Commercial Strategy & Business Development Lead

Salary: £58,225 to £61,759 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: 26 July 2026

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity to join the NIHR Innovation Observatory as Commercial Strategy & Business Development Lead.

Alongside this position, we are also recruiting a Head of Delivery.

The Innovation Observatory (IO) supports decision-making across the UK health and care system through the provision of timely insights and early evidence on emerging technologies and innovations. Our work enables more effective and efficient decisions across policy, commissioning and system preparedness, and requires a careful balance between analytical rigour and public accountability.

Our focus is on sustaining and developing this capability so we can continue to deliver credible, high-quality insight at scale. Central to this is the development of a clear, well-governed commercial approach, translating the IO’s analytical and technical capability into a coherent and viable offer that supports its long-term sustainability. This includes the exploration of appropriate opportunities, the development of propositions and delivery models that add value and working closely with the Partnerships and Engagement function to ensure alignment with external partnerships and activity, all within our public‑value remit and the expectations of NIHR and DHSC.

Working closely with the Head of Delivery and Senior Leadership Team, the role ensures that commercial ambition is aligned with organisational capability, governance and the longer-term sustainability of the IO as a national function.

To apply for this position, please submit a CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the essential qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience for this position.

Please click here to view the candidate pack for this position, which includes the full job description in the role and person sections.  

We hope this pack provides sufficient detail to help you assess whether your experience aligns with the demands and context of the role.

For an informal conversation please contact Professor Dawn Craig, Director of NIHR Innovation Observatory, dawn.craig@newcastle.ac.uk

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: 29495