Strategic Partnerships Lead (Life Sciences)
Location:
Kent / Surrey / Sussex region (hybrid working)
Reports to:
Chief Commercial Officer
Contract:
Two years (Industry secondments welcomed)
Remuneration:
£75,000 – £85,000 dependent on experience
About Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS)
Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) is the health innovation network for the Kent and Medway, Surrey and Sussex region. There are 15 Health Innovation Networks (HINs) across England, established by NHS England to support the spread and adoption of innovation across health and social care.
We work in partnership with NHS organisations, research institutions, life sciences companies and system leaders to accelerate innovation adoption, redesign pathways, improve patient outcomes and generate economic growth.
The UK Government's 10-Year Health Plan (July 2025) highlights the role of Health Innovation Networks in "powering transformation" and confirms continued national support for their work.
Role Purpose
The Strategic Partnerships Lead (Life Sciences) acts as the senior interface between Health Innovation KSS (KSS) and the life sciences sector.
The role is responsible for developing long-term, trust-based partnerships with pharmaceutical, medtech, digital health and data organisations, aligning their innovation ambitions with NHS system priorities and translating opportunity into structured, deliverable programmes of work.
This is not a transactional sales role. It is a strategic partnership leadership role that combines:
* Executive-level relationship development
* Opportunity shaping and solution definition
* Commercial structuring and contracting
* Portfolio development and value realisation
The postholder will represent Health Innovation KSS and our regional partners — notably the Secure Data Environment, Kent Medway & Sussex (SDE KMS) and Applied Research Collaboration (ARC KSS) — as an integrated system offer to senior life sciences leaders, shaping multi-year collaboration roadmaps and converting strategic opportunity areas into structured, deliverable Statements of Work aligned with NHS system needs and regional capability.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Partnership Development
* Build and maintain senior-level relationships across life sciences organisations (pharma, medtech, digital, data and diagnostics), acting as the primary commercial interface for Health Innovation KSS and our regional partners, including the SDE KMS and ARC KSS.
* Present a coherent, integrated regional offer spanning real-world data, research capability, pathway redesign and innovation adoption.
* Act as a trusted strategic partner to industry leaders, understanding their UK market access ambitions, evidence-generation needs, research priorities and long-term growth objectives.
* Co-develop multi-year collaboration roadmaps that align industry innovation, data and research ambitions with NHS system priorities, pathway challenges and population health needs.
* Represent Health Innovation KSS, SDE KMS and ARC KSS collectively at national and regional industry forums, strengthening the region's reputation as a credible, coordinated life sciences partner.
2. Opportunity Shaping & Commercial Structuring
* Lead structured scoping engagements that integrate data access, research collaboration and service transformation capability into clearly defined, system-aligned programmes of work.
* Translate industry ambition into cohesive partnership models that combine evidence generation, data insights and innovation implementation within a single, coordinated framework.
* Define scope, deliverables, outcomes, value propositions and success criteria in collaboration with internal subject matter experts and colleagues across SDE KMS and ARC KSS.
* Act as the commercial lead for partnership development with SDE KMS and ARC KSS, ensuring opportunities are shaped into commercially robust and governance-compliant arrangements.
* Develop business cases and partnership models that balance commercial sustainability with system value and long-term regional capability building.
* Work with the Commercial Manager to formalise opportunities into MoUs, Heads of Terms and Statements of Work that clearly articulate roles, responsibilities and delivery structures across the partnership.
* Ensure all commercial arrangements meet governance, procurement, information governance and compliance requirements across all partner organisations.
3. Portfolio Development & Conversion
* Develop and steward a strategic opportunity portfolio spanning life sciences partnerships that involve data access, research collaboration and system innovation delivery.
* Identify both near-term opportunities (to achieve income targets) and longer-term partnership value creation across KSS, SDE KMS and ARC KSS capabilities.
* Maintain visibility of integrated pipeline health, conversion rates, contract value and income generation across the partnership portfolio.
* Provide regular reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer and senior leadership across partner organisations on partnership performance, commercial sustainability and strategic impact.
* Ensure continuity of senior-level relationship management across the lifecycle of partnership agreements, maintaining alignment between industry expectations and regional delivery capability.
4. Internal Alignment & Delivery Integration
* Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and delivery teams to align partnership ambition with operational capacity.
* Ensure that agreed programmes are scoped realistically and supported by appropriate expertise and resources.
* Support effective handover from commercial shaping into programme delivery while maintaining senior relationship continuity.
* Collaborate with ARC KSS, Secure Data Environment partners and other regional stakeholders to enable integrated partnership models.
5. Positioning & System Value
* Promote the HIN KSS value proposition to industry and NHS partners.
* Contribute to thought leadership, proposals, presentations and strategic engagement activity.
* Support the development of a culture of commercialisation, enterprise and responsible innovation within the region.
* Ensure all partnership activity reflects HIN KSS values, including inclusion, transparency and long-term system benefit.
Person Specification
Essential Experience & Knowledge
* Significant experience in the life sciences sector, with strong understanding of UK routes to market and NHS commercial dynamics.
* Demonstrable experience developing strategic partnerships with senior stakeholders (industry, NHS, academia or system leaders).
* Experience translating complex organisational needs into structured, commercially robust programmes or contracts.
* Track record of converting opportunity discussions into defined, deliverable projects or partnerships – balancing the need to achieve shorter term commercial targets while nurturing longer term strategic relationships.
* Strong understanding of innovation adoption in health and social care (e.g. pathway redesign, medicines optimisation, digital transformation, research partnerships).
* Experience in commercial structuring, contract negotiation or partnership governance in B2B or B2G environments.
* Excellent influencing, negotiation and executive-level communication skills.
Desirable Experience & Skills
* Understanding of NHS/ICS structures, procurement processes and regulatory environment.
* Experience drafting or contributing to MoUs, Heads of Terms or Statements of Work.
* Experience working across industry and NHS interfaces.
* Experience reporting to senior leadership or boards on commercial portfolio performance.
Personal Attributes
* Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen and a systems mindset.
* Able to operate credibly and confidently at executive level.
* Collaborative, relationship-driven and values-led.
* Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shaping emerging opportunities.
* Balances long-term partnership development with disciplined commercial delivery.
* High integrity, professionalism and resilience.
Benefits & Terms
* Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
* Hybrid working across Kent, Surrey & Sussex region
* 33 days annual leave, pension and other benefits as per Health Innovation KSS policies