Servitization and Service Innovation Lead – KTP Associate

This position offers a unique opportunity for a highly motivated individual to work at the interface of academia and industry in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate role that will deliver transformational impact. You will lead and deliver a service innovation programme within a fast-growing British SME manufacturer, helping to drive innovation and business growth in a company with strong values centred on teamwork, innovation, and excellence.

The project is fundamentally focused on servitization; supporting an engineering company transition from providing equipment through traditional capital expenditure (CapEx) systems towards a service-led, lifecycle-oriented business model. You will lead the co-design and implementation of a product-service system within the company, developing service-led concepts and offerings that create value for customers over the lifecycle of their operations.

This role is designed to enable the transition of a company towards a service-led business model, developing new forms of value creation and strengthening long-term customer relationships. You will play a key role in establishing the foundations for ongoing servitization, embedding new capabilities, and supporting the sustainable growth of the business beyond the duration of the KTP.

Key Responsibilities:
- Service design and product-service system development
- Servitization strategy development
- Commercial and go-to-market activities
- Customer and stakeholder engagement
- Knowledge transfer and embedding
- Academic contribution to conference papers and journal publications

Candidate Profile:
A minimum of a 2:1 BSc degree in Engineering or Management, or a related discipline.

Essential skills, experience and attributes:
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work across technical and commercial domains
- Experience of adapting theories and/or tools to commercial practice
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to engage across multiple levels of an organisation
- Strong project management capability, able to manage complex projects, coordinate roles, and work independently as well as part of the team
- Commercially aware and able to link innovation to business value
- Organised, adaptable and able to work effectively in an interdisciplinary collaborative environment

Desirable:
- A postgraduate qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field, such as Engineering Management, Service Design, Operations, Innovation, or Marketing
- Knowledge or experience of servitization, product-service systems, or business model innovation
- Experience of working in manufacturing or industrial settings
- Experience in customer research, data analysis, or development of commercially informed strategies

Additional Benefits:
- Up to £4,000 for personal and professional development for the duration of the project
- 25 days annual leave per annum
- Professional support and mentorship
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- A flexible blend of on-site and remote working arrangements can be negotiated in case of positive ongoing performance

Career Prospects:
This role opens up exciting career opportunities in new business development and servitization. Over 60% of KTP associates are offered employment by their host companies at the end of the KTP.

You will work in a project team consisting of Dr Reza Marvi, Dr Geoff Parkes, Dr Daniel Andrews from Aston University and the Senior Management Team of the Company, with the support of a Knowledge Transfer Adviser from Innovate UK.

The successful candidate will be based in central Birmingham, West Midlands, with regular access to Aston University facilities. Occasional travel to client sites across the UK will be required. The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the work base.

This role is likely to qualify for endorsement under the Endorsed Funder route of the Global Talent visa. It is an Innovate UK requirement that candidates hold a visa or immigration permission to cover the full duration of the contract.