The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) works to increase the economic impact and reduce the environmental footprint of aquaculture. Connecting businesses and academics, we fund and support commercially relevant, collaborative research. We also fund university places and run tailored training programmes.

The SAIC is one of seven Innovation Centres working across Scotland in collaboration with Scotland’s universities, public bodies, and industry sectors.

SAIC’s mission is to increase the economic impact and reduce the environmental footprint of aquaculture. Connecting businesses and academics, we support commercially relevant, collaborative research. We also fund university places and run tailored training programmes. SAIC is a business-led organisation with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Our skills, leadership and sector engagement programme has matured to deliver a wide range of outcomes. SAIC also champions diversity and runs the Women in Scottish Aquaculture (WiSA) network, on behalf of its members.

We are now looking for someone to build on these successes and further develop our service offerings and engagement. We seek someone with an ability to identify and develop skills provision to meet industry-defined needs, create innovative learning solutions, actively promote these solutions, and facilitate their delivery in collaboration with industry and research partners.

This role needs someone with a passion for learning, a strong track record in identifying, developing and applying skills solutions to meet customer requirements, and an aptitude to network and operate collaboratively with partners inside and outside of our organisation. They need to be a self-starter, with experience in developing and delivering learning programmes or working in a skills and training-related field. The successful candidate will be confident and comfortable dealing with industry, the university and college sector, and the Scottish Government and its agencies. They will have strong commercial acumen and be organised, efficient and motivated. Some knowledge of the rural economy, aquaculture, or skills delivery programmes in related contexts, would be an advantage.

The post offers a unique opportunity to shape how employees enter and advance through Scotland’s aquaculture industry, and how SAIC can help achieve the sector’s continued vision of sustainable growth and rewarding employment.

Description of Duties

• Based on a broad understanding of the needs of the aquaculture sector in relation to educational partnerships with industry, universities and further education colleges, provide specialist advice to SAIC on strategic planning and operational delivery of such partnership activity
• Manage SAIC’s relationships with industrial and academic members to ensure the smooth operation of a substantive portfolio of SAIC co-funded scholarship programmes (undergraduate and taught post-graduate). This will include maintaining and enhancing existing relationships, leading on the development of new agreements, preparing reports to external funders, and monitoring the delivery and impact of the programmes.
• Project-manage the development of the SAIC-funded MSc programme, including organising and delivering workshop sessions with input from industry. Liaise with course directors to ensure that content is appropriate and relevant.
• Project-manage the development of a PhD-level Aquaculture Innovation Academy and the core PhD programme featuring a project-based training element as part of the SAIC MASTS Doctoral Programmes
• Project-manage SAIC training delivery and commercial opportunities, including leadership, innovation and digital skills programmes
• Manage the Women in Scottish Aquaculture (WiSA) initiative, which provides informal peer-to-peer networking and mentoring support. This involves supporting Advisory Group meetings to develop strategy, events, webinars, training courses, and digital content. Manage WiSA’s social media platforms, online forum, newsletters, and drive traffic to WiSA platforms. Obtain external funding and deliver training in line with strategy
• Develop and manage an established network of industry HR and skills professionals and staff development practitioners in Scotland and UK universities and colleges, especially those delivering courses on aquaculture and marine topics
• Identify, recruit, mentor and support summer interns, placed within SAIC and more widely across the sector. Support the aquaculture sector to ensure a mutually beneficial learning and industry experience with a view to increasing the future long-term employability of interns
• Work with SAIC colleagues, other innovation centres, schools, colleges, universities, Education Scotland, Lantra Scotland, the sector, and other external partners to promote aquaculture as a career destination. Produce promotional materials and case studies highlighting sustainability and innovation across the sector. Work with stakeholders to review and research the current training needs of the sector
• Run, and then evaluate and report on the outcomes of, the Women Returners Programme funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). The post-holder will project-manage delivery, liaise with SDS/Scottish Government, develop follow-up activities, and monitor the progress of participants
• The Head of Skills and Talent will be part of SAIC’s Senior Leadership Team. They will be responsible for the allocation of the skills budget under the guidance of the CEO and Director of Finance and Operations. Quarterly reporting of activities, outcomes and statistics will be required
• The post-holder will represent SAIC at conferences, events, gatherings and stakeholder meetings. They will work collaboratively with other public-sector partners such as SDS, the Scottish Funding Council, Scotland’s universities and colleges, Developing the Young Workforce, Lantra Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, Salmon Scotland, and Marine Scotland

Essential Criteria

• A proven track record of designing, delivering and promoting external training and development programmes and short courses
• Project and contract management skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills: working with others, forming new connections, networking
• A strong team player able to contribute as a member of a high-performing team
• Self-organisation: demonstrable planning and organisational skills
• Resilient and resourceful: ready to find solutions to challenges and able to deliver to our key customers and audiences
• The ability to embrace and embody SAIC’s values of support, agility, integrity and collaboration

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with public and private skills providers
• Knowledge of the education and skills framework in Scotland
• Experience of engaging a diversity of people from business, academia, and the private and public sectors
• Experience of developing commercially viable courses, typically delivered in partnership with training providers, and in charging for specialist services, would be advantageous

Salary: Grade8 £42,149-£50,296 p er annum
Contract  Type: Fixed term contract – 24 months
Location: University of Stirling, Stirling Campus, Scotland, UK
Faculty/Service: Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre
Application Deadline: April 17, 2022

Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.