Zinc Innovation Partners
Manager: Venture Building (Zinc Innovation Partners)
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BRIEF SUMMARY
- Contract type: Permanent
- Commitment: Full-time
- Remuneration: £50,000-60,000
- Location: London/Hybrid (minimum 3 days per week in our Euston Office)
About Zinc Innovation Partners
Zinc Innovation Partners creates the people, ventures and institutions that turn ambitious ideas into real-world change. We work across three connected layers: developing the innovators who carry ideas forward, building the ventures that take them to market, and shaping the funding mechanisms that help them succeed at scale. We don't start from a fixed view of what an idea should become; we match our solutions to the shape of the problems we're addressing, and we work across the spectrum from deeptech breakthroughs to evidence-led social policy.
ZIP’s venture-building practice takes ambitious ideas and builds the ventures that enable them to succeed: from scientific discovery and deeptech moonshots through to social innovation. We run challenge-led programmes, venture studios that stay open to whatever organisational form an idea needs, and bespoke incubators and accelerators that help high-potential ventures to expand their reach and impact. Our track record spans venture-scale ideas that have gone on to attract substantial private investment, to social innovations solving an acute need at a community level. Our founders and partners include science funders, academia, industry, government and impact investors.
About the Role
This is a key role at the heart of ZIP’s venture-building work, for someone who understands how this process works, and has experience designing and delivering programmes that make it happen. You'll take programmes from concept to delivery: shaping the design, running them on the ground, and continuously sharpening them based on what works. You'll manage the relationships and partnerships that sustain this work, and play an active part in engaging potential funders and partners, from first conversation through to live collaboration.
We're a small and expanding team with a deliberately diverse portfolio, and we want someone who can carry significant responsibility independently, while adding a new perspective to ZIP’s science-for-impact agenda.
Below is an indication of what the post-holder will work on (recognising that it will look different across experience levels).
Programme Design & Delivery
- Leading the design and delivery of venture-builder and accelerator programmes
- Owning programme quality, structure, and outcomes end to end
- Building and refining the founder journey, content, and curriculum
- Working hands-on with innovators to support their progress
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Partnerships & Front of House
- Acting as a senior point of contact for founders, partners, and the wider ecosystem
- Engaging potential funders and partners, leading bids for new work, and supporting broader fundraising and grant processes
- Managing high-value stakeholder and partner relationships
Strategy & Portfolio
- Contributing to the strategic direction of Zinc's venture-building work
- Identifying new opportunities, models, and partnerships to expand what we do
- Leading research and analysis that informs programme and portfolio decisions
Team & Operations
- Coordinating colleagues and external collaborators around delivery
- Maintaining the systems, tooling, and reporting that keep programmes moving
- Managing team members as the team grows
Who we are looking for
You are an experienced, practical operator who understands science commercialisation, venture building and/or venture acceleration from the inside, who is energised by the variety and pace of a fast-moving organisation. You are familiar with, and excited about, the range of routes to impact a venture can take and the range of shapes it might take – not just venture-scale startups, but also revenue-generating companies that don’t fit the VC mould, social enterprises and charities, etc.
We are looking for someone with the following skills and attributes:
- Deep familiarity with science commercialisation and venture building: You understand how research moves from lab to company, and you've worked in or close to commercialisation programmes, venture studios, accelerators, or early-stage investing.
- Scientific fluency: You're excited by science and its potential for social and economic impact. You bring an informed birds-eye view about the opportunities and bottlenecks in key areas of science-for-impact.
- A track record of leading delivery: You can take a programme or project from design to delivery, owning quality and outcomes in a fast-paced, often-changing environment without losing sight of detail.
- Confident front of house: You are a confident and authoritative communicator who builds trust quickly with founders, funders, and senior partners, and can represent an organisation credibly in external settings.
- Strong relationship and partnership builder: You work with colleagues and external partners in a proactive, constructive, and collegiate way, and you can open and develop relationships with potential funders and partners.
- Effective leader with a bias to action: You're organised, hands-on, and motivated to contribute beyond your core remit, using judgement to make decisions and move things forward.
- Technically capable: You pick up new tools quickly, whether a project management platform, a CRM, or a basic automation.
- Low ego, high ownership: You take your work seriously without taking yourself too seriously, and you'll roll up your sleeves on whatever the team needs, big or small.
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Why Apply
- Lead at the sharp end of turning science into companies. Venture building is at the core of what we do. You'll own the programmes where research becomes real ventures, and shape how that happens.
- Build a network across the innovation ecosystem. You'll work with scientists, founders, investors, funders, and partners across academia, industry, and government. The relationships you build here will stay with you well beyond this role.
- Real agency over your remit. This is a senior role with room to shape ZIP’s venture-building work and grow into the areas you care about most.
- Work alongside experienced operators. You'll collaborate with senior people at ZIP who have built programmes, ventures, and funds, in a team small enough that you see how decisions actually get made.
- An experimental, intellectually serious place to work. We try things, stay honest about what works, and take ideas seriously. It's a stimulating environment to think and build in.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a CV and a short note (no more than one page) explaining your interest in this role. AI tools are fine to use, but we really want the letter to help us get to know you — tell us in your own words and your own voice why this role is a good match.
Please note that we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse team.
The deadline for applications is August 24th.
Application form here: https://airtable.com/appx3kHgjd590DW1T/pagG1iwUr4yW8UoJd/form
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