Senior Innovation Partnerships Manager

Senior Innovation Partnerships Manager

Job Description

Iconiq is a dynamic grant funding and project delivery consultancy that is passionate about driving innovation across a broad range of sectors. We work with a diverse spectrum of organisations, primarily across Europe, from SMEs to multi-nationals as well as universities and RTOs. Our team is made up of an eclectic blend of talent who are proven experts in their field and are steered by a strong leadership team. This is an exciting time to join the Iconiq team as we embark on the next stage of our growth and development plans.

Our Innovation Partnerships team drives the growth of Iconiq's client base and project pipeline, identifying opportunities across public funding programmes and commercial innovation support. We're looking for an experienced, credible Senior Innovation Partnerships Manager who knows the grant funding landscape well and can open doors, build lasting client relationships, and shape winning propositions across our organisation.

The Iconiq Person

·      You have a proven track record in business development within the grant funding and innovation consultancy space, with significant experience of Horizon Europe and other public funding mechanisms including EU ETS Innovation Fund

·      A strong working understanding of the wider funding landscape is essential; familiarity with Eureka and Innovate UK would be highly beneficial

·      You have an established network of contacts across SMEs, corporates, universities and RTOs, and know how to convert relationships into revenue

·      An effective communicator both written and verbally with exceptional attention to detail, comfortable operating at senior stakeholder and client level

·      Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build meaningful, long-term professional relationships

·      Ability to understand and communicate complex technical information to a variety of audiences

·      A commercially minded approach, with a good understanding of how to identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities

·      Fluent in English, both written and spoken; additional European languages advantageous

·      A good understanding of how to exploit technologies and develop business cases and plans

·      You are detail-oriented whilst keeping a firm eye on the bigger commercial picture

·      You are adaptable and embrace change, with the confidence to shape strategy as well as execute it

·      Able to work independently but also as part of a collaborative leadership team

·      Good IT skills covering online working (Teams), CRM/pipeline tools (HubSpot advantageous), and Excel

·      A creative problem-solver that is passionate about innovation and able to manage both internal and external stakeholders

·      A strong interest in technology and innovation is a must

·      Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience) in a science or business related subject. Post-graduate qualifications (PhD, MSc, MBA) in these fields would be advantageous but not essential

The Iconiq Role

·      Lead the identification, qualification and development of new business opportunities across Horizon Europe and other funded and commercial programmes

·      Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective clients and partners across the UK, Spain and wider European network

·      Develop and maintain senior-level relationships with clients, consortium partners, research institutes, universities, industry and other stakeholders

·      Lead the development of innovative project concepts aligned with funding opportunities, undertake background research on funding priorities and state-of-the-art technologies, and identify, evaluate and engage leading technology providers, industrial partners and research organisations

·      Shape and contribute to high-quality funding bids and commercial proposals, working closely with Project Coordinators, Technical Leads and the wider delivery team

·      Maintain and apply a thorough understanding of Horizon Europe rules and regulations, and stay abreast of developments across other national and international programmes, including Eureka and Innovate UK

·      Represent Iconiq at conferences, networking events and partner meetings, acting as a brand ambassador and building our reputation for excellence

·      Provide market intelligence and funding landscape insight to inform Iconiq's strategic direction and service proposition

·      Support the development of junior team members, sharing expertise in business development and the grant funding landscape

·      Provide regular updates on business development activity and pipeline status to internal and external stakeholders

·      Be the driving force behind Iconiq's growth ambitions, working closely with the leadership team

The Iconiq Way

This is an extremely varied, exciting, and dynamic position. It will bring challenges and plenty of opportunities to excel. You will be joining an international team of the brightest minds that are determined to deliver excellent outcomes for our clients, and us. This is a full-time, permanent, senior role, however, for the right candidate with the right credentials we are open minded.

We are remote-first, meaning that you will likely be remote-based with travel to Iconiq HQ on a regular basis, or you could be office-based if appropriate. Some travel nationally and internationally will be required occasionally. 

·      A competitive salary and commission scheme, reflective of seniority and experience

·      Our head office is based just outside of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, in beautiful countryside and benefits from an onsite café and free parking

·      Exciting work with a range of dynamic, highly innovative companies to support the development of groundbreaking new technologies that will change the world!

·      International travel opportunities

·      25 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays

·      Tailored growth and development plan with opportunities for additional study

·      Complimentary (and fun) social events