Role overview

This is a rare opportunity for a senior professional leader to shape and scale business development and innovation at a research intensive university, at a moment of significant opportunity and change for higher education. King’s College London is at the forefront of redefining how universities translate research, knowledge exchange and scholarship into economic, social, cultural and environmental benefit beyond academia. Across the sector, innovation and entrepreneurship are increasingly central to growth, public value and solutions to global challenges; King’s is already a recognised leader in this space and is now seeking to further accelerate its ambition, reach and impact. King’s College London is seeking a Director, Business Development & Innovation, at a pivotal moment, following the launch of King’s Strategy 2030 and a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship as a core strategic priority. The role sits at the intersection of academic ambition, professional delivery and an evolving external environment that is placing greater emphasis on translation, impact, partnership and sustainability across the research and innovation lifecycle. The Director will play a central role in translating this ambition into delivery. Working across the University, the role will support the progression of high-potential research and intellectual property through effective commercial pathways, strengthening pathways from discovery to impact and enhancing the performance, coherence and sustainability of King’s commercial, translational and business development activities. This includes supporting multiple routes to impact, from early translational activity and collaborative research, through to intellectual property, licensing and venture creation, while ensuring clarity, consistency and proportionality across disciplines. Based in central London, King’s sits within a globally connected innovation ecosystem, with significant relationships across industry, the National Health Service, government, investors, the cultural, creative and higher education sectors. The University has a strong and growing track record in translational research, industry collaboration, intellectual property development and licensing and venture creation, including spin outs and start ups. The Director will build on these foundations, extending effective models across the institution and strengthening capability for later stage translation, commercialisation and growth. Through this work, the role will enhance the visibility, effectiveness and sustainability of King’s innovation activity, aligning institutional strengths with national policy priorities and funding opportunities. The Director, Business Development & Innovation will provide strategic and operational leadership for the King’s Innovation Catalyst Department, and related commercialisation and venture development activities, with a strong focus on translational support, industry partnerships, intellectual property management, and licensing. The role is responsible for shaping and delivering a coherent institutional approach that maximises the impact and value of King’s research through effective commercial pathways. The Director is accountable for the performance, development, and long term sustainability of a high performing and evolving professional team, ensuring the provision of consistent, high quality commercialisation support across all Faculties. This includes embedding best practice in research commercialisation and technology transfer, driving continuous improvement, and cultivating a collaborative, inclusive, and high performance culture. Working closely with institutional innovation leadership, the role plays a critical part in the development of King’s wider innovation ecosystem and programmes, ensuring effective alignment and progression of opportunities from innovation and translational activity through to commercialisation. A key feature of the role is a close working partnership with the Assistant Principal (Innovation). The Director has an indirect reporting line to the Assistant Principal (Innovation), and together, they will ensure strong alignment between academic leadership, institutional strategy and professional delivery. Working also with the Vice President (Research & Innovation), and senior academic and professional leaders, the Director will contribute to strengthening governance and institutional oversight of the innovation pipeline and lead the development of the systems, processes and specialist expertise needed to support research commercialisation at scale. Reporting to the Executive Director, Research Management & Innovation, the Director is a member of the Research Management & Innovation Directorate (RMID) Executive Team. In this capacity, the role contributes to leadership of the Directorate, and works closely with fellow Executive colleagues, including the Director of Innovation Transformation, Director of Strategy & Performance and the Director of Research Grants & Contracts, and deputises for the Executive Director where required. The RMID Executive Team works collectively to deliver strategic and operational priorities and to foster a values led, inclusive professional culture that supports the engagement, development and wellbeing of colleagues.

Key responsibilities

• Institutional strategy and partnership: work in close partnership with academic and professional leadership, particularly the Assistant Principal (Innovation). Translate King’s Strategy 2030 innovation and entrepreneurial priority into effective commercialisation activities and measurable outcomes that align academic ambition, institutional strategy and professional delivery. • Departmental leadership and capability building: provide strategic and operational leadership across innovation and business development activities, building a high-performing, scalable and resilient professional function. Ensure consistent, high-quality support across all Faculties, embedding best practice, continuous improvement and a collaborative, inclusive culture that attracts and retains talent. • Commercial, financial and operational stewardship: exercise strong financial and commercial leadership, with accountability for strategic business planning, budget management, resource prioritisation and income generation. Leverage technology, data and insight to improve efficiency, decision-making and service quality across the innovation and business development portfolio. • End-to-end business development and innovation pipeline leadership: deliver an effective pathway for progression of research and intellectual property through commercial routes, from early-stage translational research through to licensing, partnerships and venture creation. Improve clarity, coherence and performance across the pipeline, ensuring effective decision-making, risk management and transparency of outcomes. • Scaling commercialisation and later-stage translation: build and scale institutional capability for commercialisation, extending effective models and developing the systems, processes, translational platforms and specialist expertise required to support later-stage translation, market entry and growth. Position King’s to increase the maturity, sustainability and impact of its innovation outputs. • Intellectual property, licensing and ventures: provide senior oversight of intellectual property, licensing and venture activity, ensuring a high-performing technology transfer capability across the University, alongside best-practice IP management, robust valuation and deal-making, and effective support for spin-outs and start-ups. Balance academic values, institutional risk and commercial opportunity to maximise long-term impact and return. • External partnerships and ecosystem engagement: develop and sustain strategic partnerships with industry, the NHS, government, investors and the cultural and creative sectors and across the higher education sector. Represent King’s at senior levels within the innovation ecosystem, leveraging partnerships to accelerate impact, attract investment and align with national and international policy and funding priorities. • Governance, insight and institutional oversight: support governance, reporting and institutional oversight of innovation and commercialisation activity, including providing insight, analysis and evidence to inform decision-making through established governance structures led by the Assistant Principal (Innovation), including oversight of institutional spin-out approvals. Use data and insight to inform executive decision-making, demonstrate impact and value, and continuously improve performance and accountability. • Executive contribution and collective leadership: contribute to the strategic leadership as a member of the RMID Executive Team. Work collaboratively with Executive colleagues to deliver Directorate-wide priorities, deputise for the Executive Director where required, and champion a values-led, inclusive and high-trust professional culture.