Head of Bid Development
£69,365- £79,257 per annum
South Kensington and White City Campus – Hybrid
Full time - Open ended

About the role

Join Imperial College London and Shape the Future of Large-Scale, Impact-Driven Interdisciplinary Research.

Are you passionate about driving real-world change through research? Do you thrive at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and societal impact? Are you motivated by the pressing societal challenges of our time – whether at the intersection of human and artificial intelligence, health and technology, environmental sustainability and/or new frontiers of space, security and telecoms? If so, we invite you to join Imperial College London as ourHead of Bid Developmentfor the Schools of Convergence Science.

We are building a new Bid Development Team with the skills and agility to turn research into real-world solutions. As we launch our pioneering Schools of Convergence Science – central to Imperial’s new Strategy—we are seeking a Head of Bid Development to lead a team working with the Schools’ Co-Directors to shape and secure transformational funding.

These four Schools are designed to accelerate convergence research, amplify global influence, attract top talent and investment, and, most importantly, deliver tangible benefits in areas of critical importance to society. The Head of Bid Development will play a pivotal role in developing compelling, insight-driven narratives that align the Schools’ bold ambitions with the priorities of foundations, philanthropists, industry partners, and research funders.

With an aspirational funding target of £50 million and beyond per project, this role will be central to building strategic cases for support that demonstrate how convergence science can deliver measurable impact.

Announced as a key pillar of Imperial’s new Strategy, these four Schools will enhance our interdisciplinary research capacity, global visibility, talent attraction, and funding, driving societal impact in critical areas.

• Human and artificial intelligence - We envision AI that augments human intelligence and benefits everyone. Understanding how we think and learn helps us build better AI. Our goal is AI that is sustainable, trustworthy, and truly human-centered.
• Health and technology - We envision health and wellbeing for all, focused on prevention over treatment. Despite progress, challenges like chronic illness and inequality remain. Solving them requires bold, cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Sustainability - We envision a world where people live prosperously and meaningfully, in harmony with the planet. Our mission is to provide evidence and solutions for realistic, sustainable pathways, working closely with partners to drive change.
• Space, security and telecoms – We envision the convergence of these areas for the benefit of everyone, in the short and the long term, with a mission to protect, connect, and know our worlds.

This role will be instrumental in creating, building and leading a high-performing team that will enable and support the 16 Co-Directors (four across each of the four Schools) to achieve their individual School’s impacts.

For more background and information on the Schools: Schools of Convergence Science | About | Imperial College London

What you would be doing

• Driving the development and delivery of large-scale, high-impact funding proposals for the four Schools of Convergence Science.
• You will take direct leadership of one School’s bid pipeline, working closely with its Co-Directors to shape compelling, outcomes-focused cases for support aligned with the School’s research and societal ambitions.
• You will personally lead the writing of complex bids to industrial, philanthropic and governmental funders, typically valued at £20 million or more.
• Leading a team of bid development professionals, each aligned to one of the Schools.
• You will provide strategic oversight, mentorship, and coordination to ensure a cohesive, high-quality, and timely approach to developing interdisciplinary funding proposals.
• Working collaboratively across Imperial—engaging with the Schools’ Operational Teams, Co-Directors, Public Affairs, the International Relations Office, senior leadership, and all four Faculties—to ensure that bid development is integrated, strategic, and aligned with the College’s broader research and impact goals

What we are looking for

• Demonstrated experience in writing successful funding bids of £20 million or more.
• You’ll have a strong grasp of the funding landscape—across public, philanthropic, and private sectors—and the ability to craft compelling cases for support that align with strategic research priorities.
• Experience in leading or coordinating cross-functional teams of professionals to develop complex, large-scale funding proposals.
• You’ll be confident in managing timelines, aligning academic and stakeholder input, and ensuring high-quality, outcome-focused submissions.
• Working collaboratively across Imperial—engaging with the Schools’ Operational Teams, Public Affairs, the International Relations Office, senior leadership, and all four Faculties—to ensure that bid development is integrated, strategic, and aligned with the College’s broader research and impact goals.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

Closing date: 10th September 2025 (midnight BST)

Please apply with an application form via the online system. CVs without a completed application form will not be considered.

Type of contract: full time, open-ended

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Ivona Ryan – i.ryan@imperial.ac.uk