Senior Business Engagement Manager
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute
- Hybrid (Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK)
- 27 Oct, 2026
Job Description
Senior Business Engagement Manager
SALARY: From £50,000 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
LOCATION: Didcot, Oxfordshire
JOB TYPE: Full-Time, Permanent
The Role
The Rosalind Franklin Institute (the Franklin) is a national research institute dedicated to developing disruptive technologies that transform our understanding of biology and improve human health. Working across physical sciences, engineering, computation and biology, the Franklin brings together leading researchers to tackle complex scientific challenges and accelerate scientific discovery.
As the Franklin continues to grow its scientific capability and industrial impact, we are seeking an experienced and proactive business engagement professional to strengthen our industry partnerships, increase opportunities for collaboration and translation, and support the commercial development of Franklin technologies and expertise.
The Senior Business Engagement Manager will play a leading role in developing and managing Franklin's portfolio of industrial relationships, partnerships and commercial opportunities.
Working closely with Challenge Leaders, and senior researchers, the postholder will identify opportunities to connect the Franklin's world-class science and technology capabilities with external organisations across sectors including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, health technology, advanced engineering, instrumentation, AI, data science and related industries.
The role combines strategic relationship management, business development, partnership creation and support for commercialisation activities. The successful candidate will work with researchers and external partners to develop collaborative projects, translational programmes, licensing opportunities and pathways to impact.
The postholder will also contribute to developing a culture of engagement and translation across the Institute by providing training, guidance and practical support to researchers and professional services colleagues.
Key Responsibilities
As Senior Business Engagement Manager, you will:
Industry Partnership Development
- Develop and manage a portfolio of strategic industrial relationships aligned to Franklin's scientific priorities.
- Identify and secure new partnership opportunities with companies, innovation organisations and investors.
- Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders across industry, academia and the innovation ecosystem.
- Work with scientific leaders to understand emerging industrial needs and identify opportunities for collaboration.
- Develop account management plans for key industry partners.
- Represent Franklin at conferences, industry events, networking activities and stakeholder meetings.
Business Development and Income Generation
- Develop a pipeline of partnership, sponsorship and collaborative research opportunities.
- Support the generation of income through industrial collaborations, consultancy, translational funding and strategic partnerships.
- Work with researchers and facility managers to develop compelling propositions for external partners.
- Support the preparation of business cases, partnership proposals and funding applications.
- Identify routes to expand Franklin's engagement with sectors relevant to its scientific strengths.
Commercialisation and Translation
- Work with researchers to identify technologies, capabilities and expertise with commercial potential.
- Support the progression of intellectual property opportunities in collaboration with external commercialisation and technology transfer partners.
- Contribute to the development of commercialisation pathways, including licensing opportunities and collaborative development projects.
- Assist with market assessment, partner identification and technology positioning activities.
- Support the development and maintenance of a visible pipeline of translational and commercial opportunities.
Business Engagement Programmes
- Design and deliver programmes that connect Franklin researchers with industry.
- Develop workshops, networking activities, industry showcases and capability demonstrations.
- Create opportunities for businesses to engage with Franklin research programmes and technology platforms.
- Establish mechanisms for gathering industry insight and informing strategic planning.
Training and Capability Development
- Develop training and guidance materials to improve commercial awareness and engagement skills across the Institute.
- Provide practical advice and mentoring to researchers seeking to engage with industry.
Internal Collaboration
- Support coordination between scientific and operational teams.
- Contribute to organisational planning, reporting and impact evaluation activities.
- Promote best practice in partnership management and external engagement across the Institute.
Reporting Structure
The postholder will be reporting to Director of Strategic Marketing and will work closely with:
- Institute Director and Chief Operating Officer
- Challenge Leaders
- Research Grants and Contracts Team
- Communications Team
- Innovation Manager
- External commercialisation and technology transfer partner
- Franklin’s external advisory boards
Direct Reports
No direct reports initially, although the successful candidate may contribute to the development and supervision of future business engagement staff or placement students.
