Consultancy Manager at Lancaster University

Location:  Bailrigg, Lancaster UK

Interview date: To be confirmed

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented individual to play a pivotal role in the Consultancy Support Service at Lancaster, which has seen significant growth over the past three years, due to innovations and improvements suggested and implemented by team members.

We want to build on that success with ambitions to diversify our income, whilst scaling up our knowledge exchange and business innovation activities.

The Service provides ‘end to end’ support, which includes pricing, negotiating legal agreements, financial set-up and management of projects, monitoring, invoicing as appropriate and overseeing distribution of payments. On occasion, this includes supporting bids under a tender process or sub-contracting elements of the work.
This role would be ideally suited to a proactive and organised individual with excellent communication, negotiation and relationship building skills, who also has a flair for customer service. A good understanding of consultancy, as a means of enabling individuals to provide services to support clients will be important, as will be the tenacity and drive to keep on top of diverse and demanding caseload.

Reporting to the Head of Consultancy Services, the Consultancy Manager will turn enquiries into opportunities by coaching and guiding staff in all aspects of responding to external requests for consultancy support. The role includes advising on pricing, risk, and key commercial terms, usually taking the lead on commercial discussions with external clients, enabling academic consultant/s to deliver a project.

We are looking for someone with knowledge or experience of analysing, reviewing, and negotiating the terms and conditions within service contracts. Familiarity with researching and agreeing appropriate market rates for varied consultancy services would also be advantageous. An ability to understand and empathise with potential users of the Consultancy Service and the drive to help develop a consultancy support service recognised for service excellence will be key to success in this role.

Experience of customer relationship management systems, and an understanding of knowledge exchange and engagement activities, financial management systems (particularly Unit4 Agresso) would also be highly advantageous. Knowledge and experience of the Higher Education sector is beneficial but not essential, and we welcome applications from candidates from a variety of backgrounds and professions.

This opportunity is offered as a part-time indefinite role at 22.5 hours per week with the opportunity of some hybrid working.

Candidates should contact Natalie Miller, Head of Consultancy Services (n.miller1@lancaster.ac.uk), for any questions or informal discussions regarding the role.

Lancaster University is a top fifteen university and the top university in the North West. We have a beautiful campus and offer a comprehensive package of benefits including competitive salaries, pension provision, work-life balance, flexible benefits scheme and generous holiday entitlement.

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.

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.