Location: Hybrid
Reports to: Head of Biosolutions & International Policy
Salary: £40,000 PA, dependent on experience
Main purposes of the role
This role will lead on delivering our work to support biosolutions and engineering biology companies by influencing Government policy, running our member community and ensuring BIA delivers membership value for non-health biotech companies.
The holder will deliver a comprehensive programmme of work including supporting the implementation and development of BIA’s biosolutions policy recommendations, growing the biosolutions community, and providing the secretariat to our Engineering Biology Advisory Committee. This will involve close collaborative working with civil servants, CEOs and senior leaders from member companies, the wider engineering biology community, and parliamentarians.
Duties and responsibilities
Policy
Monitor, evaluate and communicate government and parliamentary announcements and activity relevant to biosolutions and engineering biology, particularly regarding innovation, finance, infrastructure and regulation
Work with BIA colleagues, members and external stakeholders to develop sector positions on innovation, infrastructure, finance and regulation policies, and produce a strong evidence base to support advocacy
Provide the Secretariat to the BIA Engineering Biology Advisory Committee and other member/stakeholder meetings, preparing agendas and papers, and producing minutes
Working with the Head of Biosolutions & International Policy, support the development of new policy initiatives to increase the growth and scale of the UK’s biosolutions industry and BIA’s membership
Public affairs
Support the work of the policy team to deliver BIA’s annual Parliament Day and Party Conference events, driving biosolutions stakeholder meetings
Build BIA’s engagement with parliamentarians on biosolutions
Develop and deliver effective engagement campaigns to influence political, civil service and industrial biotech stakeholders
Community, Events and Communications
Monitor and act as a knowledge repository on the biosolutions and engineering biology sectors
Help identify and onboard potential new members
Help plan and deliver the core programme of BIA events that raise the profile of biosolutions and provide networking opportunities for BIA members
Lead on the BIA’s biosolutions community events with the Policy Team Coordinator and BIA Events team
Represent BIA at external events to showcase BIA’s biosolutions and engineering biology work
Working with BIA colleagues, help develop online (website and social media) content to make the BIA the go-to organisation for the biosolutions and engineering biology industry
Working with BIA colleagues, support the production of authoritative and impactful reports to promote the sector and BIA’s influencing work
Build and manage the biosolutions community
As a small organisation, flexibility is a key value all members of the team need to work to. As such the above duties and responsibility are subject to change as informed by needs of the team, organisation and changes in the external environment.
Knowledge, skills and experience
Essential
A demonstrable working understanding of UK Government and Parliament; the life sciences and biotech industry; or engineering biology
Persuasive communication skills adaptable for a variety of audiences
Excellent written skills with an ability to grasp complex issues quickly and how to distil these for a variety of external audiences
Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrative ability to develop good working relationships with a range of stakeholders
Proven project management skills to drive projects through from conception to output
Collaborative team-player who is flexible to changing business needs and supports colleagues effectively
Ability to represent the BIA and its members in person and through oral and written communication
Degree level education or equivalent
Desirable
Experience working in or with government
Network of stakeholder relations in the non-health biotech sector
Event management experience
Understanding of engineering biology sector and biosolutions companies needs to scale and grow across finance, regulation, infrastructure