Basic Info
Salary: £35,000-£40,000 depending on experience
Location: Stowmarket Innovation Gateway, Gateway 14, Stowmarket
Contract Term: Fixed Term Contract - January 2026-31st March 2029 (with the possibility of a 2 year extension)
Job Purpose
Hethel Innovation is seeking a dynamic and driven Centre Manager to lead the Stowmarket Innovation Gateway. In this role, you will oversee building operations, manage support contracts, engage with tenants, and contribute to the company’s business support, innovation and skills strategies.
You will play a pivotal role in fostering business growth by implementing innovative support strategies, developing new delivery plans, and managing key projects. As part of a high-performing, proactive team, you will drive continuous improvement and ensure exceptional service delivery for businesses within our network.
The Centre Manager will oversee the operation and development of the Stowmarket Innovation Gateway, ensuring a high standard of service for all users, including tenants and visitors utilising the innovation hub, communal space and meeting rooms. They will act as facilities manager, responsible for site maintenance, contractor management, health and safety compliance, and regulatory adherence.
This role involves promoting tenancy at the Centre, leading negotiations on lease agreements, site hire, and tenant disputes while fostering a strong sense of community among businesses. The Centre Manager will oversee all events and functions for internal and external customers, support the Centre’s financial operations in collaboration with the district council and ensure tenant requirements are met.
If you are a innovative, proactive, and commercially driven leader, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.
Responsibilities
Leading the delivery of all property related services. This work includes:
Property & Operations Management
* Oversee daily site operations, ensuring top-tier service delivery.
* Act as primary contact for tenants, supporting their business growth.
* Manage health & safety compliance, maintenance, and contractor relations.
Business & Community Engagement
* Develop strategic partnerships with local authorities and industry stakeholders.
* Promote the Centre as a hub for innovation, business and skills development attracting tenants, clients and the public.
* Organise networking events, workshops, and industry collaborations.
Financial & Commercial Strategy
* Manage budgets and financial planning for operational efficiency.
* Negotiate and manage tenant leases and rental agreements.
* Identify opportunities for site development, revenue growth, and cost efficiencies.
Marketing & Digital Presence
* Develop and implement marketing strategies to promote the Centre’s offerings.
* Manage social media channels, creating engaging content and growing the Centre’s online presence.
For a full breakdown of the job description, follow the link to our website - https://hethelinnovation.com/job-vacancies/
Essential
* Proven experience in business or operational management, preferably within the innovation sector
* Strong communication and problem-solving abilities.
* Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
* A track record of building strong networks and manage multiple contracts and commitments with external organisations
* Experience with procurement of goods and services
* The ability to learn quickly
* A proactive and motivated attitude
* The ability to identify and implement improvements to service provision and internal systems
* The ability to manage, both their own workloads and their teams’, to deliver a high standard of customer service
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Complete computer competency
Desirable
* Development and management of maintenance programmes
* Marketing and promoting property with the ability to achieve high occupancy rates
* Understanding of Landlord & Tenant Law and experience of negotiating occupational agreements
* Experience in or an understanding of incubation strategy and delivery
* Facilities management experience including compliance
* Experience of managing 3rd party professionals/trades
* Experience working in an ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 environment
* An interest in entrepreneurship and innovation
* Knowledge of start-up and SME growth
* Understanding of business clusters and their development
About You
* You want to be part of a small high performing team
* You are curious, you love to learn and have a real interest in business growth.
* You are ready to think outside the box, problem solving is exciting for you and you relish the opportunity to develop solutions to overcome challenges.
* You are comfortable with the uncomfortable – you stand your ground in high pressure situations and communicate clearly.
* You see beyond the challenge in front of you.
* You make things happen – you identify opportunities and act on them.
* You aren’t scared of failure but see it as a learning opportunity and have actively changed your approach to situations from previous experience.
* You are independent and autonomous. You have the confidence and skill to develop your own pipeline of projects and manage your workload effectively.
* Asking for help doesn’t scare you. You are able to pick up new projects and develop them on your own and able to identify when you need additional support and actively seek it.
* You celebrate the success of others. A win for those you are supporting (either business clients or your team), is a win for you.
* You love to engage with others, collaborating with multiple stakeholders on projects.
* You perform at your best when you are managing multiple projects at one time.
* You are motivated by meeting commercial goals and enjoy proactively planning how to meet them.
About Stowmarket Innovation Gateway
Stowmarket Innovation Gateway at Gateway 14 is a new purpose-built, BREEAM ‘Excellent’ facility designed to foster entrepreneurship, support innovation, and address skills gaps in emerging technologies in the local and regional economy. The building is set to open Spring 2026 with 44 offices, hot desking and coworking facilities, training and meeting rooms and an on-site cafe.
About Hethel Innovation
Our company is built by staff who have a shared ambition – to be a game changer for business. Every single person employed by Hethel Innovation has a direct impact on allowing us to deliver our vision to be the driving force for SME innovation. Our team make things happen.
We are excited by making a difference to businesses – whether that is through the business communities we curate, the support and advice or connections we provide, or the high-quality space we manage and operate at our growing network of innovation sites.
We’re inclusive and want our teams to be made up of people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. If you think that you have the mindset, skills, and motivations to be a central part of delivering on our strategy, we would love to speak to you.
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