Before submitting your application please ensure you read the Job Information Pack for full details of this role. This can be found at the bottom of the page.
This job description sets out the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you did not tick.
In return we offer:
- 25 days holidays plus bank holidays and Christmas holiday shutdown
- Generous pension scheme (employer’s contribution currently up to 18%)
- Group Life Assurance (also known as Group Life Insurance or Death in Service)
- Buying and Selling Annual Leave
- Workplace Nursery Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- Hub building with state-of-the-art laboratories
- Hybrid and flexible working
- Training and development opportunities for staff at all levels
- Bus pass discount scheme and good transport links to Oxford and surrounding areas
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Access to employee discount platform (Perkbox)
- Occupational Health and wellbeing support including Employee Assistance (24/7 support and counselling)
- Health Cash Plan
- Subsidised canteen and food outlets on campus
- Free on-site parking
- Campus location in beautiful countryside with social and sports clubs open to staff
The Franklin’s underlying aim is to produce the best science for research today, and this means resolutely embracing a diverse team, who have a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge to push forward on the innovative work our institution delivers. Both our work and our institution are better for it.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every applicant has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. This includes making adjustments for candidates with specific needs. Please contact us to discuss your requirements confidentially.
At the Rosalind Franklin Institute we also welcome applications from all around the world!
Closing date: The closing date for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 15th November 2026.
Interviews will be held on Monday 23rd November 2026.
Job Ref:
About us
The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a national interdisciplinary research centre, funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). We are dedicated to creating new disruptive technologies which will allow us to see the biological world in new ways - from picometre-scale atoms to centimetre-scale tumours. These technological advances will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease.
The Franklin operates from a purpose-built research facility on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Didcot, a unique community of government, academia and industry working to accelerate progress on key issues. The 700-acre campus is steeped in world-firsts, and technology and research are at the heart of everything Harwell does.
Our building houses both specialist laboratories, research scientists and operational staff within a state-of-the art facility designed to inspire our people in their work and create a welcoming hub for our collaborations and visitors. Our research values of adventure, novelty, engagement, and utility are drawn on and exemplified by the Franklin team through our collaborations with universities and industrial partners, both in the UK and internationally.
The Franklin’s underlying aim is to produce the best science for research today, and this means resolutely embracing a diverse team, who have a wide range of experiences, skills and knowledge to push forward on the innovative work our institution delivers.
Careers
At the Franklin we are all about the science, but we can’t do great science without great people. Creating opportunities for our people to fulfil their potential and feel proud of their work is important to us. This goes for all our teams so whether you are a technician, scientist or one of the professionals which make up our operations team, everyone at the Franklin has a part to play in making us a success.
Our approach to working is collaborative, welcoming, and encourages diversity in all its forms. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. This includes making adjustments for candidates with specific needs.
Benefits
We have a fantastic benefits package, which includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance and other wellbeing support.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
The Rosalind Franklin Institute is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Our aim is simply to reflect the world we live in, having a diverse workforce which is representative of the rich cultures, experiences, backgrounds and skills that the UK and the world has to offer, and ensuring that we build an environment of mutual support and respect for everyone. Our people create a vibrant scientific community. Our culture is forward thinking and progressive bridging the gap between academia and industry, building strong collaborations and networks to enhance career opportunities. We encourage personal development and growth, creating opportunities to learn leadership skills, build personal networks and be supported by coaches and mentors.
Developing our people
As an organisation we appreciate that our people are one of our biggest strengths. We are committed to supporting your learning and development, helping you gain the skills you need to succeed in your role. Regardless of your level of experience and your role, we can assist you with building your expertise, experience and professional qualifications at key career stages.
Our workplace
We have a brand new hub building with world-class laboratory facilities with open plan social areas for people to come together. It really is an amazing place to work and collaborate.
We are located on the Harwell Science and Innovation campus which has an array of sports and recreation facilities open for all staff as well as a subsidised canteen and other food outlets. Which creates a great campus feel when working here and access to many additional networks, groups and events.
