Project Manager – Consulting Services
Project Manager – Consulting Services
Ref 234 – 12-month fixed term contract – maternity cover
(preferred start date September 2023)
With one foot in academia and the other in industry, Oxford University Innovation’s professionals undertake a wide variety of tasks, from licensing university ideas, consultancy and finding investment for spinout companies, to setting up social enterprises and supporting student entrepreneurship. The Consulting Services team within OUI works across the depth and breadth of the University’s academic disciplines and is responsible for providing a professional project administration and management service to researchers who engage in consultancy & departmental services work.
The Opportunity
We now have an exciting opportunity for a Project Manager (maternity cover) to join our highly motivated and successful Consulting Services team. Reporting to the Head of Consulting Services, the Project Manager will be responsible for actively managing a portfolio of academic consultancy and technical service projects, from initial enquiry to contract negotiation and project completion, ensuring project delivery and customer satisfaction. The role is broad based, working on projects drawn from both the medical and physical sciences, so the ability to grasp a wide range of intellectual concepts quickly is important.
The key responsibilities will include:
- Contract negotiation – drafting from template agreements or marking-up client contracts, seeking legal advice where necessary from OUI’s lawyer.
- Managing a diverse portfolio of projects, liaising with academic researchers, University departments and external clients to ensure that project scopes, timeframes and costs are all agreed, and projects are successfully delivered.
- Fielding enquiries from both researchers and external clients and maintaining a network of relationships with researchers who may undertake consultancy.
- Liaising closely with support colleagues in OUI Operations and Finance, ensuring projects are managed in compliance with the group’s policies and procedures and those of the University.
- Instructing and approving project payments, ensuring that projects are invoiced, and payments distributed in a timely manner.
- Working with colleagues on marketing and business development initiatives, including promoting the group’s services to University staff at internal marketing events.
The Applicant
The successful candidate will have degree (or equivalent), strong administrative skills, and a working knowledge of contracts and legal language. A science degree is desirable, but not essential, as is experience of successful contract negotiation. Key to this position is the ability to grasp concepts, understand and implement processes, and have very good attention to detail. The successful candidate will also have strong relational skills and be capable of working with, and contributing to the success of, this high performing team.
They will need to demonstrate proven competence in:
- Contract negotiation and mark-up of agreements
- Showing tenacity and persistence to close deals and achieve successful project outcomes
- Deploying excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbally and in writing
- Working successfully both independently and as an active team player
- Managing relationships through challenging situations with tact and diplomacy.
How to apply
If you are interested in applying for this role, please download the application form from the OUI website and send together with a copy of your CV and covering letter to Roy Bennett at roy@adlib-recruitment.co.uk Information about our culture and working life at OUI can be found here https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/about/careers/
The closing date is midday on Monday 3rd July 2023
Salary for this role is commensurate with experience and will be in the range of £36,000 – £42,000.
Benefits – Oxford University Innovation
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.
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.
Oxford University Innovation is accredited with the Investors in People Silver status.
