About EngineeringUK

We want to drive change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers. In the UK, we don’t have enough engineers and demand is going up. So, we need more young people to realise there could be a future for them in engineering and technology. To really thrive, we need a stronger, more representative workforce and for that we have to do things differently to make engineering more appealing.

We are a not-for-profit working with hundreds of organisations across business, education, professional institutions and the third sector so we can all grow the future talent pool together. We drive that collective effort through research and evidence, leadership, activities for schools and advocacy, with a focus on long-term sustainability.

We guided by a series of values that we apply to all our activity:

·       We are inclusive and care about diversity. We understand that we have different needs and create opportunities for everyone's voice to be heard

·       We are collaborative. We listen, share and work in partnership to achieve our vision

·       We are curious and keen to learn. We challenge ourselves and others to innovate and experiment

·       We are insightful. We evaluate what we do and draw on research to make decisions and to improve our collective understanding

·       We are driven by a strong sense of purpose. We are determined to make an impact and achieve our goals

About the role

The Director of Business Development and Partnerships (DBDP) leads work at the interface between EngineeringUK and the engineering and technology sector that we represent and serve. As a member of the Executive Team, the DBDP brings critical insight of the corporate world and ensures that our engagement activities are relevant to them, represent their breadth and that our research, analysis and policy work draws on current and real-world experience. The Director leads a team that maintains established relationships with businesses, PEIs and funders and builds new relationships, encouraging organisations to support our work through funding, the provision of content and holistic partnership opportunities. 

The Business & Industry team consists of 11 colleagues working under 4 pillars:  

• New partnerships 

• Corporate relationships 

• Trusts and foundations 

• Professional institutions and partnerships. 

The Director has 4 line-reports: 3 Heads and one Manager. Each team has a slightly different role in meeting the B&I team strategy, but all work collectively to ensure that key industry bodies and businesses are engaged with our work. 

New partnerships. Engage new businesses with our portfolio of activities including corporate membership, EUK Education programmes, The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code, policy, and other opportunities.  

Corporate relationships. Responsible for account managing existing relationships with members, sponsors and funders including supporting STEM strategy development, organising peer-learning opportunities, upgrading membership/funding levels, networking them across EngineeringUK, and deepening engagement across multiple activities.  

Trusts and foundations. Managing existing high-value partnerships with funders who support our programmes, engaging new funders to scale our work, working with other teams to develop compelling proposals and raise EngineeringUK’s profile in the grant-making space.  

Professional institutions and partnerships. Coordinate engagement with PEIs across EngineeringUK, ensuring a consistent approach and maximising joint value from our partnership. Securing new partnerships (and then managing, renewing and cross-selling the relationship) with SME clusters. 

Reporting to the Chief Executive, and as part of the Executive Team, the DBDP is expected to understand the governance requirements of charities and companies and work with the Board of EngineeringUK to support decision making.  

The role is London-based at the EngineeringUK offices at 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN and will involve some travel in the UK. We believe that hybrid working has many benefits and are pleased to offer flexible working with a minimum of 2 days (or 40%) a week in the office and core hours of 10am to 4pm.    

Role responsibilities  

As a member of the Executive Team, the DBDP contributes to the collective development of staff across the organisation to become more strategic, purposeful and effective. All members of the Executive Team are expected to act as ambassadors for the organisation, role model our values, and be excited to learn how we can do better across all our work. 

• Fully participate in the strategic leadership of EngineeringUK to ensure that ambitious, impactful and resilient plans are in place and monitored in the short and longer term, working closely with the relevant stakeholders 

• Oversee delivery of the Commercial strategy  

• Ensure a bespoke approach for each programme to enable sufficient financial and other support for its success 

• Build up relationships and support that effectively represents the breadth of engineering and technology organisations including their distribution across the UK and different organisational sizes 

• Sustain and grow our Membership ensuring that relationships are highly valued on both sides 

• Ensure seamless interfaces with colleagues delivering activities for schools and other vehicles for collaboration (such as Neon and The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code) as well as with colleagues who support, and can learn from, our business and PEI engagement (those working in communications, research, policy, EDI, and environmental sustainability) 

• Input to the development and delivery of the annual business plans 

• Act as a key advocate for EngineeringUK, including representation on various committees and working groups, as required 

• Oversee the supporting processes within EngineeringUK, including performance management and training and development 

• Manage a team of 11 staff, directly or indirectly overseeing their day-to-day management, setting objectives and supporting their ongoing development 

• Undertake any training and development as required for the role  

• Any other duties and tasks as directed and required by your line manager  

This is a general guide to the key responsibilities of this role, it is not exhaustive. Similarly, the amount of time that you spend on various aspects of the role may vary.   

Person specification 

Essential skills/competencies 

Ability to fully engage with EngineeringUK’s mission and values, be committed to its goals and act as an ambassador for and role model within the organisation 

• Proven experience of successfully identifying, initiating and establishing funding relationships, understanding customer needs and translating these into solutions 

• Experience of writing and presenting proposals and securing funding  

• Experience of leading, managing and motivating teams to deliver results 

• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective relationships at all levels inside and outside the organisation; persuades, influences and listens to others using reason and cooperation 

• Experience in strategic analysis, strategy setting and taking a pro-active approach towards improvement 

• Flexible and imaginative approach to problem solving and ability to challenge assumptions and successfully deliver challenging messages 

• Experience identifying and understanding customer needs and translating these into solutions 

• Work in a way that supports our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion  

Desirable skills/competencies 

• Knowledge of the engineering and technology sector 

• Knowledge of STEM education and engagement 

• Proven participation at an executive or senior level 

Please read the full recruitment pack on the role on our website Vacancies at EngineeringUK