Please see below the application information for the role of Innovation and Communications Manager with the West Midland Health Technologies Cluster.
West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster (“the Cluster”) – Innovation and Communications Manager (circa £30,000 per annum)
The Cluster is a new organisation which will go live from 01 April 2021. We aim to support our region’s health and technologies businesses. Our vision is that the health technologies sector will become a leading contributor to the West Midlands economy, driving up our economic and jobs growth. This is set out in our first 3-year business plan.
We are a not-for profit company that will work with our business members, the region’s Universities and the relevant policy makers.
We intend to play our part in developing more streamlined and effective business support and bring about greater coherence if the provision of support services to health and technologies businesses.
In this recruitment, the Cluster is looking for a versatile individual, capable of interacting with member businesses, communicating with a wide range of audiences and able to promote the benefits of innovation and stimulate innovative approaches in the health technologies sector.
You will help us to identify, develop and implement new business development opportunities with existing and new member businesses in the West Midlands. You will support communications and marketing by providing content for our website, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and our regular newsletters. We need your help in creating opportunities to promote our brand and key messages.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone with current experience in communications, innovation, events management and/or membership organisations. Here is an opportunity for you to apply these skills to help us to grow the Cluster.
We are a small team and are looking for someone who will work collaboratively, thrive on variety and fit in quickly.
The Cluster is an ‘Equal Opportunities’ employer and actively welcome applications that represent the range of communities across the West Midlands. Our values of ‘respect’ and ‘celebrating diversity’ are incorporated into all elements of our work and we promote sustainability and inclusive growth.
Flexible working arrangements
We have a commitment to the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands to allot 0.6 FTE of this role to the innovation activity. Embedded within the Cluster and working in close partnership with the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands, you will form part of a Virtual Team of sector innovation specialists. There are sector specialists embedded in a range of organisations exploiting major market opportunities and developing sectors of strength in the West Midlands, as identified in the WM Local Industrial Strategy.
We are open to discussion about the fulfilment of the post-holder’s role. We are willing to consider full-time and part-time working, job-sharing, employment and self-employment and consultant or associate relationships.
Application Process
If you would like an informal discussion about the role, contact David Kidney at
david.kenkid@gmail.com
To apply, please send a covering letter and your CV as one electronic document of no more than 4 sides of A4.
In your covering letter please set out:
- a) Your contact details
- b) Where you heard about this opportunity
- c) Why you want to be considered for the role
- d) How you meet the essential criteria of experience, knowledge and skills, set out in the section for ‘Person Specification Requirements’ of the job description
In your CV please set out supporting information including:
- a) Education and qualifications
- b) Current employment / role and salary
- c) History of relevant employment and non-paid work
- d) Two references – which we will contact if you are successful at interview
Please email this information to david.kenkid@gmail.com by 12:00 noon on Friday 12 March 2021. Interview dates: Friday 19 March 2021 via Zoom.
As we are a small organisation, we will only provide feedback to those interviewed.
Job Description – Innovation and Communications Manager Reports to: Executive Chair
Location: Initially home based due to Covid-19 restrictions. Usual location in due course will be a central Birmingham office.
Duration of post: 12 months in the first instance (after three-month probation). Full time post: 37.5 hours a week, but we will consider flexibility.
Salary band: Circa £30,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
Other benefits: 6% employers pension contribution, annual leave 28 days, commitment to training and development.
Context to the Role
West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster (“the Cluster”) is a membership organisation for health and technologies businesses in the West Midlands. We exist to give our member businesses a stronger voice in support for and promotion of the health technologies sector.
We are a not-for-profit company that works with our members businesses, Universities and policy makers to improve the economic performance of the sector and our region and increase the numbers of quality jobs in the sector.
Our Board is private sector led and is supported by our small team of staff.
We are committed to developing staff to help grow the organisation and deliver our vision.
Main Purpose and Role
You will work with partners to develop, oversee and implement an innovation strategy for the health technologies and life sciences sector, manage the Cluster’s communications and help deliver the Cluster’s 3-year business plan and the West Midlands Innovation Programme.
You will have lead responsibility for the Cluster in:
- Communications management to include communications with members, including billing, and organising learning networks and events, presentations at events.
- The innovation role to include engagement with members, Universities and policy makers, collaborating with the West Midlands Virtual Innovation Team and disseminating information about innovation.
Your duties and responsibilities will include:
- Promote innovation culture and practices and develop innovation-related actions in the health technologies and life sciences sector.
- Manage the successful and long-standing Innovative Health Working Group https://innovationwm.co.uk/innovative-health-working-group/
- Catalyse new collaborative activities and projects, deliver challenge-led Innovation Programmes and contribute to preparation for phase two of WM Innovation Programme
- Work with other sector specialists to share and seek synergies across sectors.
- Engage with the Cluster’s stakeholders and relevant industry contacts and manage the Cluster’spartnerships.
- Manage the Cluster’s communications with internal (for example, members) and external (for example, stakeholders) audiences.
- Identify new funding and investment for the sector. Business developmentYou will support the Cluster’s partnership with the Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands including activity aligned to the WM Innovation Programme and Virtual Innovation Team, and
coordination of the Innovative Health Working Group.You will support the Cluster’s communications and marketing functions by providing content for the website, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and our regular newsletters and creating opportunities to promote our brand and key messages.You will help is to identify, develop and implement new business development opportunities with existing and new members.As we are a small organisation, there is the expectation to be able to be flexible and help other team members and deliver other tasks as required.
Person Specification
Requirements Essential Requirements Desirable Requirements
| Education | Qualifications Degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant field. | Further qualifications in a relevant field. Professional accreditation with a relevant professional institute. Project Management trained/accredited. |
| Work Experience | At least two years’ experience of managing an organisation or an area of activity or resources (money, time, skills) and driving change through working with a variety of partners. | Two or more years’ experience of working in a small business, consultancy or not-for-profit organisation involved in business planning and monitoring.Two or more years’ experience of supporting innovation with focus on digital, data or otherwise health technologies.Proven track record of developing and winning business. |
| Skills, Aptitudes, Knowledge | Good communication, negotiation, and relationship building skills at all levels including management. Literate, numerate and confident with figures and the use of Microsoft Office and Excel.Familiar with website editing and use of social media, writing newsletters and communication and marketing tools. | An aptitude for building project teams – within and across organisations, and commissioning and managing consultants. |
| Personal Qualities | Self-sufficient with high level skills in multi-tasking and personal organisation. Positive, well organised and focused to work under pressure to ensure deadlines are achieved – a finisher. The ability to develop others. Reliable, tactful and firm.Flexible, resilient and ambitious for the organisation and its mission. Measured, balanced approach to business and life. | Demonstrable versatility in the running of an organisation. Commitment to continued professional development in this area. |
Slingshot