The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The AMRC’s Partnership model is the cornerstone of the organisation. As a Key Account Manager, you will play a crucial role in making sure that the AMRC provides the greatest possible benefit to our Industrial Partners and the wider network.

As part of the Partnership Team within our Commercial Team, you will be responsible for developing and delivering a relationship engagement plan for your allocated industrial partner company(s) (known as Partners). Guiding and supporting your Partner(s) through working with the AMRC, promoting collaboration, overseeing their portfolio and harnessing the potential of the community to facilitate high impact outcomes for all stakeholders.

You will be responsible for managing the Partner(s) annual membership, including their renewal, arranging and facilitating Partner meetings and activities, including collaborative road mapping workshops, and taking a proactive approach to maintaining an active and integrated engagement with your Partner(s). You will act as the main point of contact on a day-to-day basis to ensure that your Partner(s) has a positive experience when working with the AMRC, and you will be ultimately responsible for the relationship, you will be measured based on your Partners engagement levels, participation, and satisfaction.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Proactively maintain in-depth knowledge of AMRC strategy and capability, including possible applications, relevant examples, AMRC processes and people to enable you to guide your Partner(s) through all aspects of working with the AMRC.
• Build strong, lasting relationships with key stakeholders through integrity and transparency, regular communication and visits to partner(s) sites, as well as hosting visits to the AMRC.
• Act as first point of contact, answering queries, solving problems and connecting your Partner(s) with appropriate colleagues at the AMRC and other partners.
• Promoting collaboration by highlighting opportunities and making practical arrangements to facilitate development of these.
• Maintain oversight of all relevant Partner(s) activity and opportunities across the AMRC,following up on these as appropriate and supporting your Partner(s) to have clear transparency of project status and escalations required. Where appropriate, act in the interests of the Partner to help further project activity and aid successful delivery.
• Working collaboratively with appropriate colleagues and your Partner(s), develop and deliver a strategic engagement and collaboration plan for your industrial partner(s).
• Work with your Partner(s) to develop a great understanding of the organisation(s), achieve both breadth and depth of relationships, and seek out and act upon opportunities across the whole of the Partner organisation and the full capability of the AMRC.
• Liaise between AMRC technical staff and the partner(s) technical team, mediating conflicts to a successful resolution and maintaining good working relationships.
• Work with your Partner(s) to find and execute opportunities to raise awareness of the capability and/or opportunities for collaboration within both organisations.
• Be aware of funding streams and assist the development, scoping and successful application of research bids for your industrial partner(s).
• Document relevant contacts for both partner(s) and AMRC teams, defining most relevant in each business, and ensuring succession planning for personnel changes.
• Monitor potential partner engagement opportunities and support the AMRC management team regarding actions required to maximise the potential.
• Work with Sector Theme Leads to provide input and receive information about a ‘future view’ of emerging trends and drivers for your Partners sector(s).
• Commission case studies to promote the impact the AMRC delivers to your partner(s).
• Foster an inclusive OneAMRC culture which promotes excellence through diversity.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected.

Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate the qualities required to build relationships, inspire confidence and communicate effectively with a range of audiences. Assessed via application and interview
• An excellent listener, as well as having written and verbal communication skills, ability to summarise information effectively and experience of delivering presentations (and/or tours). Assessed via standard of application and via a presentation delivered at interview.
• Demonstrate ability to develop and manage strategic relationships within organisations, to influence and negotiate desired outcomes. Assessed via application and at interview.
• Ability to actively listen, understand and interpret complex and technical information, and communicate this to a wide range of audiences, both internal and external. Assessed via test at interview
• Capacity to develop and maintain knowledge and understanding of a wide range of frequently evolving technology areas, and operational processes in a complex organisation. Assessed at interview.
• Ability to analyse and solve problems with an appreciation of longer term and organisation wide implications. Assessed via application and interview
• Display an understanding of commercial pressures and drivers, and the innovation landscape, opportunities and challenges. Assessed via application and interview.
• Strong organisational skills, the ability to manage own workload, and oversee a portfolio of work, monitoring and logging activity and arranging events for your Partner(s). Assessed via application, interview and test.
• Experience adapting your own skills to new circumstances, taking a proactive approach and responsibility for understanding and being effective in new situations. Assessed via application and interview
• Desire to support the UK defence sector, including willingness and ability to go through security clearance up to developed vetting. Assessed via application
• Demonstrate contributing effectively, as a good team member, collaborating, communicating well and a curious, coaching mindset. Assessed via interview.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working in the defence sector or in translational research. Assessed via application.

Further Information

Grade: 8 £47,874 to £56,921

Hours: 35 hours per week.

Line manager: Partnership Engagement Manager

Direct reports: To be confirmed

For informal enquiries about this job, contact
Julia Yeardley, Partnership Engagement Manager: on j.yeardley@sheffield.ac.uk or on 0114 222 21747

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on  9th April 2025. This will consist of an interview, including a presentation that you will be asked to prepare in advance and a short computer-based test. There will be opportunities for interviewees to have a tour of the facility as well. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 14th April 2025. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact hr@amrc.co.uk.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).
 

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Developed Vetting: Please be aware that there is a requirement for the successful applicant to obtain Developed Vetting Security Clearance. Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for the check when you are applying for this post.

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society.
We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognizes and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.