IDRIC Business Engagement, Communications and Impact Manager

Position Title

IDRIC Business engagement communications and impact manager

The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC)

Full Time (1

FTE) Fixed-term basis until end March 2027.

The role of Business engagement communications and impact manager is essential for IDRIC to drive impactful engagement with stakeholders to ensure IDRIC delivers long‑lasting economic growth and societal benefits. This includes focusing on increasing the number and quality of strategic partnerships in the industrial clusters involved in Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans (LIDPs) and continuing to develop IDRIC’s understanding of place‑based stakeholders across the UK and a range of decarbonisation technologies.

The role will involve both strategic planning and delivery of IDRIC’s partnership activities and managing external/stakeholder communications.

• Provide strong leadership for the Business & Impact team and align business and impact activities with IDRIC’s wider strategy.
• Effectively manage the B&I team, ensuring full integration and productive working within IDRIC and supporting team development.
• Work directly with industrial collaborators and IDRIC researchers to facilitate business partnerships and deliver IDRIC KPIs.
• Position IDRIC to influence and respond to additional funding opportunities.
• Develop strategic partnerships with business and industry and provide advice on developing pathways to impact.
• Broker relationships with research users in the public, private and third sectors through events and meetings.
• Build strong working relationships with academic and industry stakeholders to contribute to the development and implementation of IDRIC’s regional impact strategy.
• Proactively build and grow relationships with key stakeholders and industry funders external to IDRIC, cementing and developing a broad portfolio of partnerships and projects.
• Develop and deliver stakeholder communication strategy through the website, mailing list, Linked In and other channels.

• Educated to first degree level or equivalent
• Significant experience building and maintaining strong relationships with external stakeholders such as businesses, industry partners and academics
• Demonstrable substantial professional expertise in business development, innovation and/or delivering research and innovation impact through partnership working
• Experience working within Higher Education
• Capability to lead and manage a team including people management responsibilities
• Ability to research, analyse and present complex information effectively with good attention to detail
• Excellent report and document writing attributes
• Experience delivering external communications and/or marketing activities
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages
• Excellent interpersonal influencing and presentation skills able to understand and communicate complex issues effectively
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
• Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels with a professional and proactive approach
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team

• Post graduate qualification
• Demonstrable experience and success in income generation, for example through business development, innovation and/or delivering research and innovation impact activities
• Experience using data and analytics to develop effective campaigns
• CIM/CIPR/IDM or equivalent Marketing/Comms qualification
• Awareness and understanding of the research and innovation landscape and opportunities in the UK and beyond
• Experience working within the Industrial Decarbonisation sector

Interested applicants must submit via the Heriot‑Watt University on‑line recruitment system: (1) a cover letter; (2) a full CV.

Applications can be submitted up until midnight on Sunday 09 November 2025
.

Heriot‑Watt University values diversity across our community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from under‑represented groups. For more information please see our website.