Research Industry Partnerships Senior Advisor

Job Description:

Te Rōpū Rangahau | Research & innovation

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Permanent position, 37.5 hours per week
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Research Industry Partnerships Senior Advisor? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
As the Research Industry Partnerships Senior Advisor, you will build and grow strategic relationships, creating high-value research partnerships and new funding opportunities, with a particular focus on industry.

Working across UC and with external partners, you will identify shared research priorities, broker opportunities and help shape collaborations from initial conversations through to proposals and investment cases. You will connect UC’s research expertise with partner needs, helping develop enduring partnerships that deliver meaningful outcomes for both UC and its partners.

Mōu | Who You Are

You will be an experienced relationship and partnership professional who is confident working across academic, industry and commercial environments. You will be skilled at developing opportunities, bringing people together around shared priorities and translating research capability into compelling partnership opportunities.

You will also be able to demonstrate experience in:

• Proven extensive experience in research engagement, strategic partnerships or business development.
• Proven experience building productive relationships with academic, industry or external stakeholders.
• Experience developing proposals, partnership models, investment cases or funding opportunities.
• Strong knowledge of research funding mechanisms and industry collaboration models.
• Experience facilitating conversations and translating between academic and commercial contexts.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With
You will Te Rōpū Rangahau | Research & Innovation, working collaboratively with researchers, academic leaders and Research & Innovation teams across UC. You will also build strong relationships with strategic industry, community and government partners, connecting their priorities with UC’s research expertise to develop mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC
At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 11 October 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role.

Please note, this is an onsite position.