Programme Director

Our Client

NIAB EMR, a global synonym of fruit and environmental research, is leading the Growing Kent & Midway Project which has recently been awarded the UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund, to develop Kent and Medway as a cluster of innovation in horticulture and associated food and drink sectors. The aim of the 5-year project is to deliver an uplift in the region’s economy through an inclusive and innovation-led growth programme of activities. The consortium includes two academic partners (U Kent and Greenwich), Locate in Kent and ten industry partners.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Managing Director of NIAB EMR, the Programme Director will provide clear leadership for the delivery of the Growing Kent & Medway Project objectives and will launch the region as a vibrant innovation cluster with an active membership and a dynamic programme of events and activities. The role will establish the governance and management structures and processes for the successful delivery of the project as well as lead in the management of the relationship with the funders and their requirements for reporting. In addition, as part of the senior management team at NIAB EMR, the Programme Director will be a leadership figure externally and internally, contributing fully to the development and implementation of Institute’s long-term strategy across all areas of the business.

The Candidate

The ideal candidate will have significant experience of developing and delivering innovation-led programmes and services based on R&D in the horticulture and/or food sectors. The candidate will be very comfortable working at an operational and strategic level leading stakeholders in the region to deliver tangible objectives through collaboration and engagement.  We believe the role would suit a current Technical or Procurement Director within industry as well as Project Directors within other research institutions or universities.

For more information about this exciting opportunity please contact Darren Houghton at Eden Search & Select on 0203 795 7735 or info@edensearch.co.uk. Eden Search & Select are managing all applications on behalf of NIAB EMR.