Director of Research, Innovation and Enterprise

Overview

Director of Research, Innovation and Enterprise. We are seeking an inspiring, innovative and commercially minded leader to drive the full lifecycle of research, innovation and commercialisation of our academic activities across the University. You will work with a range of internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RI&E) strategies that deliver imaginative solutions to societal and industrial challenges.

• Oversee the delivery of end-to-end support for research, knowledge exchange, enterprise and academic commercialisation activities of the university.
• Collaborate with colleagues across academic and Professional Services in a collegiate and innovative manner.
• Identify and drive new income streams for the University and maximise societal and economic impact of research.
• Develop key metrics to support ongoing development of the RI&E team and maintain the University’s competitiveness in research, innovation and enterprise activities.
• Facilitate interactions with external organisations to enable and grow access to the University’s academic expertise, including research, consultancy and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Engage with stakeholders to support strategic objectives and the University’s overall research portfolio.

• Educated to degree level with extensive experience operating at a senior level within a complex organisation, ideally within the higher education sector.

• This is a senior appointment with competitive, incentivising remuneration to be negotiated with the preferred candidate.
• Informal enquiries should be directed to the Chief Operating Officer and Senior HR Partner for further information.
• Prior to employment, the successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the right to work in the UK. Sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route may be possible depending on eligibility.
• Job Reference Number: RAI
  143A
• Closing date for applications: 25 January 2026.
• We embrace a diverse working environment and encourage applications from individuals across all equality protected characteristics.

Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom