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MARS (Mathematics for AI in Real World Systems) Partnership Development Manager

Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange
Location:  Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK
Salary:   £46,974 to £54,395 full time, indefinite
Closing Date:   Sunday 06 October 2024
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  1038-24

Please note: this job is only available to current employees of Lancaster University

Research and Enterprise Services at Lancaster University is seeking to appoint a Partnership Development Manager to take a leading role in developing, implementing and delivering an externally-facing partnership strategy for ‘MARS: Mathematics for AI in Real-world Systems’. MARS, which is funded by a £12m investment from Research England, will conduct research and teaching at the interface of dynamical mathematical modelling and AI, with a focus on using applied mathematics to address real-world challenges. 

Working closely with the Head of MARS and the MARS team, you will be responsible for developing a wide range of partnerships with private and public sector organisations that will benefit from the application of dynamical mathematical modelling and AI to solve complex organisational challenges. You will build innovation collaborations at local, regional and national level, and raise the profile of MARS-related research among non-academic organisations, initially in the following key domains: Materials Engineering, Environmental Science, Health, and Cybersecurity. 

You will play a pivotal role in building MARS contract research and consultancy portfolios; supporting the commercialisation of intellectual property; driving student-based partnership activities; and contributing to the organisation of MARS non-academic, partner-facing events. You will be committed to collaborative working and to supporting a positive and inclusive research culture. 

You will have experience of partnership development within and across universities, the public sector or the private sector, and a track record of managing complex projects or programmes within universities or other relevant organisational settings. You will have a proven ability to build successful working relationships with a diverse range of people and experience of leading on the delivery of strategically significant events. You will have excellent communication and organisational skills and be able to quickly understand  and communicate the application of MARS Knowledge Exchange activity to a range of external partners.  

You will be an enthusiastic ambassador for MARS and be committed to promoting the benefits of its applied research within both public and commercial sectors. 

This is a full-time, indefinite post and flexible working arrangements will be considered. 

We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity. As a truly global and inclusive university, it is no surprise that Lancaster University is committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. Students from over one hundred countries make up our diverse campus and over half of our staff come from outside of the UK. Lancaster is an open and welcoming community that values equality and diversity. Our promotion of global values ensures Lancaster is a welcoming environment for all students and staff.

We are proactive in engagement with our staff to help us to understand the lived experiences of our university community and to understand how we are doing in creating a fairer and more inclusive University. Our multi-faith Chaplaincy Centre is a welcoming place for people of all faiths and none. It includes facilities for the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam and Jewish faiths and also a Muslim Prayer Room.

About MARS

MARS, which is part of the School of Mathematical Sciences, is an exciting new initiative at Lancaster University, expanding on our excellence in impactful and industrially engaged research. With new academic posts supported by research staff and PhD students, MARS will revolutionise Lancaster’s research capacity in mathematics connecting systems modelling and AI methods, to support its flagship strategies in the applied sciences of Manufacturing, Environmental Science, Health, and Cybersecurity.  

New undergraduate and postgraduate programmes will provide opportunities to address a major skills-gap in the principles underlying AI and their application to real-world systems. These activities will reach out to industry and government partners as regional, national, and global leaders in next-generation mathematics.

Backed by investment from Research England, MARS will become a unique national capability in the North West, pushing the boundaries of AI-driven modelling to tackle key challenges in the modern world.

About Lancaster University

The growing reputation of Lancaster is reflected by high rankings year-on-year in three of the UK's major university league tables –The Complete University Guide 2024 (10th), The Guardian University Guide 2024 (11th), and The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 (14th). Lancaster is a truly international University with four overseas teaching partnerships (in Ghana, Germany, Malaysia and China) and a new joint branch campus planned in Bandung, Indonesia. Lancaster is ranked 141st out of more than 1,500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2025. 

The 2023 Knowledge Exchange Framework, which measures how well universities perform in areas from business support to local regeneration, recognised Lancaster among the top 20% of English institutions for Local Growth and Regeneration, Working with Businesses and Working with the Public and Third Sector. The University also placed in the top 40% for Research Partnerships and IP and Commercialisation. In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 91% of Lancaster's research has been independently rated as 'internationally excellent' or 'world leading' with 46% rated in the highest category of 4*.

The Lancaster Campus is a 560-acre site, which is self-contained yet well connected. The campus is a community of nine colleges and has an array of facilities including banks, shops, cafes, pre-school and health services. Three miles or a ten minute bus ride away is the city of Lancaster which offers opportunities to shop, eat and drink at a variety cafes and restaurants, engage with arts and culture at one of the theatres or museums and visit some of the historical landmarks including the 1000 year old castle.

We offer relocation allowances for staff (grade six and above) who have to move to join us, and have engaged the services of a relocation partner (Sterling Lexicon) to assist with international relocations.

To find out more about the University please visit www.lancaster.ac.uk

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Please note: unless specified otherwise in the advert, all advertised roles are UK based.

Find out what it's like to work at Lancaster University, including information on our wide range of employee benefits, support networks and our policies and facilities for a family-friendly workplace.

The University recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address all inequality in higher education whilst promoting the importance and wellbeing for all our colleagues. 

We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity. 


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