Assistant Director; Exchange and Impact

Position: Assistant Director (Knowledge Exchange and Impact)
Job Category
Senior Management Vacancy Type
Permanent

Employment Type

Full time Salary Other
Competitive Location
Chelmsford/Cambridge
Closing Date

30/11/2026

4140
About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields.  We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities.  

Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

Reporting to Dr Andrew Massoura as Director of Research and Innovation Services, ARU is now seeking to appoint an Assistant Director, Knowledge Exchange and Impact. As a key member of the Research and Innovation Services (RIS) leadership team and the pan-institutional Research and Innovation leadership team, the postholder will lead the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Group, providing strategic and operational leadership across business and partnership development, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), research impact, civic engagement, commercialisation and IP management, and enterprise, including the Arise Innovation Hubs in Chelmsford and Harlow.

The Assistant Director will advise the Director, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) and the University Executive Team on knowledge exchange, civic engagement and enterprise, and will be accountable for delivering ambitious commercial income targets. They will lead a team of managers and specialists, oversee budgets and resources, represent ARU with partners, funders and sector bodies, and lead a proactive approach to identifying and delivering opportunities in this space.

Working closely with the Faculty PVC-Deans, Deputy Deans (Research and Innovation) and research institute directors, they will ensure that ARU's research makes a tangible difference to the economy and communities it serves.

The successful candidate will have expertise in knowledge exchange, research impact and enterprise, and a proven track record of delivering strategic business and partnership development in a higher education environment or a comparable research and innovation environment. They will understand translational research, have experience of civic engagement initiatives and income generation, and bring significant leadership experience in a complex, service-orientated environment.

To apply , please submit a CV and covering letter, detailing how you fulfil the role description and personal specification. Completed applications should be uploaded here, quoting reference 8733.The closing date for applications is 09:00 GMT on Monday 30th November.

Final interviews are expected to take place in person at our Cambridge campus on 10 February 2027.For a confidential informal conversation about the role, please contact Ellie Beveridge at ell are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the  accordance with Home Office guidance and the Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Act…