Job Description
Position Details
School of Engineering
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822. As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £42,254.
Part Time (22.5 hours per week)
Fixed Term contract up to September 2029
Closing date: 23rd November 2025
UK travel may be required for this role.
Background
Co-AIMS is a £13.7 million national research hub funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC). It unites seven universities and High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres with over 50 partners from industry, innovation, and government to position the UK as a world leader in AI-powered sustainable manufacturing. Combining pioneering research with industry-led flagships, the hub's vision is to deliver robust, trustworthy AI systems that boost productivity, resilience, and environmental performance. The hub-and-spoke model connects universities as research "spokes" to address real-world challenges across priority sectors. This is a timely, transformative initiative: leveraging cutting-edge AI to reduce waste and emissions while empowering workers and businesses to adapt sustainably in the face of global disruptions. Co-AIMS offers a unique opportunity to drive UK leadership in human-centred, ethical AI for manufacturing.
Role Summary
The Impact and Engagement Development Manager (Co-AIMS) will
* deliver effective instruments to enable connectivity between academia and industry
* grow the Hub's stakeholder engagement in line with the Hub's mission
* collect and analyse data to contribute to the Co-AIMS national research agenda
* contribute to the dissemination of project outcomes to stakeholders
* contribute to collecting and reporting on project outcomes, performance indicators, project impacts
* support the hub manager and the hub management board members across various events
* Work closely with the wider Business Engagement team to support cross-university initiatives and enhance stakeholder engagement
The post holder will be expected to travel across the UK, and to work on the UoB campus for a minimum of one day week to support collaborative working with the project team.
Main Duties
Providing strategic support to the Director on fostering connections between academic researchers and stakeholders including
* Leading on mapping e.g. academic research centres as needed to meet the Hub's aims, including designing methodologies, collecting, and analysing research capabilities.
* Designing and delivering methods to collect and evaluate evidence to enable understanding of the barriers to academic-industry collaboration e.g. through focus groups, interviews and facilitated sessions.
* Designing and delivering methods to identify and evaluate incentives for academic-industry collaboration e.g. through focus groups, interviews and facilitated sessions.
* Leading on designing and implementing approaches to curating industry challenges, and matching these with academic researchers.
* Work with the Hub's Management Board to build the Hub's community through event attendance.
* Engaging with stakeholders in line with the Hub's communication and engagement strategy.
* Develop new strategic partnerships with key stakeholders from industry, innovation, association, and regional and national government.
Leading on tracking Funding and Achieved Impact of industry-academic collaborations
* Leading on the shaping and design of Hub events to communicate the collaborative approach to funding and facilitate matchmaking.
* Delivering events in collaboration with the Hub team.
* Implement approaches to track and report on outputs and impacts from the project.
Supporting the development and implementation of the Hub's national research agenda
* Develop a detailed knowledge of the research, engagement and impact landscape for Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Manufacturing in the UK, and the Hub's research agenda.
* Collecting data through events, funding, and conversations to inform the Hub's capabilities catalogue.
* Documenting the regional differences and funding requirements across the UK manufacturing ecosystem, with input from stakeholders for external dissemination.
* Input into the national research agenda for AI in manufacturing, mapping industrial challenges and required key capabilities.
Leading on communication and engagement strategy development and implementation
* Develop an understanding of the UK manufacturing sector and opportunities for enhanced collaboration between academic researchers and non-HEI organisations.
* Drive the activities and plans for increasing engagement with AI research, working closely with the Hub's Management Board and Industrial Steering Board.
* Writing and delivering strategic communications to disseminate project outcomes, including social media posts, blogs, newsletters, formal reports and delivery of presentations.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
* Promote equality and value diversity by acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
Deliver and support training for early career researchers (ECRs)
* Identify and facilitate the delivery of training to enhance and accelerate research impact and commercialisation for the Hub's ECRs.
* Organise and facilitate training opportunities e.g. seminars and secondments to foster knowledge exchange between researchers and industry partners.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Relevant degree or relevant equivalent professional qualification.
* Experience of completing directed research assignments, working independently to produce evidenced reports.
* Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences, and to produce and analyse source material, information and data.
* Proven ability to meet targets and deadlines, with minimal supervision.
* Substantial experience of engaging and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
* Proven analytical and problem solving skills that will help to identify and implement initiatives to deliver project outcomes.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a range of stakeholders.
* Experience and proficiency with online communication platforms such as LinkedIn.
* Highly proficient IT skills, including the MS Office suite.
* High level of self-motivation and personal accountability with ability to plan and deliver goals to deadlines under pressure.
* Experience of championing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in own work area.
* Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact on protected groups and take appropriate action.
Beneficial Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Knowledge of academic engagement and impact.
* Experience of managing academic-industry collaboration to successful outcomes.
* Experience working with international organisations especially in Europe and Asia.
Dimensions
Roles at this level provide authoritative professional advice across a range of activities and/or will lead and manage diverse team(s) and resources. You will use your professional skills to resolve problems where the solution is not immediately apparent. Significant evaluation and independent thought is therefore required to resolve ambiguity. You will have wide discretion to decide on direction whilst ensuring activities are broadly consistent with operational policies. You will be able to influence policy through advising on the impact of policy change and implementation in your area of work. You will need to assess the impact of your activities across your area, with related areas and to ensure they fit with the broader objectives of the University in line with the grant conditions of the funding body, EPSRC.
Planning & organising
* provide professional expertise, and manage resources;
* integrate and co-ordinate work across different parts of the School, University, and the Hub Partners;
* support the leadership and management of staff who are likely to be carrying out diverse duties, and ensure collaborative working to deliver a successful service;
* project manage activities to facilitate major changes;
* develop policy within functional guidelines, and contribute to strategic development within own area;
* be accountable for the quality and professionalism of service delivery, with an appreciation of longer term issues.
Problem solving and decision making
* anticipate, interpret and assess customer needs, identifying trends, generating original ideas and testing innovative solutions;
* deal with significant people management issues such as change programmes;
* resolve issues which may not have arisen before through use of experience and judgement.
Internal and external relationships
* has an excellent understanding of their own working area and a broad understanding of the contribution other areas make to the success of the University;
* has an excellent understanding of how the University operates, together with an understanding of how academia operates in the UK;
* demonstrates empathy with the academic endeavour and seeks to encourage others to do so;
* influence others (including across the Hub and the University) to follow a particular course of action;
* represent the Hub and wider University at internal and external meetings/events/network with colleagues in other institutions to share best practice.
Informal enquiries to Nicholas Turvey-Haigh, email:
View our staff values and behaviours here
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.