Start-up Ecosystem Lead (Newcastle, GB) bei None

Salary: £35,608 to £37,694 with progression to £46,049 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 05 October 2025

The Role

This new specialist role will play a key part in transforming how Newcastle University optimises its facilities and capabilities to support student and graduate-led innovation and entrepreneurship. We are looking for a passionate individual who is motivated to create an outstanding student experience at Newcastle University. 

Newcastle University has an impressive track record of stimulating and supporting student and graduate entrepreneurship, consistently ranking in the top 5 of universities in the sector, based on the combined performance of our student and graduate founded start-ups.

The post holder will play a key role in supporting the University’s fourth-generation vision, fostering inclusive innovation, dynamic innovation ecosystems and driving positive socioeconomic transformation. Based in Student Success the post holder will work to surface and strengthen the University’s offer, foster new approaches to partnering - creating a key interface with internal, regional and global partners. 

Reporting to the Senior Manager for Entrepreneurship & Start-up the post holder will work closely with key stakeholders including the University’s Business Development and Enterprise Services. 

Newcastle University does support a hybrid approach with some remote and some place-based working. As a team, we have a strong on campus presence; following a £4 million pound refurbishment of King’s Gate, students and recent graduates now have access to dedicated co-working space in King’s Gate to launch businesses. The ambition is for this space to foster a vibrant community of founders and provide a key physical interface to the wider internal and external entrepreneurial community. 

About you 

To be successful in this role you should have experience of working in a Higher Education Institution and demonstrable knowledge of the innovation and entrepreneurship offer at Newcastle University and the wider region.

You will need to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and influencing skills with a wide range of stakeholders and be agile in your approach to emerging needs and trends. 

Next steps

For informal enquiries about the role please contact Claire Adamson, Senior Manager Entrepreneur & Start Up, [email protected]

To apply, please upload a copy of your CV and a letter of application which evidences how you meet the knowledge, skills and experience outlined in the person specification. 

Interviews will be held Wednesday 22nd October (in person attendance is preferred) 

Key Accountabilities

• Surface, connect and catalyse the internal and regional innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem to stimulate and support student-led start-up activity; fostering partnerships with internal and external stakeholders negotiate and unlock support to accelerate and drive the development of new opportunities
• Identify ways to strengthen and extend existing aspects of the Newcastle University offer to unlock know-how and access to facilities
• Identify opportunities to join-up and consolidate support across the University leading to the creation of a ‘single front door’ (digital) for entrepreneurship, setting out an enhanced and joined-up Newcastle University offer
• Engage with innovation networks and other universities to identify and implement new approaches to advance our business support offer incl. acceleration and incubation initiatives
• To drive inclusive innovation and accelerate new ideas, set-up and manage a register of partners able to deliver needs-driven specialist support to students and graduates
• Support fundraising activity to advance the University’s offer working closely with colleagues in the University’s Advancement Team.
• Lead the planning and initiation of projects and initiatives ensuring the correct governance is in place and appropriate stakeholders are involved
• Where appropriate, manage specific project activities including preparing business cases, proposals, reports, undertaking market research and evaluation.
• Design and deliver support mechanisms and processes for efficient and effective operation and delivery of services
• Work with services including procurement, legal, risk and insurance to support the development of projects in line with university policy and regulation.
• Lead on the development of policies and procedures to support activity. Identify areas of concern, governance requirements, conflicts of interest and ethical issues.
• Create and maintain appropriate communication channels to ensure effective and timely communication with all stakeholders
• As a lead contact point for certain projects and proposals be responsible for negotiating within agreed boundaries
• Where appropriate manage any budgets associated with the project controlling the expenditures within agreed tolerance and monitoring the costs against project deliverables.
• Maintain a high level of awareness of relevant activities, benchmarking, good practice, policy matters and trends within higher education.
• Coordinate relevant programme and project meetings and committees taking responsibility for the preparation of agendas, papers, minutes and follow-up actions
• Bring together and contribute to specialist project and working groups, as required
• To undertake any other duties reasonably requested in the delivery of Student Success and wider University strategic objectives

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of working in a Higher Education Institution
• Demonstrable knowledge of the innovation and entrepreneurship offer at Newcastle University and the wider region
• A working knowledge of university processes and governance around forming partnerships
• Ability to leverage support from a well-established network of innovation and entrepreneurship stakeholders
• An understanding of regional business support and innovation ecosystems
• Excellent research skills with experience of conducting market research (primary and secondary market research)
• Experience of developing, formalising and maintaining collaborative partnerships and initiatives
  with a range of internal and external partners
• Proven track record in managing complex projects with measurable impact
• Ability to develop project plans and use various approaches, planning tools and techniques
• Experience of working with and managing the expectations of numerous stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to influence stakeholders and influence decisions to maintain a focus on the delivery of a successful outcome
• Demonstrable experience of implementing sector standard evaluation frameworks to track and measure impact of support
• Evidence of how you keep up to date with market trends and anticipate/respond to future opportunities/needs of stakeholders
• Understanding of the importance of risk management

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to manage and prioritise a complex portfolio workload, solve problems and use own initiative appropriately
• Has the ability to see the “big picture”, to think strategically and use own initiative and creativity to resolve complex problems
• Ability to be highly flexible and adaptable and manage ambiguity and change positively
• Reviews and revises plans, to meet with changing circumstances
• Ability to work effectively independently as well as within/ with different teams/ groups, internal and external to the University
• Develop and implement new ideas
• Willingness to support others and share workloads
• Work in a planned and structured way
• Willingness to work outside of core business hours, with notice e.g. evening events
• Excellent communication – able to present and tailor communications to a range of audiences
• Evidence of being a strong and proactive team player, meeting own and team objectives

Qualifications

• A degree and/ or relevant professional qualification or relevant experience

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 28554