Associate Director of STEAMhouse Services

About Birmingham City University

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking an Associate Director of STEAMhouse Services to lead the development and growth of STEAMhouse’s entrepreneurship, incubation and business services at Birmingham City University (BCU).

In this role, you will drive student entrepreneurship, support emerging businesses and generate sustainable income through STEAMhouse products, services and workspace occupancy. You will lead the STEAM Futures and STEAM Growth teams, working in partnership with students, academic Schools, industry and colleagues across the Growth, Engagement and Enterprise Directorate to position STEAMhouse as a key driver of innovation, business growth and prosperity across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a strategy for STEAMhouse Services, supporting student entrepreneurs, business incubation and income generation through products, services and workspace occupancy.
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with businesses, industry, public sector organisations and community partners to support entrepreneurship, innovation and commercial growth.
• Set and deliver ambitious income and engagement targets across STEAMhouse products and services, consultancy, professional certification, lifelong learning and workspace membership, contributing to BCU’s Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) performance.
• Lead and develop the STEAM Futures and STEAM Growth teams, providing strategic direction and working collaboratively with academic Schools and professional services colleagues.
• Support the integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum and extracurricular activities, helping to strengthen student enterprise and graduate employability.
• Build relationships with senior industry leaders and external stakeholders, promoting STEAMhouse and BCU as leading partners for business engagement, innovation and regional prosperity.

Essential Requirements

• Experience leading a business development or innovation services function, with an emphasis on internal entrepreneurship, within a large, complex organisation.
• A strong track record of developing strategic relationships, securing internal and external partnerships, and generating income.
• Experience managing teams and delivering results through others.
• Strong understanding of the UK industrial landscape and experience working with key sectors to deliver innovation services.
• Experience delivering or supporting growth in business incubation, entrepreneurship or innovation services.
• Demonstrable skills in strategic planning, target setting and delivering measurable outcomes and impact.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic and professional services leaders to translate strategic ambitions into effective partnerships and activity.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the credibility to engage effectively across academic, business and industry settings.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in or with the higher education sector.
• Understanding of the policy context for skills, innovation and economic growth.
• Experience leading institutional engagement with employers across multiple levels and disciplines.

Further Information

If you are excited by the opportunity to grow STEAMhouse’s impact, support the next generation of entrepreneurs and help drive innovation, business growth and prosperity across the region, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Andy Aftelak, Dean of Academic Performance, at Andrew.Aftelak@bcu.ac.uk.

Internal candidates are requested to follow the expression of interest process.

Why not explore our campuses using our interactive map: Interactive Map | Birmingham City University

Why work for us

• Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
• Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
• Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
• Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

Visa Sponsorship 

This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa