Academy of Medical Sciences
Head of Enterprise
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Summary Purpose - What You Will Be Achieving
Too much good science stalls before it reaches patients, and rarely for want of ambition. It stalls for want of coordination, funding gaps at proof-of-concept stage, and a system where researchers, the NHS, industry and investors too often work in parallel. The Academy is building a new Research Translation and Enterprise function to help change that, turning discovery into companies and products that reach patients.
This role leads the enterprise side of that work. Reporting to the Director of Translation and Enterprise, you will build and run the Academy's commercial focused activity: helping the best science from the Fellowship unlock investment to scale and reach the market; developing the enterprise offer that supports it. You will also lead the work that will let the Academy decide whether and how it might be able to take equity where it takes a role in supporting science to become a new ventures. The Director leads the wider programme and carries it with Council and externally; your focus is making the enterprise strand work effectively and efficiently, in-line with the Academy's charitable status and wider organisational priorities.
This is an opportunity establish this new function, so you will be building as much as running. It needs someone who can do the work as well as lead it and stay focused on the long-term goals while shaping something that has no template. The commercial ambition is real: working with venture partners to build companies around Academy science, supporting entrepreneurial researchers realise their ambitions and exploring an equity model that could, in time, give the Academy a sustainable commercial return.
You will work closely with colleagues across the Academy - especially Grants and Programmes, who will often deliver the schemes you originate, and Policy, Communications and Engagement, and Operations. Much of the value of this role comes from originating things well and having a clear handover mechanism so that activities can be embedded across the Academy and delivered sustainably.
About The Role - What You Will Be Doing
Building and leading the function
- Develop and lead the function, ensuring that work is well planned, governed, resourced and aligned with the strategic direction
- Manage, develop and get the best from a growing team, setting clear objectives, providing coaching and support, and creating the conditions for high performance, accountability and ownership
- Deploy people, budgets and expertise effectively within agreed parameters, escalating significant risks, dependencies or choices to the Director while exercising judgement over day-to-day and programme-level delivery
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Bridging discovery to development
- Originate, design and secure support for new Enterprise fellowship schemes that build on the Academy's Fellowship
- Work with Grants and Programmes and other colleagues to ensure effective delivery, handover and assurance
Creating ventures and commercial pathways
- Work credibly with venture and industry partners to develop an approach that will identify promising science within the Fellowship and shape propositions that could otherwise struggle to reach patients or markets
- Support scientists to assemble the scientific, clinical and business expertise that new translational propositions need, through offers such as a Demonstration Days
- Develop options for an equity model, drawing on legal and commercial advice, so the Director, Executive and Council can take informed decisions about whether and how the Academy should take a stake where its science becomes a business
- Protect the Academy's independence as this work grows: keep staff in control of the process, use Fellows as a structured source of expertise rather than investment decision-makers, keep partnerships non-exclusive, and separate the commercial work clearly from the Academy's charitable activity
Building partnerships and funding
- Build and manage partnerships that bring in external funding and capability, including public funders, industry, health charities and venture partners, working in full sight of the Director and the Chief Operating Officer's lead on income strategy
- Negotiate well and at pace, landing the right partners on the right terms while protecting the Academy's independence and charitable purpose
- Give the Director clear reporting and assurance on funding, delivery, performance and risk, and keep the function's growth realistic and sustainable
Requirements
These are the areas we will explore with candidates. We do not expect anyone to arrive with every part fully formed, but the strongest candidates will be convincing across most of them.
Deep expertise in life sciences enterprise
Substantial senior management experience and deep expertise in the commercial side of UK life sciences, where academic and commercial development meet. You will be recognised as a credible practitioner in the UK research, science or commercial environment, and you will have delivered complex, multi-partner work rather than only advised on it.
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Commercial and venture credibility
Credibility with venture, investment and industry partners, built on direct experience of life sciences translation, investment or commercial collaboration. You will bring strong analytical and problem-solving skills, the judgement to weigh opportunities and trade-offs, and the ability to grow commercial work without compromising the Academy's independence.
Building partnerships and negotiating well
A strong record of building partnerships, influencing senior people and negotiating well. You will be able to secure commitments, funding and shared ownership across organisations whose incentives differ, keeping momentum and making sure agreements are deliverable.
Leading and developing people
A confident and inclusive leader who has managed and developed teams, set priorities and used resources well, and built a culture where people do high-quality work and keep growing.
Working within and across the Academy
You will be comfortable operating with significant autonomy within the direction your Director sets, exercising judgement in complex situations and escalating the right things at the right time. You understand that success depends not only on your own function, but on how well it connects with Grants and Programmes, Policy, Communications and Engagement, Operations and the Fellowship.
Closing date for applications is 2 August 2026 at 12.00
Interviews will likely be held between 10 August 2026 and 21 August 2026
Benefits
We offer a competitive and evolving benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, development and work-life balance, including:
- Competitive salary and pension
- 26 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Option to buy or sell annual leave
- Additional paid closure between Christmas and New Year
- Hybrid and flexible working
- Health, wellbeing and employee support programmes
- Cycle-to-work scheme and everyday benefits
- Structured learning and development
- Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity leave
- Enhanced occupational sick pay
A range of enhanced benefits become available once you've completed your probation period
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