DDI Innovation Manager

Purpose of Role

This is a new role that will provide leadership and specialist input to support and scale innovation activity in the National Robotarium at a time of growth. This role is part of a growing network of DDI Hub innovation support roles that will link into existing DDI commercialisation support activities such as the University of Edinburgh’s (National Robotarium joint partner) flagship Venture Builder Incubator (VBI) programme and the AI Accelerator. (These are based in the Bayes Centre). The postholder will be the point of contact for triaging and signposting innovation support enquiries at the National Robotarium. This role will provide sector knowledge, expertise and will also identify and develop new innovation focussed opportunities in partnership with the National Robotarium leadership and the wider DDI entrepreneurship and innovation teams based in Bayes and other DDI Hubs.

The postholder will be able to navigate the innovation ecosystem and have a collaborative focus on scaling innovation activity in key thematic areas related to the National Robotarium’s 5-year strategy. The successful candidate will also be responsible for inspiring and developing a pipeline of founders in the Robotics and AS field that would then have access to existing innovation support services. This would be through communicating their own entrepreneurial knowledge as well as utilising their key contacts and knowledge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem nationally and internationally. Regular contact and relationship building with the Bayes/Edinburgh Innovations led programme team will be key as will be ensuring the National Robotarium team is effectively linked into, and can benefit from, this wider network of innovation activity. The post holder will also facilitate access to National Robotarium expertise for founders as required. This is an important role in an exciting and growing sector.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Leadership of:

• All Entrepreneurship engagement on behalf of the National Robotarium.
• Ensuring the co-ordination and engagement of all additional functions with the National Robotarium management team across Business development, operations and events.
• Robotarium resident companies’ growth and potential collaborations across other DDI hub activity
• Robotarium entrepreneurship events and forums
• Leadership and coordination of Robotarium and partner start up developments and programmes
• Act as the National Robotarium representative at all DDI entrepreneur forums and programmes
• Manage and develop entrepreneurial and innovation support activities for the National Robotarium linking in with other DDI Hubs and Hubs based innovation delivery teams, to provide and build a smooth pathway of support for founders, to develop new data driven companies in the Robotics and AS field. Provide access into existing activities such as the VBI and AIA. Use own expertise to effectively advise and support founders, internally at the Robotarium or elsewhere as required. Manage access to engineering time as needed. Signpost as required.
• Source and inspire suitable, exciting founders and start-ups, building and developing an ongoing pipeline. This will include working with related partners and funders, Hub leads, Innovation Managers, EI and DDI teams to identify founders and to raise the profile of innovation opportunities. Attend related events and integrate into the innovation ecosystem Advise on sector content for innovation support programmes.
• Contribute to Robotarium and DDI KPI outputs and reporting. Identify and create suitable sector case studies that will inspire and provide learnings. Input CRM data as needed. Use own creative input to ensure information is collated and used effectively to showcase successes, illustrate learnings and ensure DDI reporting requirements are met. Manage contacts and associated data.
• Identify and Build key relationships in ‘Innovation Support’ for the sector - internally and in the wider Ecosystem working with Partners, funders, Hub Innovation staff, Codebase and Sector Leads , SE, Agencies and investors in order to deliver effective support and signposting.
• Act as advisor through 1-2-1s, helping start-ups and teams to access the best sector contacts and support across the DDI Hubs –using existing contacts and building new ones. Signpost to suitable support/funding/expertise/academic specialisms as required.
• Engage regularly with other DDI Hubs Entrepreneurship delivery teams
• Be the point of contact and communication channel for the Robotarium team in this area and provide regular updates to wider R team. Attend entrepreneurship team meetings and support development of programme activity

Key Relationships

Line Management – Robotarium COO

• Management & Centre Management – NR staff, Business Development , Marketing, tenants and Engineers. Ensure alignment with the strategic priorities of the Centre, to maximise efficiency and avoid duplication, and in support of pro-active budget management and forecasting (in line with policies and procedures).
• DDI Hub Entrepreneurship delivery Staff – work closely with DDI Hub ‘E delivery teams’, Edinburgh Innovations, Bayes Centre, founders, comms & marketing, facilities, and innovation leads in UoE and HW ensuring efficiency of delivery, to develop networks and investment and avoiding programme-specific duplication.
• DDI and EI colleagues, and wider Eco-System – liaison across the Data-Driven Innovation and Edinburgh Innovations to develop the DDI ecosystem, signpost, minimise duplication, maximise expertise, share good practice and adopt a collective spirit towards KPI delivery across all Hubs and Sectors.

Grade and Salary: Grade 8, £46,485 - £56,921 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Contract: Fixed Term – 24 Months

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)