Post Details
Full time
Open ended
Grade8 ÂŁ42,149-ÂŁ50,296 p.a.
Grade9 ÂŁ51,799-ÂŁ60,022 p.a.
The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 17 October 2021
Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28th October 2021
For the purposes of sponsorship, this is a role under SOC code 2150.
The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity.
The Post
The University of Stirling hosts the Scottish Water Hydro Nation Chair (HNC), providing the leadership and collaborative relationships required to deliver solutions for sustainable water management in Scotland and beyond. This new ÂŁ3.5 million initiative is funded by Scottish Water in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council. The HNC and associated programme of activity is a catalyst for academic research and innovation specifically to support the water sector in delivering and going beyond net zero. By promoting an inclusive task force, the HNC brings together excellence across Scotland to create an interdisciplinary world leading research and innovation community to deliver on the global net zero and climate challenges as key priority missions.
The HNC is seeking to appoint two highly motivated Hydro Nation Innovation Fellows. This Fellowship addresses opportunities across digital, data and technology innovation. The postholder will work with industry, academia and regulation to build partnerships and implement innovative solutions for environment and societal benefit, operational resilience and critically support the delivery of the net zero targets for the water sector. The second Fellowship (advertised separately) focusses on place-based innovation, which in addition to collaboration across industry and regulation will work with communities and third sector organisations, to promote water innovation and solutions to tackle climate and water management challenges and blue-green growth opportunities within catchment or sub catchment contexts.
Both innovation fellows will work closely with the Hydro Nation Chair and Scottish Water Research & Innovation, the four Hydro Nation Research Leader Fellows, and other innovation initiatives across Scotland (including for example, the Hydro Nation Innovation Service, Innovation Centres, Converge and Interface) to support the innovation programme of activity. The Innovation Fellowships have multiple career development pathways, including at the important interface between industry and academia. The Innovation Fellows will also build on the developments within Scotland’s International Environment Centre and the ground-breaking Forth Environmental Resilience Array (Forth-ERA) programme, which is developing a world-leading digital catchment observatory for the Firth of Forth. The Innovation Fellowships are funded to March 2027 in the first instance.
Description of Duties
We expect the postholder to be a highly motivated individual, fully conversant with the needs and opportunities of the water sector in response to climate related challenges. The successful candidate will be expected to be a progressive agent for change, passionate at seeking out new innovations, building partnerships and removing barriers to change across the sector. The candidate will develop delivery plans, and lever funding to test the efficacy and wider implementation of water management related technologies, digital solutions and data innovation within both the built and natural environment. The overarching aim is to seek out and drive the solutions that promote climate adaptation and achieve ambitious net zero targets across the water industry. Knowledge brokerage and partnership building across the commercial, research and regulatory sectors is central to the role. The Innovation Fellowship will be supported by the Hydro Nation Crucible, a platform that provides additional resource to pump prime new initiatives and broker new partnerships.
Description of Duties
The successful Hydro Nation Innovation Fellow will work closely with the Hydro Nation Chair, Scottish Water and with the Hydro Nation Research Leader Fellows to:
- Horizon scan (within the UK and internationally) and pro-actively seek out novel technology, digital and data innovations to support the water sector, its supply chain and supporting industries and sectors
- Facilitate the implementation of research-based innovations and solutions across the water sector including open data, digital innovation and intelligent networks and the development of prototypes and pilot studies that can be tested in Forth-ERA and more widely to support Scottish Water’s 25-year Strategic Plan
- Build partnerships and lever funding streams to test the efficacy of translating and implementing viable outputs from research, including assessment of business value, scalability and the wider long-term benefits
In addition, for Grade 9:
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the Hydro Nation Innovation Strategy.
- Work with the Hydro Nation Chair, Scottish Water and the Research Leader Fellows to develop the Hydro Nations Crucible as a widely recognised, valued and sustainable platform to support the delivery of collaborative partnerships for research and innovation initiatives across the water sector
For Further information and informal discussion please contact Professor Andrew Tyler: [email protected]
Essential Criteria
Qualifications:
- Honours Degree and work-related experience at the interface between research, innovation and solutions delivery
Knowledge, skills and experience:
- Experience of interpreting and translating research into innovation
- Demonstrable appreciation of the needs and opportunities of the digital, data and technology innovation
- Highly-developed interpersonal skills necessary to build and maintain effective and agile working relationships with a wide range of colleagues across the research, policy and industrial sectors
- Experience of communicating ideas clearly and persuasively with stakeholders from different disciplines and sectors, understand and respond to their often-complex requirements
- Excellent initiative, negotiation, persuasion and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrable ability to develop, implement and deliver solutions
- Excellent project management skills, and experience of managing large projects
- Track record of contributing to and securing research and innovation funding
- Self-motivation, initiative and independence in thought and working and ability to work within and motivate a team to deliver on ambitious innovation programmes.
