Job summary

The Business Development Department supports achievement of UKHSA’s goals by helping win external funding for research and commercialising services created through the agency’s wide-ranging scientific and public health expertise. In particular, the department manages and exploits the agency’s strong Intellectual Property portfolio, realising a financial return on the investment of public funds to generate high quality public health interventions and assets, and reducing the cost to the government of cutting-edge public health capabilities.

Business Development must constantly adapt to meet the changing needs of the organisation and in particular, continually seek to strengthen its skills base in the spectrum of capabilities represented by UKHSA. The team aligns with Department of Health and Social Care and HM Treasury commercial policies related to managing public money and knowledge asset management, thus ensuring the organisation meets its obligations under the current legislation and case law.  The team also coordinates the response to external audits and external enquiries related to income generation, fulfilling statutory requirements such as freedom of information requests.

Location: Porton Down – Hybrid working with additional travel as required for the role.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working – this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our offices, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home. 

The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business needs and in line with departmental policy.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.

Job description

Our Associate Business Development Manager (Associate BDM) directly supports commercial ventures targeting external revenue streams, from initial opportunity through to contract signature. This support includes providing appropriate advice to UKHSA project managers when they apply for research funding or pursue sales, by active review of terms and conditions related to funding bodies or any non-standard terms the client wishes to negotiate, ensuring the project leader and their team understand the potential impacts of contracted terms and means to mitigate them where risks are identified. 

The role involves all aspects of developing business cases, supporting project managers to design and deliver their service or research offers, identifying and articulating the benefits to UKHSA for the proposed resource investment, through close liaison with the internal quality, regulatory and financial stakeholders to ensure all costs and factors have been included in the proposal. This role is located in Porton Down and does include travel to some harder to reach places on public transport.

Working Pattern – Full Time, Flexible Working.

Responsibilities section:

• Supporting implementation of the UKHSA Income Generation strategy, setting in place arrangements to facilitate business aspects of cross-Directorate and external partner working as appropriate.
• Maintaining timely, accurate and up to date bid and contracting records in the BD record/filing systems, including liaison with operational managers in relation to the progress of active proposals.
• Through effective communication, influencing and negotiation skills, deliver UKHSA revenue-earning objectives within the governance framework.
• Liaising with and supporting UKHSA Project leads and scientific, financial, legal and regulatory functions in crafting competitive tender proposals for externally funded activities.
• Negotiating contracts when fully delegated and liaising with others on contracts partly delegated to ensure that UKHSA resources are utilised effectively for the contracting purpose and financial returns are maximised.
• Providing business advice and direction on applicable grant body eligibility rules, liaising with specialist BD, Finance and Project officers as necessary, in developing proposals (in conjunction with consortium partners where appropriate).
• Negotiating where successful and when required on behalf of all collaborative parties with the funding body to arrive at an executed contract and any associated sub-agreements.
• Reporting through line manager on a regular basis to critically evaluate the results of activities and key issues in areas of responsibility.
• Developing and managing a portfolio of other assigned business projects as directed by line manager and Head of BD, including input to UKHSA strategies and policies for short and long-term plans.
• Review with line manager, client feedback and management information in order to improve business performance and to prioritise demand-led work activities to deliver a high quality and value-adding service to UKHSA project staff.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Honours Degree in a relevant scientific, technical or business-related subject (essential qualification)
• Proven experience delivering effective verbal and written presentations/business cases to senior executives.
• Demonstrable experience of negotiating research and or service contracts including service level agreements, material and information licensing/re-use agreements, non-disclosure agreements and similar.
• Knowledge of the different types of intellectual property including their protection, exploitation use and transfer.
• Ability to assess complex project proposals, tender requirements and to interpret detailed documents quickly and efficiently to meet internal and external deadlines.
• Able to undertake national/international travel, working irregular hours when required (by agreement).
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload effectively, allocating work as necessary.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of public sector regulatory compliance and governance issues and other relevant regulations which need to be covered and included in contracts
• Demonstrable experience in successfully managing projects, people and operations.
• Previous experience of working within a public sector or academic body in a similar role.
• Relevant marketing, communications, project, business management or business administration post-graduate qualifications or directly-related experience.

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability (in no more than 750 words). This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and achievements, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the Essential Criteria outlined.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to a remote interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW:

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single face to face interview at Porton Down, Salisbury.

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on behaviours and experience through Success Profiles.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working together

Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on Friday 14th May 2023 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: 17th May 2023

Interviews: 24th May 2024

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.