Academic Consultancy Manager
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
The Academic Consultancy Service (ACS) provides a professional end-to-end support service to academics and external clients to efficiently facilitate, manage and grow the University’s academic consultancy business. The ACS team operates in a fast-moving, dynamic environment and team members are required to manage a range of concurrent complex activities contributing to a pipeline of new relationship opportunities for external collaboration to drive value creation and business growth. Working closely with academics from across the breadth of the University, the Academic Consultancy Manager will use their commercial expertise and project management skills to support a significant portfolio of consultancy engagements with external stakeholders including industry, charities, government, and public bodies.
Main duties & responsibilities
1. Engage key stakeholders at College/School level to identify new consultancy opportunities to drive business growth and develop tailored strategies to promote and expand consultancy activity. Engage with academics who may wish to offer new innovative services and develop frameworks for their delivery.
2. Deliver a highly efficient customer focused service to academic staff wishing to engage in consultancy. Acting as the key liaison between the academic and client, provide expert commercial advice and project management for end-to-end support.
3. Lead drafting and negotiation of contracts on template agreements, ensuring consideration of reputational/ethical issues and mitigation of potential risks. Liaising with Legal & Contracts to resolve more complex matters.
4. Working as part of the ACS team, manage a significant and diverse portfolio of consultancy projects throughout their lifecycle (up to 500 projects across all four colleges), including impact evaluation.
5. Contribute to Academic Consultancy Services team targets through the delivery of ~£0.5M growth in consultancy activity per annum.
6. Develop trusting relationships with diverse academic community and senior colleagues to champion the benefits of consultancy and secure commitment to realise consultancy targets.
7. Act as the ‘go-to-person’ for all enquiries relating to the consultancy portfolio, providing rapid and authoritative guidance ensuring comprehensive support for all stakeholders.
8. Analyse and interpret the consultancy market to inform the development of the service.
9. Develop and deliver engagement activities, including presentations and consultancy training workshops to grow awareness of ACS and consultancy best-practice amongst the academic community.
General
10. Develop a thorough knowledge of the University’s associated policies, legal governance and financial regulations as well as a strong understanding of the academic capabilities and research objectives of each college.
11. Deputise for the Head of Academic Consultancy Services as required.
12. Any other duties that arise from time to time as directed by the manager or nominee.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential:
A1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or number of different specialist roles. Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9,10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent, including being professionally qualified in relevant discipline, with a broad range of professional experience in a management role(s).
A2 Demonstrable understanding of risk management and contractual matters in commercial settings.
A3 Demonstrable understanding of academic consultancy and its strategic value in generating impact.
Desirable:
B1 Knowledge of the academic research and innovation environment.
B2 Knowledge of the pressures, constraints and risk/reward positions of academic staff, Colleges, and Institutions.
Skills
Essential:
C1 Excellent organisation and time management skills, with the ability to multitask and independently execute own varied workload with goal-oriented focus.
C2 Highly effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
C3 Strong influencing and negotiating skills with a flair for motivating and influencing stakeholders at all levels. Ability to work with courtesy, discretion and a high degree of diplomacy.
C4 Ability to problem solve apply creative thinking and critical reasoning to develop solutions to non-standard activities and design a compliant framework for their delivery.
C5 Maintain high professional standards in delivery of customer & stakeholder needs.
Experience
Essential:
E1 Demonstrable experience of developing commercial proposals and managing commercial contracts. Ability to arrange, negotiate, and draft contracts in accordance with compliance and governance requirements and show an aptitude for finding solutions to issues with a creative, entrepreneurial, and proactive mind-set.
E2 Substantial proven experience of project managing a significant and strategically complex programme of work in a higher education, commercial or professional services setting.
E3 Demonstrable experience of customer service and relationship management with partners in higher education, public bodies, charities, government, and/or industry, including a commitment to continuous improvement in service delivery.
Desirable:
F1 Experience of the higher education sector and successful interaction with academic staff at differing levels of seniority and across several subject areas to deliver effectively on project outcomes to high standards.
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created a guide to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 31 August 2025
Terms and Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £50,253 - £58,225 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours p/w), open ended and suitable for hybrid working. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.
Join our team and play a pivotal role in driving the consultancy business of one of the world’s leading universities. Informal conversations about the role are welcomed – please contact Elspeth Elliott (Elspeth.Elliott@glasgow.ac.uk), Head of Academic Consultancy Services, to learn more.
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability