Northern Accelerator Marketing Officer

The University

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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. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here .

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The Role and the Department

Northern Accelerator is an ambitious collaborative initiative between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside Universities. Northern Accelerator delivers a range of support that accelerates and enhances commercialisation (specifically including spinouts) and knowledge exchange outcomes, based on research conducted within the partner universities.

This postholder will lead, coordinate and ensure the compliant delivery of Northern Accelerator activity. This will include academic entrepreneurship training, proof of concept support and exec into business support, pairing experienced entrepreneurs with potential founding academics.

Since 2018, the five North East universities have worked increasingly closely to build a strong collaboration to commercialise our research through the creation of high-growth businesses. Since launching the Northern Accelerator programme, 65 spinouts have been created, catalysing new investment and jobs in North East England.

Northern Accelerator's core support offer includes enterprise training for academic founders, pre-incorporation funding to take research projects closer to commercialisation, and our flagship Executives into Business programme which recruits experienced business leaders to form management teams for upcoming spinout companies. This core offer is currently funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority until 31 ^st March 2027.

Northern Accelerator's brand also encompasses the Strategic Commercialisation Eco-system North East (SCENE) programme, and together the projects represent an exciting phase in our regional collaboration, strengthening our support for the spinout process, and building new services and activities to extend successful research commercialisation in new areas, such as licensing and commercial partnerships.

Underpinning these propositions is the creation and development of a structured and connected ecosystem around University research commercialisation, drawing together partnerships with business, investors and institutions to drive a sustainable step-change in our impact.

Northern Accelerator is led by Durham University in partnership with Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside - who come together through Universities for North East England (UNEE).

We are seeking a skilled, creative and experienced Marketing and Communications Officer who can provide excellent communications and events support for Northern Accelerator. The postholder will also work with the programme team to support the commercialisation eco-system with a programme of excellent internal communications activity. The postholder will work closely with the Northern Accelerator and SCENE project teams, side-by-side with the Marketing Officer for SCENE. Internally our projects are separately funded, but externally you will support a strong cohesive Northern Accelerator brand across all activity.

Northern Accelerator is an ambitious project strong aims and multiple partners and the role of communications will be key in ensuring the visibility of the various aspects of the programme and maintaining a strong sense of common endeavour.

Ideally, the postholder will have a good understanding of innovation and commercialisation purposes and mechanisms and be able to work flexibly and collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders to design and ensure delivery of effective communication plans. They will also need to understand the purpose of our national and regional funders in allocating the resource, in order to maintain alignment of Northern Accelerator communications activity with the economic plans in the North East and national commercialisation objectives.

The main duties of the post will be:

Working with the Head of Regional programmes, Programme Manager and other team members, design and ensure a strong and visible communications and events plan to support the effective delivery of the Northern Accelerator programme.

Co-ordinate internal communications activity between the University partners and the wider network of Strategic partners to underpin the success of the commercialisation ecosystem.

Work closely with the wider network of Communications staff to ensure there are complementary communication activities across, Northern Accelerator, the SCENE programme, the Commercialisation and Spinout Fund, and any other projects which re-enforce their brands and demonstrate the collaboration between North East universities.

Provide support, advice, information, presentations and guidance to University staff regarding the communications activities within the project, including ensuring compliance with the expectations of partners and funders with respect of use of logos and other corporate or programme identities and to be the focal point for communications across the University and strategic partners.

Monitor communications activities against a key set of metrics and make proposals for improvement

The postholder will sit within Durham University's Research and Innovation Services (RIS) team, accountable to the Head of Regional Programmes.

RIS is a professional services directorate at the heart of Durham University which provides expertise, leadership and support to academics and professional colleagues across the University for all research, research-related, knowledge exchange and economic development activities and aims to strengthen their University's role at the leading-edge of research and innovation, inspiring change across the world and in our region.

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 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. 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 .

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