Industry Associate (Newcastle, GB)

Salary: £35,608 to £37,694 with progression to £46,049 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 23 January 2026

The Role

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) provides expert guidance and input to applied health, public health and social care researchers on the design and delivery of research and the development of research funding applications.

The NIHR RSS operates as a national service allowing researchers to access the most appropriate support, irrespective of location. The NIHR RSS is delivered through RSS Hubs and Specialist Centres, each a partnership of research organisations and groups, and offering a wide range of research support and methods expertise.

Historically, services that provide health and care research support have largely engaged with colleagues in higher education institutions and the National Health Service. Over time, this has evolved and led to requests for research support from a range of settings, including industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the Health and Life Sciences Sector.

The NIHR recognises the pivotal role that SMEs play in driving economic growth and enhancing the UK’s position in the global market. This has been strongly reinforced by the recent report following the Department of Health and Social Care’s Review of NIHR’s Industry Engagement and Delivery (January 2025), which placed greater strategic emphasis on SME engagement. Plans are underway to establish an NIHR RSS Specialist Service for Industry (SSI) to further strengthen the RSS offer to industry/SMEs, enabling world-class research in the Health and Life Sciences sector. This direction aligns with broader government priorities, as evidenced by the increased focus on the Health and Life Sciences Sector in both the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and the 10 Year Health Plan for England, both published in 2025.

We are looking to appoint an Industry Associate to join the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) delivered by Newcastle University and Partners, hosted within the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University.

The role of Industry Associate for NIHR RSS delivered by Newcastle University and Partners will support the interface between academic research and industry (particularly SMEs) in the Health and Life Sciences Sector. Working with the RSS Strategic Lead for Industry, the postholder will coordinate industry-related research support services, enhance research funding opportunities for SMEs, and bring insights from market analysis and industry policy to the broader RSS team, contributing actively at events and within professional networks.

The successful applicant will meet researchers and innovators via MS Teams or face to face, on a one to one or small group basis, to find out about their project, what their needs are and continue to support them throughout their funding application process.

The role is available up to 1 whole time equivalent (37 hours per week), fixed term until 30 September 2028.

For informal enquiries, please contact [email protected].

To apply, applicants should provide evidence of how they meet the essential criteria required for the role outlined in the job description/person specification by uploading a letter of application along with a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

The NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) provides expert guidance and input to applied health, public health and social care researchers on the design and delivery of research and the development of research funding applications. The NIHR RSS operates as a national service allowing researchers to access the most appropriate support, irrespective of location. The NIHR RSS is delivered through RSS Hubs and Specialist Centres, each a partnership of research organisations and groups, and offering a wide range of research support and methods expertise. Historically, services that provide health and care research support have largely engaged with colleagues in higher education institutions and the National Health Service. Over time, this has evolved and led to requests for research support from a range of settings, including industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the Health and Life Sciences Sector. The NIHR recognises the pivotal role that SMEs play in driving economic growth and enhancing the UK’s position in the global market. This has been strongly reinforced by the recent report following the Department of Health and Social Care’s Review of NIHR’s Industry Engagement and Delivery (January 2025), which placed greater strategic emphasis on SME engagement. The role of Industry Associate for NIHR RSS delivered by Newcastle University and Partners will support the interface between academic research and industry (particularly SMEs) in the health and life sciences sector. Working with the RSS Strategic Lead for Industry, the postholder will coordinate industry-related research support services, enhance research funding opportunities for SMEs, and bring insights from market analysis and industry policy to the broader RSS team, contributing actively at events and within professional networks.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Serve as a point of contact for industry-focused project queries within RSS, responding independently and exercising judgment on daily unforeseen problems with limited guidance. Professional Services Job Description

• Support ‘researchers’, particularly SME partners, by identifying and mapping SME funding opportunities across applied health and care medicines, health tech, and med tech

• Conduct market assessment research for projects and SME collaborators, including competitor analysis, gap analysis, regulatory landscapes, and potential market entry barriers in the life sciences sector

• Translate researchers' briefs into actionable industry research support, gathering, synthesising, and presenting evidence to support funding applications (not developing applications, but assembling supporting materials and insights for the researcher)

• Work with senior RSS methodologists to provide an ‘industry lens’ across disciplines, deploying appropriate commercial terminology, references, and frameworks. Supporting methodologists in researcher meetings and other interactions to achieve clear RSS and industry actions

• Attend and represent the RSS at relevant industry conferences, networking events, and innovation forums, gathering and reporting insights and foresights, regarding the competitive landscape and evolving trends in health and care and life sciences. • Research, analyse, and report on industry strategy, government policies, regulatory changes, and new standards, ensuring the RSS team remains informed and compliant

• Prepare regular project and industry briefings for colleagues—including trend analysis, innovation updates, and horizon scanning—across target health sub-sectors

• Liaise with external stakeholders such as regulatory authorities, standard-setting bodies, government agencies, and industry associations as required, representing RSS and projects with professionalism

• Organise and contribute to cross-sector project management groups (e.g., advisory boards, interdisciplinary working groups) to foster collaborative innovation and operational effectiveness

• Develop best practice in industry engagement, contributing to process improvement and the SME service delivery output for RSS. Management and Supervision

• Day-to-day management and coordination of project support staff where required (e.g., customer relationship management (CRM) support)

• Participate in departmental meetings and contribute to RSS strategic planning activities

• Assist with monitoring project milestones and financial targets for assigned industry-facing projects. Additional Duties

• Maintain up-to-date awareness of current research methodologies, funding regulations, and policy changes affecting industry-academic collaboration in the sector

• Willingness to undertake continuous professional development and attend training as required.

The Person Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of research project and programme coordination, with a clear track record of industry and health/life sciences sector engagement, including drafting project plans, escalating risks and monitoring delivery against agreed timescales, objectives and within budget

• Sound working knowledge of UK health innovation, including NIHR, funding structures, SME funding opportunities, and the regulatory environment

• Demonstrable ability to synthesise large volumes of information on the health and care and life sciences sector market and innovators, and to communicate findings in impactful written reports and presentations

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including concise communication, diplomacy, and ability to build effective relationships across academic and industry boundaries

• Strong IT skills, including the ability to use databases, spreadsheets and other tools to monitor, manage and report data, as well as the ability to design complex queries and produce detailed reports

• Proven management experience, including resource allocation

• High level of attention to detail.

Attributes and Behaviour

• High degree of personal responsibility, initiative, and professional discretion

• Values equality, diversity, inclusion, differing levels of expertise and differing opinions

• Ability to work creatively and consultatively to find solutions.

• Proven ability to use initiative to deliver work independently

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or evidence of equivalent relevant experience in a relevant discipline (health, life sciences, business analytics, research or project management)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 28970