: Able to work closely and adaptively with immediate team and collaboratively across the organisation.
  • Excellent liaison and negotiation skills with the ability to respond appropriately, confidently and sensitively.

*As a hybrid worker the expectation is that you will spend around 40% of your working time in our office spaces or working in community settings. As an inclusive employer we will consider home-based working for anyone where office-based hybrid working would be a barrier to being able to work for us, for example for someone living with a long-term health condition or disability.

Benefits

Your excellent benefits include:

  • Flexible hours, environments and working practices to promote a healthy work/life balance.
  • Health and wellbeing support – including the Employee Assistance Programme (free confidential 24/7 support with mental health, legal and financial queries).
  • Simplyhealth cash plan.
  • Supportive and inclusive culture, with a wide range of employee networks and support groups available to join.
  • Learning and personal development opportunities.
  • Competitive annual leave, with the option to buy/sell up to five days per year.
  • Generous pension plan, with employer contribution of up to 10%.
  • Life Assurance plan (4 x salary).

Application deadline and shortlisting 

We advise candidates to apply early as we reserve the right to close applications ahead of this date.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

We do not wish to receive contact from agencies or media sales. 

Interview

Interviews expected:

First interviews will be held on Monday 12 August at the London office (exact location to be confirmed if invited to interview).

Second interviews will be held on Thursday 15 August 2024 on Microsoft Teams.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee you will be offered an interview if you disclose a disability and demonstrate sufficient evidence within your application that you meet the essential criteria for this role. We will also make any reasonable adjustments you may require for your interview.

About us

We have made a commitment in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to increase the diversity of our charity and we welcome candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We want our employees, volunteers and trustees to represent the broad diversity of the communities of which we are a part.

There are over 10 million people living with arthritis. That’s one in six, with over half of those living in pain every single day. The impact is huge as the condition slowly intrudes on everyday life – affecting the ability to work, care for a family, to move free from pain and to live independently. Yet arthritis is often dismissed as an inevitable part of ageing or shrugged off as ‘just a bit of arthritis’. We don’t think that this is OK. Versus Arthritis is here to change that.

Versus Arthritis is committed to keeping children, young people and vulnerable adults safe from harm. During the recruitment process we will undertake safer recruitment practices and relevant checks to ensure applicants are suitable to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Salary: 
£53,809
Closing date: 
Monday, July 29, 2024
Originating organisation: