Events, Sponsorship and Membership Manager

With one foot in academia and the other in industry, Oxford University Innovation’s (OUI) professionals undertake a wide variety of tasks, from licensing university ideas, and finding investment for spinout companies, to setting up social ventures and developing student entrepreneurship. University innovation is the magic behind the scenes that turns ideas born in a university into companies and technologies that look to have a positive and transformative economic and societal impact on the wider world.

The Opportunity

The position of OUI Events, Sponsorship & Membership Manager reports directly to the Head of Marketing & Communications and is responsible for effectively managing Oxford University Innovation’s events, sponsorship, and membership of our Oxford Innovation Society (OIS).

The purpose and value of the role will ensure visibility for OUIs services, people, newly created companies and technologies, and partners. We are looking for an experienced events manager with marketing experience negotiating sponsorship contracts and growing income and engagement from partnership activities.  Our conferences and events are both internal to the university and OUI and external including large-scale conferences and specialised events. We engage with an exciting range of audiences including academics, investors, industry, high profile policy makers and innovation service providers. Your skills and experience will maximise our engagement with the corporate community and deliver a return on investment for our Oxford Innovation Society (OIS) activities.

This role will require 15-25% out of hours working to support events, sponsorship, and membership activities. This will be considered part of your contracted working hours.

The key responsibilities of the role are:

•  Manage and deliver a programme of events for OUI in partnership with OUI business units, Oxford university colleagues and external partners.
• Manage OUI’s sponsorship activities creating a programme of opportunities, engagement and revenue.
• Scope, develop and manage use of systems and tools to deliver events, sponsorship and membership activities.
• Contribute towards developing a strong Marketing & Communications team and a collaborative, results driven culture.

The Candidate

The candidate will need to have a university degree (or equivalent) in a related and relevant subject with at least 5 years’ professional experience delivering successful events, sponsorship, marketing and / or communications programmes. Experience of working in a fast-paced commercial, agency or higher education environment is highly desirable. We’re looking for enthusiasm, fresh ideas and the organisational skills required to deliver fantastic high-quality events, sponsorship, and membership opportunities. This role will require an excellent project manager who understands marketing and promotion techniques and can coordinate effectively with teams across OUI, the university and external partners.

The candidate will also need to evidence the following skills and experience:

• Experience of working effectively with multiple stakeholders and audiences. Ability to use diplomacy and exert influence both internally and externally. Demonstrate excellent negotiation skills and persistence to deliver successful outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship management, and networking working skills. Experience of working successfully and collaboratively within a team to develop new approaches and strengthen existing ones. Able to cascade and share information in multiple directions effectively.
• Highly capable of managing a large portfolio of events, sponsorship and membership activities using multiple approaches that demonstrably lead to growth in OUI’s customer and corporate engagement in services / commercial deals.
• Proven ability to work and multi-task under pressure, respond quickly to changing situations in complex project environments, prepare responses quickly and clearly, and use appropriate level of personal initiative.
• Demonstrate resilience and aptitude to juggle multiple events and projects, working flexible to support teams to respond to opportunities and challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent events planning and project management skills, with good attention to detail to ensure satisfaction across our range of stakeholders, partners, and members.
•  Highly capable of developing and adapting our events, sponsorship, and membership activities to respond to the needs and goals of engagement with different stakeholder and audiences.
•  Familiarity with using and improving Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and events management and delivery systems.
• Experience in contributing towards a constructive and customer focussed team culture which is agile and resilient. Proactive, enthusiastic and solutions focussed.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfortable with promoting scientific and / or technical projects and programmes across our events, sponsorship, and membership activities with a keen interest in innovation, entrepreneurship, and enterprise.

How to apply:

If you are interested in applying for this role, please download the application form from our website (www.innovation.ox.ac.uk) and send together with a copy of your CV and covering letter to Charlotte Farnworth Charlotte@adlib-recruitment.co.uk

Salary for these roles is commensurate with experience and will be in the range of £42,000 – £51,000.

Closing date is on Monday 10th April 2023

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Oxford University Innovation is an Equal Opportunities Employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a supportive working, learning and social environment, in which the rights and dignity of all its staff are respected, and where everyone is able to be themselves and is empowered to reach their full potential. This commitment is linked to and reinforces the OUI values of integrity, collaboration and empowerment. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures. OUI is accredited with the Investors in People Silver status.

Our approach to hybrid and flexible working:

We believe that our employees are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to attracting and retaining the very best talent. We also appreciate that the UK workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and includes a high percentage of parents and individuals with caring responsibilities, as well as those whose interests and aspirations impact on their time.

We recognise the importance of helping our employees balance their work and home lives by offering flexible working arrangements that enable them to balance their work commitments with other priorities. This includes hybrid working and flexible working.

Information about the benefits and working life at OUI can be found here https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/about/careers/

OUI is accredited with the Investors in People Silver status.