The Satellite Applications Catapult works with, and helps to grow, UK businesses enabled by space technology of all sizes and across multiple sectors. We are seeking a talented and driven individual to lead our latest collaborative place-based innovation service: The Environmental Living Lab (ELL). This role, the Business Innovation Manager (BIM), will be responsible for the coordination, marketing and delivery of the ELL in collaboration with our local partners in Devon and Somerset.

The ELL is made up of a network of real-world test environments designed for the development and demonstration of new services focusing on agricultural and environmental applications. Through the capabilities of its partner network, it can build new relationships, bridges to facilitate collaborations between innovators, end users, academia, public sector, and other key stakeholders. Alongside the real-world test environments, it provides access to cutting edge technologies, tools, facilities, and expertise to its users and community.

Co-funded by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, the ELL will have a physical presence at three locations – Petroc college in North Devon, Bicton College in East Devon and Bridgwater and Taunton College in Somerset – and draw on resources from the Satellite Applications Catapult, University of Plymouth, University of Exeter, North Devon Biosphere and the Devon and Somerset County Councils.

The BIM will be based in the South West and will be a remote member of the Catapult’s Innovation Services Team. The BIM will coordinate with local stakeholders, exploring opportunities for funding to drive activity through the ELL, organising events and marketing campaigns, and supporting individual companies to make use of the facilities, bridging the gap between the local ecosystem, the wider space community, and Satellite Applications Catapult’s own internal technical innovation experts.

The role is recruited on a fixed term contract until the end of the project on March 2025.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build a knowledge base of the Agri/Environmental Intelligence ecosystem in the region, develop partnerships with the Heart of the South West LEP, and forge new relationships and collaborations between the local organisations and the national space ecosystem.

• Work with local stakeholders to explore external funding opportunities to drive activity through the ELL, identifying new partnership opportunities, and/or existing innovation programmes that could benefit from use of the ELL facilities.

• Work with Catapult and ELL partners’ marketing departments to organise events and marketing campaign to attract businesses to the ELL.

• Engage with businesses locally and nationally and be the main point of contact for businesses interested in receiving support through the ELL and provide them with the guidance they require to navigate the services available.

• Manage the pipeline of businesses accessing the initiative and coordinate suitable support packages with associated suitable expertise, both internal and external, working with the Catapult’s Service Delivery Team.

• Directly engage with businesses to manage their journey and provide advice and support where appropriate.

• Report on progress and targets to the LEP and internal Impact and Evaluation team at the Catapult.

• Ensure the delivery of the ELL facilities and development of operational plan in close collaboration with Catapult’s Project Manager, Technical Teams and ELL partners’ counterparts.

• The BIM will be embedded as part of the local Agri/Environmental ecosystem, whilst also being a core part of the Innovation Services Team within the National Capabilities and Clusters team, reporting to the Head of Innovation Services.

Skills & Experience:

Must have:

• A good understanding of the relationship between innovation, development and economic growth.

• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills. • Proven track record in delivering creative interventions to facilitate business growth, including incubation or acceleration programmes.

• Extensive proven experience as a business growth manager, business development manager, or a relevant role.

• Proven experience of working with businesses to understand their requirements to flourish and delivering challenging advice and guidance.

• Strong track record of reporting against delivery milestones

• Knowledge of the role satellites can play in different market areas.

Good to have:

• Experience of leveraging public funding mechanisms to support R&D and innovation.

• Experience of developing partnerships with investors and customers and senior stakeholders.

• An understanding of operational plans and service delivery models for incubation and acceleration services

• Proven track record of working in partnership with Local Enterprise Partnerships, Local Growth Bodies and Devolved Administrations.

You know you have been successful when…

• You have delivered ELL interventions to support business growth in partnership with local organisations

• The ELL is recognised as a valuable addition to the local innovation landscape

• The pipeline of businesses utilising the support services that you have developed are in line with objectives and targets.

• Businesses (both space and non-space) are attracted to develop and test their ideas in the living lab.

• You have identified funding sources to drive businesses through the ELL

• Growth in the number of new space businesses is achieved through the programmes that you have deployed

• You are feeding lessons learned into the Catapult’s national innovation services programme to enhance our overall delivery.

• You are a leading proponent for a Living Lab community in the South West.

The purpose of your new team:

The Innovation Services Team is part of the National Capabilities and Clusters Team which has a vision to create a thriving and connected space ecosystem.

We aim to grow productive space clusters and a vibrant space community, working collaboratively to build national capabilities, delivering UK strategic priorities, and growing the economy.

We do this in three ways:

1. Supporting local leadership teams to develop sustainable growth strategies and become part of a productive cluster network recognised internationally.

2. Connect stakeholder communities and build bridges between industry, government, and academia, enhancing knowledge exchange and collaborative opportunities.

3. Stimulate the growth of national capabilities through improved innovation services, infrastructure interventions, and business scale-up support programmes.

How we work:

We strive to create a high trust environment that enables team members to bring their whole selves to work – this helps to create the foundations of an innovation culture. Our shared values are critical to this:

• We care - for our people, our partners, and our planet

• We connect - and engage with people and ideas

• We learn - and grow, as people and as an industry

Underpinning this is our belief in great teams, our combined efforts will always deliver outcomes beyond that of any individual providing we are honest through debate, experiment and reflect, and create shared resolutions in support of our purpose. Live these values, work to our principles, take ownership to deliver, and we are certain you will thrive with us.

This job description set outs the skills and experience we believe are needed to be able to do this job but, research also tells us women are much more likely than men to take this list of requirements as absolute and self-select out of the process. If you think you can deliver this role then we want to hear from you, regardless of the boxes you didn’t tick.

Important notice for applicants: We use tools to detect plagiarism and the use of AI or chatbots for applicant answers. If plagiarism, AI use (such as ChatGPT) or similar software are found to have been used in your application you will not be considered for this or future roles within the Satellite Applications Catapult.