Business Development Consultant - Technical Talent

About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields.  We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities.  Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

About the Role:

Cambridge University Health Partners and Anglia Ruskin University are looking for a dynamic, driven individual to lead employer engagement across the Cambridge innovation cluster—connecting cutting-edge companies with the next generation of technical talent through high-impact apprenticeship programmes and T-level placements.

The role will:

• Build strong relationships with STEM employers—from biotech to AI.
• Champion apprenticeships as a strategic solution to talent shortages.
• Drive initiatives that keep Cambridge globally competitive and inclusive.
• Be the connector between education, industry, and opportunity.

You’ll thrive if you:

• Know the Cambridge ecosystem and its innovation heartbeat.
• Have a passion for skills development and workforce transformation.
• Are a natural collaborator and communicator.
• Want to make a real difference in the lives of young people.

Cambridge is a global leader in science and technology. This role ensures it stays that way—by building a resilient, diverse talent pipeline that powers innovation for decades to come.

Based at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and at Anglia Ruskin’s central Cambridge location on East Road, this hybrid role also includes some travel to various locations within the Cambridge region. Your priority will be to work with employers and education providers in, and around, Cambridge to increase the numbers of T-level placements and apprenticeships. Your remit would primarily cover Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) sectors, and span a wide range of apprenticeship Levels, from 3 to 6. You would work to gain an understanding of employer demand, and where there is potential for apprentice progression pathways to be developed for additional subject areas. You will provide regular updates to internal and external stakeholders, ranging from local small and medium-sized commercial businesses (SMEs) to academic institutions. A key performance indicator will be your ability to monitor and report on increases in the number of apprenticeship and T-level places in the local area, and to explain where additional support may be required. You will lead the production of a report detailing how this technical talent scheme could be expanded and potentially rolled out nationwide.

With a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, with this preferably in a STEM subject, or qualifications in a relevant professional field, you’ll have experience and confidence in developing opportunities for collaboration. Connecting people is at the heart of this role, so it is key that you are comfortable with a customer-facing role, and the use of diverse communication strategies once you’ve identified the right leads. Understanding how the skills, challenges and industry characteristics that hallmarks of the STEM sector are play into employer-based learning will be key. It is essential for you to possess a firm understanding of the UK government’s funding rules and legislation for apprenticeships and technical roles. Any knowledge you may have of T-Levels, apprenticeships and technical learning would be highly desirable, as would knowledge of the UK’s Higher Education technical workforce pipeline. You will need to be confident in data collation and analysis, and with the tailored presentation of these as relevant to internal and external stakeholders.

Informal enquiries can be made to Clare Fazackerley, Head of Business Development (Degrees at Work), at Clare.Fazackerley@aru.ac.uk

Find out more about working with us and how we recruit.

We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits including generous holiday entitlement, occupational pension schemes, training and development opportunities, travel to work scheme and a competitive relocation package. Visit our benefits page for full details.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We have a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

In accordance with the UK Government’s immigration points-based system, this post does not meet the characteristics of a skilled job including salary criteria to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route.

Committed to being inclusive and open to discuss flexible working. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.

Guidance Notes: 

Please download the Job Description Person Specification for key requirements. To apply, demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the criteria.