In addition, for Grade 9:
- Track record of success in building and managing innovation partnerships, in the water sector (or closely related) where principles of technology, digital and data innovation have been successfully implemented
- Track record of developing innovation strategies that have resulted in solutions being implemented with the desired outcomes
- Track record of securing significant innovation funding
Desirable Criteria
- Higher degree relevant to innovation and/or PhD related to the water sector
- Experience of delivering digital, data and technology innovation in the water sector and the support the net zero agenda
- A track record of delivering opportunities that promote the circular economy
- Experience in leading workshops and convening cross sectoral meetings
For Grade 9:
- Experience of internationalising innovation in the water sector
Behaviours and Competencies
The role holder will be required to evidence that they can meet the qualities associated with the following behavioural competencies, as detailed within the AUA Competency Framework.
- Managing self and personal skills
Being aware of your own behaviour and mindful of how it impacts on others, enhancing personal skills to adapt professional practice accordingly. - Delivering excellent service
Providing the best quality service to external and internal clients. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards. - Finding solutions
Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically to analyse problems and to develop workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation. - Embracing change
Being open to and engaging with new ideas and ways of working. Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, shifting demands and changing roles. - Using resources effectively
Identifying and making the most productive use of resources including people, time, information, networks and budgets. - Engaging with the wider context
Enhancing your contribution to the organisation through an understanding of the bigger picture and showing commitment to organisational values. - Developing self and others
Showing commitment to own ongoing professional development. Supporting and encouraging others to develop their professional knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to reach their full potential. - Working together
Working collaboratively with others in order to achieve objectives. Recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring to this process. - Achieving Results
Consistently meeting agreed objectives and success criteria. Taking personal responsibility for getting things done.
About Us
Scottish Water
At the heart of Scotland, Scottish Water recognises its crucial role in support of a flourishing Scotland, contribution to Scotland’s health, well-being and prosperity, the sustainability of our natural environment, and Scotland’s long term economic success. Scottish Water is publicly owned and commercially managed and ultimately answerable to the people of Scotland for the services it delivers. The global climate crisis lies at the heart of its 25 year strategic plan. As a result, Scottish Water is showing leadership in mitigating climate change and enhancing Scotland’s natural environment through its mission to deliver and go beyond net zero.
Faculty of Natural Sciences
The Faculty was formed in August 2016 and encompasses the Divisions of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Computing Science and Mathematics, Psychology and the Institute of Aquaculture. The FNS is a distinctive academic arena where new fundamental understandings of the complex and challenging inter-relationships between human behaviours, technologies, biological, environmental and aquatic systems are created, explored and tested. The focus of our research addresses key questions around the resilience of society and the environment. Results of REF2014 confirmed that our research is regarded as world-leading and internationally excellent. Our research is supported through UK Research Councils, the European Union, a range of research charities, statutory agencies and third sector organisations, industry and private enterprises. We work with industry and public service organizations both at home and overseas to achieve direct and positive outcomes for society across a range of critical problems. Recent success in the 2018 City and Region Deal from UK and Scottish Governments is leading to a substantial investment in new infrastructure as a result of Faculty driven initiatives including: a £17 million investment for a new Institute of Aquaculture and Global Aquatic Food Security facility; and a £22 million investment for Scotland’s International Environment Centre.
Biological and Environmental Sciences
The strength of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Stirling lies in our unique interdisciplinary focus on the interface between people and the environment, which positions us well to exploit growing funding opportunities and to develop strong student interest in environmental and ecological systems science, management and solutions delivery. Our research interests are broad and cluster around four key themes of water, carbon, biodiversity and society. We deliver the evidence to transform the management of conflicts between the environment, ecosystems and society and predict and mitigate the future impacts of anthropogenic change and natural hazards. Our findings integrate science, policy and practice; they are used to inform national and international policy makers and practitioners in conservation and environmental regulation, planning and management. Our research and impacts are found in all continents of the world and position us as a leading institution in Environmental Protection and Biological Conservation.
The University
The University of Stirling is a leading UK teaching and research-intensive university, created by Royal Charter in 1967. Since its foundation, the University has embraced its role as an innovative, intellectual and cultural institution with a pioneering spirit and a passion for excellence in all that it does.
In 2016, the University launched its current Strategic Plan https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/our-vision/our-strategy/ (2016-2021), with targets to: be one of the top 25 universities in the UK; increase income by ÂŁ50 million; enhance its research profile by 100 per cent; and ensure internationalisation is at the heart of everything it does.
With three-quarters of its research ranked world-leading and internationally-excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2014), the University’s groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research makes a difference to society and has a positive impact on communities worldwide. Stirling’s research is making a positive impact on people’s health, education and wellbeing, with key strengths across our research themes of: Cultures, Communities and Society; Global Security and Resilience; and Living Well. The University collaborates with international governments and policymakers, businesses, industry, and charitable organisations, to tackle and provide solutions to some of the toughest global societal challenges.
For more information on working at Stirling, please visit https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-at-stirling/.
The University offers great benefits such as generous annual leave and membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Additionally staff can benefit from a reduced membership rate at the University’s excellent Sport Centre facilities.
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