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Cercia Centre Manager job vacancy

IMPORTANT NOTE: This post has now been filled, the job advert remains for archive purposes

Further Particulars

Post title Centre Manager
Reference number S36544
School/department School of Computer Science
Closing date for receipt of applications 17/10/2005
Hours Full time
Salary range £30,363 - £35,883
Post duration 5 Years
Number of vacancies available 1
Personnel contact(s) Ms. Jo Gerald
email: j.a.gerald@bham.ac.uk
tel.: 0121 415 9000
Informal enquiries to Prof. X Yao
email: x.yao@cs.bham.ac.uk

Details

Job Summary

The School of Computer Science is a leading research school in computer science in the UK. It was rated 5 for its research excellence in the latest (2001) research assessment exercise. The School has a world-leading group in natural computation and computational intelligence (www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/nc). It also runs an EPSRC support MSc programme in natural computation (www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/nc/ncmsc.shtml). The group includes more than 40 researchers (including permanent and visiting staff and PhD students), working on a wide range of topics in natural computation and computational intelligence.

Cercia was launched in 2001, through substantial funding from Advantage West Midlands (AWM), to exploit various computational intelligence (CI) techniques for industry, business and government organisations by capitalising on the world-class research in CI in the School of Computer Science. Cercia\x{2019}s focus is to create a greater awareness of CI technologies and their potential applications among industries and to work with them to enhance their global competitiveness through innovations.

The Cercia Manager will play a key role in the management and future growth of Cercia. S/he must have excellent management, communication and people skills and be self-motivated. S/he will be an ambitious manager with a sharp business mind and outstanding marketing and business development skills.

The postholder will work closely with the Centre Director and will be able to call on support from the Centre Administrator in carrying out his/her duties.

Main Duties

1.Marketing & Research Development

To develop and agree a marketing strategy for Cercia\x{2019}s services to small and medium enterprises in the West Midlands Region with the aim of helping Cercia become self-financing once its funding from Advantage West Midlands expires in 2007.

This will include:- Researching business markets, conducting widespread consultation with academic staff, over the potential match of market needs to Cercia\x{2019}s expertise and priorities. These activities will cover the full range of marketing specialisms, including both above and below the line, research and evaluation, and will therefore require a high level of professional Marketing knowledge.

Devise an implementation plan for the marketing strategy as well as an effective system for its monitoring and evaluation.

Identify target sectors for Cercia activities, including future Cercia research and development; and develop strategies for the introduction of Cercia technologies into these sectors. This requires a solid understanding of the underlying computational intelligence methods, their strengths and applications. It also requires an ability to identify potential threats/risks as well as the ability to mitigate risk.

Proactively market and develop links with SME\x{2019}s, industry and professional organisations that will encourage participation and promote the opportunities, expertise and services on offer through. This will include:

  • Calculating and managing budgets,
  • Persuading academic staff to participate,
  • Persuading companies and organisations to join Cercia\x{2019}s networks to share information and best practice
  • Generating ideas for and organising seminars, workshops, CPD courses, and other events.
  • Visiting and exhibiting at trade shows
  • Visiting companies to establish opportunities and partnerships for joint working by presenting, negotiating and submitting proposals
  • Devise and market a series of seminar programmes that will inspire, inform and encourage business and enable better academic-business interaction and exchange that leads to new sources of income and business opportunities for Cercia.
  • In addition, the post holder will devise methods to enable businesses to more easily access Cercia and its staff.
  • Develop new business opportunities for Cercia, for example, new projects, new CPD course and new partnerships.
  • Development and editorial work on Cercia web pages and researching and writing of newsletters and other publicity material relevant to the Cercia marketing strategy
  • Developing appropriate marketing literature

This requires a knowledge of relevant sectors and ways to approach them cost effectively; identification of market research requirements and liaising with local and national business associations, regional development agencies and others; an understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and application areas of the expertise and capability of Cercia. It also requires the ability to understand client's requirements from business and technical viewpoints, identify opportunities for Cercia's expertise for individual clients/partners across a wide range of sectors, and communicate these opportunities to the client.

To liaise with and develop new links with other Schools/Centres within the University. Responsibilities will include:

  • Creating awareness within the University of Cercia, its expertise and its activities
  • Develop and maintain partnerships and/or consortia with other Schools/Centres in attracting external projects and funding
  • Develop strategies and mechanisms to involve more academic staff in Cercia\x{2019}s activities, for example, consultancy, CPD courses and business projects.

2.Project Management (especially the AWM project)

To build relationships and strengthen links with Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and other external organisations, including, but not limited to:

  • Represent Cercia to businesses, regional meetings and other outside bodies by presenting information on Cercia\x{2019}s capacity and the value it has added to business operations, answering questions and encouraging engagement to set up further linkc within industry and widen Cercia\x{2019}s outreach to businesses within the West Midlands.
  • Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with the Advantage West Midlands project manager(s) regularly updating them on progress, achievements and new business opportunities Cercia intend to pursue
  • Identifying, developing and maintaining new links with other AWM initiatives and programmes;

Monitoring performance, objectives and deliverables on Cercia\x{2019}s annual budget ensuring the most effective use of financial resources, this will involve:-

  • Management of the project budget reporting quarterly and yearly to Advantage West Midlands, including detailed budget planning, setting the annual budget, record keeping, forecasting and deciding on all spends within the allocated budget to, the University\x{2019}s Finance Office, and the
  • Monitoring and reporting of outputs from the project
  • Setting up appropriate mentoring mechanisms and protocols

Identify from own technical knowledge of the available facilities the most appropriate technologies to match clients\x{2019} needs thereby assessing best available technology for the SME client.

Manage each clients \x{201C}assist\x{201D} including assembling the appropriate team for each \x{201C}assist based on own extensive technical knowledge, briefing them on what is required ensuring \x{201C}assists\x{201D} are delivered in a timely manner and in budget:-

  • Manage the administrative assistant in the delivery of their job brief
  • Co-ordination of a team of technical staff in support of the delivery of the project
  • Liaison with other SME service providers across the region to ensure synergy and to identify opportunities for co-marketing of activities and sharing of market resource
  • Identifying, setting up and facilitating networks of SME companies with similar operational or research and development needs to develop further business support or funding opportunities
  • Niche market identification to proactively encourage innovation and provide support for such companies.
  • Planning resource use- critical in being able to respond to the needs of the SME companies rapidly \x{2013} through liaising closely with academics colleagues to ensure timely delivery of services. Work with the Directors to develop a strategy for the management of access to equipment based on the need to balance external and internal client pressures for the available facilities.

3. General Centre Management

Develop strategies and implementation mechanisms, with the Cercia Director, to ensure Cercia\x{2019}s sustainable growth, in terms of its income, activities and potential spin-off companies

Manage and co-ordinate all Cercia activities, including projects, CPD courses, business meetings, workshops etc and ensure that they meet the aims and objectives of Cercia, including:

  • Monitoring and managing progress on Cercia\x{2019}s projects;
  • Establishing and managing systems for recording Cercia\x{2019}s progress against targets;
  • Developing and writing marketing plans and materials for Cercia.
  • Prepare and write various reports, including financial reports e.g. quarterly reports to AWM.

Assist the Cercia Director and Research Fellows in preparing and writing various grant and funding applications.

Deputise for the Director of Cercia as appropriate.

Any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Cercia Director.

Decision Making/Problem Solving

(i) without reference to others

  • Market research techniques and methodologies
  • Markets to be explored together with the priority order of such action
  • Implementation of agreed marketing strategies
  • Devising and implementing evaluation practices
  • Day to day management and allocation of budget
  • Building and managing relationships with business and industry and internally within the University researchers/specialists
  • Taking action to address a financial shortfall.
  • Responses to routine enquiries, general commercial advice to academics
  • Initial contacts

(ii) after consulting others

  • Commissioning research
  • The Cercia marketing strategy
  • Annual budget apportionment
  • Revision of existing processes
  • Initiating new marketing projects in pursuit of emerging markets
  • Any decisions requiring academic input

(iii) or that would be referred to someone else

  • Any School business outside the remit of Cercia
  • Staff performance issues.
  • Personnel Issues

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required

Essential:

  1. A very good first degree or postgraduate degree, preferably in a science or engineering subject.
  2. At least 5 years marketing experience and a business / marketing qualification Outstanding marketing and business development skills.
  3. 2 years staff management experience,
  4. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and oral communication, including necessary IT skills (e.g. the MS Office suite) in preparing reports, publicity material, etc.
  5. Experience in business, knowledge transfer.
  6. Creative and innovative approach to problem solving, especially in the context of knowledge transfer in an academic environment or Research &Development in a business environment.
  7. An ability to network with both business and academic people about knowledge transfer and new technologies in general to develop new skills and experience especially with respect to industrial collaboration.
  8. Interest in Computational Intelligence and natural computation; ability to explain and promote Natural Computation techniques; ability to creatively identify opportunities for the application of Natural Computation techniques in a wide range of sectors \x{2013} either through existing knowledge in the area, or through demonstrated ability and willingness to learn the necessary technical knowledge.
  9. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including necessary IT skills (e.g. the MS Office suite) in preparing reports, publicity material, etc.
  10. Proven experience in writing successful business plans and supporting business cases to win investment.
  11. Experience and skills in financial planning and preparing annual budgets, an ability to perform to deadlines and budgetary constraints
  12. Self-motivated and capable of working both independently and as a team member.
  13. Excellent organisational skills, ability to prioritise different tasks and meet deadlines under pressure, and ability to formulate and implement 'best practice' processes.
  14. Ability to execute a task by setting up appropriate procedures and milestones, following them to the end.
  15. Understanding of government and commercial funding mechanisms
  16. Willing to travel within the UK and abroad and to give presentations to various businesses.
  17. Keen on tackling real-world problems and applying computational intelligence techniques to businesses.

Desirable:

  1. Experience of managing a similar centre or experience of a similar role.

Communication Skills

Contact / Purpose/Skills Required

Cercia staff / Co-ordination/supervisory, team working

School staff / Co-ordination on common issues/team working, collaboration and teamwork common courtesy

Finance staff / management of Cercia accounts/good oral and written communication

Other Centres / forming partnerships/negotiating skills

External organisations / developing links, marketing services/excellent influencing skills

Clients / To build relationships between businesses and Cercia. Requires client focus, good interpersonal and communication skills, ability to persuade and negotiate, and excellent presentation skills.

Comments

The Centre Manager will work closely with the Centre Director, to whom s/he will be responsible but s/he will be expected to work independently for much of the time.

The post is supported by external funding; it is available for five years in the first instance, but may be renewed, subject to new funds becoming available.

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Content last updated: May 4 2006