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Job details
Job title Forging Ahead Network Manager Job reference REQ250626 Date posted 23/07/2025 Application closing date 17/08/2025 Location Loughborough Package Management and Specialist grade 6 from £35116 to £45413 per annum. Subject to annual pay award. Job description
Research andInnovation Office
Full time, fixed term until 1 May2028
Hybrid working
Are you a natural connector with a passionfor innovation, enterprise, and collaboration?
Loughborough University is seeking aproactive and highly organised NetworkManager to establish and maintain a high-qualityprofessional network for a large multi-university Forging AheadProject.
About theProject
Forging Ahead is an initiative to transforminnovation and entrepreneurship across the Midlands. A coalitionof 15 Midlands university partners has launched a bold newproject that will revolutionise how research and innovation aretranslated into real-world impact across the region.
Forging Ahead– led by LoughboroughUniversity and Midlands Innovation – will radically enhance thecommercialisation ecosystem, supercharging entrepreneurialactivity, scaling innovation, and creating dynamic new pathwaysfor academic ideas to become high-growth ventures.
This collaborative programme aims to reshape how knowledgeexchange, IP Commercialisation, spinout business creation, andinvestment attraction are delivered across the Midlands,unlocking the region’s research and innovation strengths andturning them into commercial success stories. By strengtheningnetworks, building capacity, and supporting diverse talent, theinitiative will drive inclusive economic growth and ensure thatinnovation benefits communities across the region.
Forging Ahead will first focus on launchingand expanding initiatives to nurture entrepreneurial talent, growinvestment readiness, and embed a culture of innovation withinand beyond universities. It will scale proven models and pilotnew approaches that make commercialisation more accessible,inclusive, and impactful.
The initiative is backed bymulti-million-pound funding from Research England’s ConnectingCapability Fund, with additional matched support from partneruniversities and regional stakeholders.
For more information about the project see here .
About theRole
This is a unique and exciting opportunityto build the networks of founders, professionals, experts, andinvestors which will help to power the Midlands-wide ForgingAhead Project.
Forging Ahead Network Manager will workclosely with colleagues from the Research Innovation Office, andthey will connect and curate networks spanning the 15 PartnerUniversities, alongside a dedicated team, to jointly realise theaims and ambitions of this important initiative.
The post holder will develop and implementstrategies to connect startup and spinout teams with relevantinnovation partners, funders, and government agencies, ensuringeffective collaboration and support. Engage in events andknowledge exchange activities across the Midlands. They will planand execute regular regional network engagement events,activities, meetings, workshops, and develop high quality virtuallearning resources for project participants. They will alsomanage database information systems, maintain high standards ofdata compliance.
The role will be based primarily atLoughborough’s East Midlands Campus, with regular travel topartner locations across the region; therefore, a willingness totravel is essential. Some evening and flexible working will berequired.
For more information refer to thefull JobDescription and Person Specification .
Informal enquiries should be sent to rio.hr@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk
Interested?
Apply now and help us forge a betterfuture. For application tips andguidance, please visit our website .
The closing date for receipt ofapplicationsis: Sunday, 17th ofAugustInterviews will be held on:week commencing 8th ofSeptember
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