Commercial Development Manager (Digital)

Salary: £47,700

Location:  Office based-hybrid (3 days minimum in the office)

Employment type: Permanent, Full time

Division/Team: Commercial Development

Hours Per Week:  35 hours

Closing date: Monday 25^th May

The Innovation Factory’s Commercial Development Team is responsible for the critical analysis of the invention and the definition of its commercial potential, developing a detailed and reasoned case for commercialisation and the documentation required to support commercialisation activities.

The Commercial Development Team will understand the unmet need that the invention addresses, how the invention meets that need in a competitive manner and its potential value.

The Commercial Development Team is responsible for defining and assessing scientific, customer and market data to determine an invention’s commercial potential. Following this analysis, the Commercial Development Team will make a recommendation on the plan for exploitation.

Working in close collaboration with the Innovation Discovery Team and the Investment & Licensing team, they will develop a package of information that can be used to produce commercially compelling business plans, valuations and partner due-diligence activities and present their findings for approval at Stage Gate 2.

The Commercial Development Team are responsible for communicating with the inventors the analysis and decisions made in the Innovation Factory about invention. This will be done with support from the Innovation Discovery Team.

Role Summary

Supporting the growth of our digital portfolio, the Commercial Development Manager (Digital) role bridges the gap between technical innovation and commercial viability, supporting digital ventures and implementing strategic initiatives.

Key Accountabilities 

Digital Strategy Implementation

• Supports implementation of Innovation Factory’s digital commercialisation strategy
• Helps develop frameworks, processes and tools for assessing digital IP
• Develops strategies to build digital capability across the wider TTO team
• Assists in creating resources and playbooks for supporting digital ventures

Assessment of Market Opportunity

• Describes and quantifies the unmet need that the digital invention is seeking to address
• Analysis of the value of meeting the unmet need by comparison to current solutions and competitor developments
• Describes and quantifies the market potential based on informed cost-benefit analysis, market access considerations and competitive activity

Customer Identification and Feedback

• Undertakes a programme of customer discovery work to qualify the needs, market constraints, competitive positioning and product-market fit for digital technologies
• Articulates payment pathways and routes to market

Technology

• Conducts technical due diligence on software, platforms, algorithms and digital products
• Assesses whether digital innovations are technically feasible and commercially viable, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• Collates data and develops a technical dossier for prospective partners
• Highlights additional development required to demonstrate value and identifies suitable funding and support programmes

Competitive Landscape

• Performs analysis of the current and future competitive threats, market trends and regulatory environment
• Assesses the potential impact to the commercial success of the project and proposes strategies for mitigation of risks

Project Plan & Management

• In collaboration with the Investment & Licensing Manager, develops a detailed and appropriate project plan for the development of the opportunity, which includes:

1. Technical plan
2. Commercial plan

• Resource requirements, including funding options, development partners, advisors and/or management

1. Risk analysis

• Gives clear, practical recommendations to academic innovators and senior leadership team
• Progresses multiple digital projects simultaneously
• Tracks milestones, keeps accurate records and writes clear reports

IP Management

• Develops a commercially focused IP Strategy and manages the IP assets to achieve commercial goals
• Conducts appropriate and thorough prior art searching and in collaboration with Innovation Discovery Team, files and maintains an appropriate patent portfolio
• Assesses freedom to operate potential and makes appropriate recommendations
• Conducts thorough IP definition, IP valuation for spin out documents, instructs IP due diligence and revenue share assessments
• Maintains awareness of timing and cost constraints imposed on project due to patent deadlines and makes appropriate and timely recommendations

Partners

• Helps to cultivate relationships with external digital ecosystem organisations (accelerators, investors, corporates)
• Identifies potential lead investors for spin out opportunities and/or potential commercial partners as licensees, compiling profiles of targets and gathering initial feedback where appropriate
• In collaboration with the MarCom’s team and Investment & Licensing Manager, develops and maintains up-to-date marketing literature, appropriate to the stage and commercial direction of the opportunity

Skills, Experience & Qualities: Essential

• Good understanding of software development, digital products and technology architecture
• Ability to assess whether digital solutions are technically sound and well-built
• Familiarity with modern development practices, tech stacks and digital business models
• Understanding of key digital areas – AI/ML, SaaS, mobile, web platforms, data science.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Good project management and organisational skills
• Can work independently and manage multiple priorities
• Excellent communication skills – written and verbal
• Comfortable when things aren’t perfectly defined or structured
• Genuinely interested in technology commercialisation
• Entrepreneurial mindset and keen to learn
• Diplomatic approach to working with different stakeholders
• Self-motivated and keen to take initiative
• Keen to support academic innovation and make an impact
• Respects and works according to the Innovation Factory’s company values, namely; Values & Supports Others, Acts with Integrity, Works as One Team, Bring Clarity and Focus, Strives for the Highest Standard

Skills Experience and Qualities: Desirable

• Experience in technology transfer, commercialisation or innovation management
• Understanding of intellectual property, and principles of licensing or spinning out technologies
• Experience working with early-stage ventures or startups
• Knowledge of the digital investment landscape
• Background in market research, customer discovery or product management
• Degree in computer science, engineering or a related STEM subject
• Experience working in or with universities or research institutions
• Understanding of the UK innovation ecosystem and available support programmes 

What you will get in return

• Market-leading pension scheme.
• 32 days annual leave entitlement, including bank holidays and end-of-year office closure, rising with length of service.
• Private health care and dental care.
• Great working environment within the University of Manchester campus, with excellent transport links.

The Innovation Factory aims to have a truly global reach and, with the scale and quality of research taking place at The University of Manchester, it has the ambition to be one of the world’s leading Technology Transfer organisations, if you would like to be part of this inspirational organisation, please apply on our website which you can access here.

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All of the information collected in this form is necessary and relevant to the performance of the job applied for. We will use the information provided by you on this form, by the referees you have noted, and the educational institutions with whom we may undertake to verify your qualifications with, for recruitment purposes only. The Organisation will treat all personal information with the utmost confidentiality and in line with current data protection legislation. We rely on the lawful basis of Contractual Necessity, Legal Obligation and Legitimate Interest, to process the information provided by you in this form. Should you be successful in your application, the information provided, and further information which will be gathered at the relevant time, will be subsequently used for the administration of your employment and in relation to any legal challenge which may be made regarding our recruitment practices. For more information on how we use the information you have provided, please see our privacy notice for job applicants which is located at www.uominnovationfactory.com/job-enquiry-applicant-privacy-notice/

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