SalaryBand G £67,643.00- £78,731.00 or PC

The Vacancy

The James Hutton Institute was awarded c£62 million of capital funding from UK and Scottish Governments under the Tay Cities Deal to establish two new innovation centres; the International Barley Hub (IBH) and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC).  Both these centres are now housed in the newly completed Crop Innovation Centre building at Invergowrie with state-of-the-art facilities for science, collaboration space and engagement. The IBH received c£35m of this investment and also has a dedicated Barley Field Station for processing the extensive field experiments conducted by the barley science teams.

Working with a diverse range of partners and industry stakeholders, these centres will create a focal point for excellent and innovative scientific research, bringing together academia, industry, policy makers and communities to tackle challenges in barley and new technologies for plant production.  The centres will drive application and impact through ensuring scientific discovery and innovation is relevant to the industry and adopted for local and national and international benefits.

Main Purpose of Job

The post holder will lead the International Barley Hub (IBH) in delivering  a dynamic research and industry engagement program. This will be achieved through the application of fundamental, translational and applied research via a research programme that is co-constructed with industry. The fulfillment and implementation of the IBH’s  impact is described in a Business plan and associated annual Operational Plans.

Main duties of post holder

• Be the primary ambassador, lead and champion of the IBH for the Hutton
• Establish and foster partnerships with relevant research providers and collaborators
• Interact with key funders, policy makers and sector stakeholders to ensure the ‘relevance’ of the research programme, gather broad and enthusiastic support, and build strategic partnerships   
• Develop an annual Operational Plan designed to deliver a research programme aligned directly to industry needs and the IBH business plan and diversify the income as detailed in the plan
• Work closely with the Chair of International Barley Hub (IBH), the APGC teams and Heads of Department and colleagues from across the James Hutton Institute as well as partners and business teams in JHL to align and deliver the research and impact necessary to fulfill the IBH business plan
• Work with, and report to, the TCRD Project Board to implement professional project management to meet key milestones and deliverables in the Operational Plan and to report the benefits realized by the IBH
• Convene science teams needed for effective advice and support and delivery
• Work with the IBH business team, JHL, stakeholders and staff to deliver the IBH commercial KPIs and the Barley Hub skills programmes (i.e. the BARITONE Doctoral Training Centre).
• Develop and deliver a Communications Strategy in collaboration with barley scientists, the Institute Comms team and other stakeholders

Key Targets 

Sustain and grow the IBH’s global reputation in barley research by:

1. Securing funding to meet targets and KPIs in the IBH business plan
2. Work with IBH Chair, JHL business team, stakeholders, industry and skills delivery partners to help deliver the skills programme as outlined in the Business Plan
3. Establish a vibrant and sustainable cohort of post graduate students to support IBH research in partnership with science departments and the postgraduate school
4. Working in partnership with  heads of department in the James Hutton Institute to retain, recruit and develop the staff resource necessary to deliver the IBH business plan

The above duties and targets reflect appointment at Band G. For appointment at Band PC the level of delivery required will be higher in terms of measures of esteem achieved and will result in more stretching targets related to international science partnerships; international scientific reputation and reach to international business.

Qualifications/Skills/Knowledge

Essential

• Established international reputation in a relevant area of science.
• Awareness of current trends and drivers in the agri-food system including UK and Scottish Governments strategies for innovation, R&D and economic development as well as specific knowledge of barley sector supply chain.
• Experience of communication with industry to understand research needs and explain how IBH research can deliver solutions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of communicating research to a wide range of stakeholders; negotiation skills and relationship building
• Track record of attracting significant funding for research.
• Experience of working with and leading a diverse team to deliver to agreed measures of performance.

Desirable

• An agile thinker with proven ability to manage and problem solve for timely delivery of agreed outputs
• Experience of managing, coaching, mentoring and or training staff across different levels of seniority
• Experience of supervising graduate students.
• Experience of interacting with the media.
• Membership of respected societies or other similar bodies 

Additional notes/Requirements 

To be appointed at PC the candidate must be able to demonstrate the following :

• International recognized measures of esteem in science area with established international partnerships Established ability to lead international research science at a strategic level demonstrated by ability to carry out  horizon scanning to  determine and manage strategic priorities for an organisation
• Experience of working with or on a Board in industry or advanced research establishments
• Extensive experience of successful partnership working with international industry partners

How to Apply

Should you wish to apply, please submit your cv and covering letter using the ‘apply now’ button by the closing date at https://hutton.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/3721167.