Job Purpose
The primary role of the Innovation Advisor is to undertake and support the delivery of Hethel Innovation’s business and innovation support offer. Hethel Innovation is an economic development company first and foremost. The Innovation Team’s role at Hethel Innovation is to provide a variety of support services to businesses in the region.
Our team delivers activity that supports innovation. We are leading providers of clusters and industry networks, developing innovation platforms (groups of stakeholders from industry, research and public sector backgrounds who come together to solve a challenge), as well as directly supporting organisations on a 1-2-1 basis through a suite of consultancy activity.
This is an opportunity for a high caliber, experienced professional to contribute to our vision of being the driving force for SME innovation. You will have experience in the manufacturing and engineering sector and/or clean tech, being well-versed with the set up and challenges faced by businesses in this industry.
You will be a proactive, ambitious, and creative individual who is excited to speak to scaling businesses based on our sites and in our wider network, with the aim to support their growth. The activity that you deliver will enable businesses to develop new products and services and create a local environment that supports innovation.
This role will be a central contact for businesses across our sites to access business support services, with a specific focus on engineering and clean-tech innovation.
You will be expected to identify further innovation platforms that could support the development of other innovative industries that support local economic development.
Principal Duties
* Support businesses 1-2-1 through mentoring and advice utilising your knowledge of the business startup and scale-up landscape. Acting as an “honest broker,” connecting businesses with those in the ecosystem who could support their growth.
* Generating new consultancy leads with businesses that you will deliver support to.
* Deliver and facilitate interactive workshops and Hethel Innovation Design Sprints, supporting our clients to develop their business strategies, company structures, project management styles, leadership capabilities and marketing and branding strategies.
* Signpost to additional resources.
* Regularly meet with Hethel Innovation members across all sites as required to discuss any support or tenancy needs.
* Bring in and deliver support to business leads in the region and beyond.
* Identify industry challenges from a variety of sectors to set up new innovation platforms and special interest groups. A clear plan for funding must be developed for each new platform developed.
* Be responsible for securing income for the Innovation Team.
* Supporting the Head of Innovation on consultancy projects with organisations creating their own business innovation sites.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Bachelor’s degree – business related or relevant engineering/manufacturing industry experience
Experience
Essential
* Running and facilitating large meetings and groups
* Project management experience, working closely with a set of targets and objectives and delivering them on time.
* Sales and/or customer experience
Skills/Knowledge
Essential
* Extensive knowledge of SME growth strategies and the ability to advise and support SMEs.
* Self-motivated and result driven, with a focus on delivering high-quality work.
* Capable of working independently, creating a pipeline of tasks that will allow you to reach your overarching objectives.
* Being comfortable and confident leading events and chairing meetings, providing high quality presentations, and training.
* Interest in business strategy and business growth.
General Information
* The job description details the main outcomes of the job and will be updated if these outcomes change.
* All work performed/duties undertaken must be carried out in accordance with relevant HIL policies and procedures, within legislation, and with regard to the needs of our customers and the diverse community we serve.
* Job holders will be expected to understand what is meant by safeguarding vulnerable groups (children, young people, and adults) and how to raise concerns.
* Job holders will be expected to be flexible in their duties and carry out any other duties commensurate with the grade and falling within the general scope of the job, as requested by management.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company events
* Company pension
* On-site parking
* Paid volunteer time
* Private medical insurance
Schedule:
* Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: Innovation Oct 2024
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