Job Description

Academic Engagement Manager

Application Deadline: 31 May 2026

Department: Engagement - External Affairs

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Any hub

Reporting To: Head of External Affairs

Compensation: £48,000 - £58,000 / year

Job purpose


The Academic Engagement Manager will lead day to day engagement with universities and research institutions, strengthening relationships that advance collaborative opportunities between the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the academic community.

Working with strategic oversight from the Head of External Affairs, the postholder will support partnerships that enable technical and commercial programme delivery, collaboration and capability development. This role plays a key part in ensuring the UK Agri-Tech Centre is recognised as a high value partner and agri-tech businesses have access to the facilities and expertise they require to succeed.

This is a hybrid role which can be based at any of our hubs: Newport (Midlands), Oxford, York, Edinburgh.

Key responsibilities

• Manage and grow relationships with universities, research institutes, and relevant academic networks.
• Act as the primary operational contact for academic partners, responding to opportunities in a timely and agile manner, coordinating operational delivery of academic engagement activities, including meetings, workshops and facilities visits.
• Facilitate introductions, briefings and knowledge exchange between internal teams and academic collaborators.
• Maintain a clear understanding of partner strengths, facilities and strategic priorities to support high quality capability access for agri-tech ventures.

What we are looking for

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Experience working within or alongside the research sector with a proven ability to build strong relationships with academic stakeholders.

• An understanding of the role of strategic partnerships within innovation ecosystems.

• Strong organisational and communication skills with the ability to coordinate multiple activities and engage stakeholders.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Understanding of UK R&D funding bodies and landscape

• Previous experience in Agriculture/Agri-Tech

Why join us?

You will be part of a pioneering organisation driving innovation in agri-tech, whilst working in a collaborative and forward-thinking environment. There is opportunity to grow and develop within a newly established organisation, plus a range of benefits including:

• 33 days of annual leave with flexible public holidays allocation
• Flexible working hours
• 4x salary life assurance
• EAP with 24/7 helpline and expert advice service (legal, finance, health)
• Pension salary sacrifice scheme availability
• Fees for professional memberships
• Ongoing training and development

If you are ready for a role that truly makes an impact - join us and be part of something meaningful. We’d love to hear from you!