Innovation and Enterprise Executive

Role: Innovation and Enterprise Executive  

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 (£37,694 - £47,389)

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35 hours a week)

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) 

Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt  

Fascinated by the future and captivated by technology and innovation?  

Want to work with a diverse range of organisations and help them explore the art of the possible?  

Business & Enterprise (B&E) at Heriot-Watt has many dimensions. It’s a place for learning, a way of thinking and a catalyst for collaboration. B&E brings together global expertise to tackle current industry challenges whilst pioneering new innovation to drive our future economies and companies of scale.  

However, it is people that matter, and we are creating great spaces where creative and brilliant minds are encouraged to share ideas and explore new concepts – tapping into world class academic resource to stay at the forefront of rapidly changing technology trends.  

Through the B&E team, HWU is revolutionising the means of learning. Innovation, discovery and entrepreneurship are being placed at the core of learning. The B&E team connects our leading academics, high growth technology companies and our research partners to build better products and services for future global markets.  

Purpose of Role 

As a key member of the Enterprise Team, the Innovation and Enterprise Executive has a broad remit which includes growing our entrepreneurial culture; nurturing budding innovators and entrepreneurs, supporting the promotion of entrepreneurship and ideas in start-up/spinout companies and contributing to the development and delivery of new innovation and enterprise activities for the university.

The Enterprise team supports the University’s strategies through delivery of a wide range of Knowledge Exchange and Entrepreneurship activities that create real impact and value to industry and society. The University has a strong track record within innovation and enterprise and is originator and host of the leading pan-Scotland enterprise programme, the Converge Challenge. 

As a student, academic researcher, collaborator or knowledge transfer partner, the Enterprise team provides professional advice and assistance on:  

• Spinout/start-up creation and enterprise 
• Commercialisation and working with industry 
• Knowledge exchange and technology licensing 
• Research commercialisation and IP management 

Key Duties & Responsibilities 

The post-holder will:  

• Identify commercialisation opportunities across Heriot-Watt University and develop them into successful commercial outcomes  
• Promote enterprise opportunities for staff & students across the five campuses of the university and interact with key stakeholders including investors, corporate partners and government/economic development agencies.  
• Support development of an enterprise network across the university linking academic schools, professional services and external stakeholders as appropriate 
• Support new industry-led innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives e.g. accelerators and innovation challenges 
• Provide hands-on business support to staff and students of HWU including: 

• Lead/support the delivery of enterprise creation workshops and training  
• Participate in networks of enterprise support activities in Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia   
• Nurture a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors and support agencies 
• Developing content for internal and external audiences 
• Support the University in leveraging appropriate funding to support company creation & enterprise activity (e.g. SE High Growth, RSE, RAEng, ICURe, Converge etc.)  
• Support colleagues in collating KPI data that exemplifies the University delivery of innovation and enterprise activities  
• Assist the B&E leadership team to deliver strategic initiatives to further innovation and enterprise developments across the university  
• Connect and collaborate with the external enterprise ecosystem and signposting entrepreneurs to relevant external opportunities 
• Other duties to support enterprise delivery and wider commercial objectives 

Essential & Desirable Criteria 

Essential Experience  

• Proven track record of working within a start-up or industry environment   
• Commercial experience, operating in an innovation-centred environment 
• Evidence of prior workshop delivery or event management experience  
• Financial management, business planning and writing funding proposals  
• Ability to work in partnership across public and private sector organisations  
• Good first degree in a Technology, Engineering or Business-related subject 

Essential Skills

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal  
• Strong public speaker with experience of delivering training and workshops   
• Co-ordinating activities across large organisations 
• Strong attention to detail and ability to plan workload and prioritise effectively  
• A good understanding of and the ability to use a range of software applications and services (CRM, word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, PowerPoint).  
• Ability to understand complex ideas and help articulate them into a coherent value proposition  

Desirable 

• Understanding of available business start-up support across UK, Malaysia and Dubai  
• The ability to provide clear reports and advice for the different senior stakeholders within an entrepreneurial and academic ecosystem  
• Ability to negotiate and sell opportunities 
• Line management or team leader experience beneficial but not essential 
• Ability to secure funding in an early-stage innovation environment 

How to Apply 

Applications can be submitted up to 23:55 (UK time) on Sunday 9th of August 2026.  

Please submit your CV and covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment. 

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options. 

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. 

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ . 

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University. 

About Heriot-Watt University 

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. 

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.