UK

United Kingdom · Research and development · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

See how AI is changing this job, and get the full read by email.

Start my free Automation Fluency module

As a Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting, a good place to start on AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sensemaking is Planning Automation Across a Department, a free Future Fluency module at Level 5. You'd practise working out what in your department's work could be automated, what should not be, and what to recommend.

Free to start, no card.

Keep this job description

Where should we send it?

One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

Your employer, or 'self-employed'

Leading a team? Try this with up to five of them for 14 days, free.

  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports5-8 reports
  • Reports toVP, R&D Strategy & Corporate Innovation
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of R&D Portfolio Strategy · VP of Innovation & Emerging Technologies · Director of Corporate Venturing · Chief Scout

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

No confident skill match yet for Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting. The closest we hold is below.

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 1 of 1 standard

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Science Foundations OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science
Data-led Decision Making Level 6 Award in Data-led Decision Making
Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN Level 5 Diploma in Computer Engineering (Information Technology and Data Science)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
Change Fluency taking people through change
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Science Foundations OTHM Qualifications · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 7
  2. Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Limited · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 5
  3. Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 6
  4. Apply the Concepts of Data Science to Computer Engineering NOCN · covers 1 of 1 standards Level 5
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sensemaking
  • Ecosystem Orchestration & Platform Strategy
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This role involves setting the direction for research and development, by finding the technologies and partners that offer a real edge. It means looking beyond new ideas to work out how they fit a long-term strategy and make money. The job is about investing in the right future, not chasing fads, and turning new science into business plans for senior leadership.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

PitchBook, CB Insights, Crunchbase Pro Strategic/Architect

Negotiating enterprise licenses, evaluating and selecting new market intelligence platforms, integrating platform data into enterprise business intelligence systems to provide a holistic view of the innovation landscape for the C-suite.

PatSnap, Derwent Innovation Strategic/Architect

Directing the overall IP strategy based on comprehensive landscape analysis, making high-stakes build/buy/license decisions informed by IP strength and FTO assessments, and ensuring our IP strategy aligns with corporate growth objectives.

Notion, Confluence, Miro Strategic/Architect

Mandating and enforcing knowledge management standards across the scouting function, architecting the integration between these platforms and other enterprise systems (e.g., Jira, Salesforce) to create a seamless innovation workflow and single source of truth for strategic insights.

Excel (Power Query, XLOOKUP) Advanced

Reviewing and challenging complex financial models built by your team, performing rapid ad-hoc scenario analysis for executive questions, and setting standards for data integrity and modelling best practices.

Tableau Server/Power BI Premium Strategic/Architect

Providing executive-level portfolio visibility and strategic dashboards, integrating scouting data into corporate financial planning tools, and ensuring data governance for all innovation-related metrics presented to the board.

PowerPoint (Think-Cell), Diligent Boards Expert

Designing and delivering compelling, board-ready strategic recommendations, linking scouting initiatives directly to corporate P&L and long-term growth in board materials, and using Think-Cell to create clear, data-driven charts for executive presentations.

Anaplan, ServiceNow GRC Strategic/Architect

Owning the technology forecasting module within Anaplan, setting GRC policies for new technology partnerships and investments, and integrating external technology risks into the broader enterprise risk management framework.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Technology Focus Areas N/A N/A Propose and refine specific technology domains for scouting efforts, with input from Lead Scouts. Final approval by Director.
External Partner Engagement & Due Diligence N/A N/A Approve the initiation of formal due diligence processes for high-potential partners. Oversee due diligence execution and final recommendations. Present to VP/C-suite for major deals.
Team Hiring & Performance Management N/A N/A Full authority to hire, manage, and develop your direct reports (Lead Scouts, Senior Analysts). Final sign-off on performance reviews and compensation adjustments for your team.
Budget Allocation for Scouting & Pilots N/A N/A Manage and allocate the annual scouting and pilot project budget (typically £2M-£10M+). Approve individual project spends up to £500K; larger sums require VP approval. Accountable for budget adherence and ROI.
M&A Target Recommendations N/A N/A Identify and recommend specific M&A targets based on strategic fit and due diligence. Develop and present the full business case, including financial modelling and integration plans, to the C-suite and Board for final decision.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

ROI on External Technology Portfolio
The return on investment generated by technologies sourced and integrated through your team's efforts, measured against the capital invested.
Target · >3x investment over 5 years

If we invested £2M in a new material technology, we'd expect it to generate £6M+ in new product revenue or cost savings within five years of integration.

Strategic Partnerships/JVs/Investments Closed
The number of high-impact strategic collaborations, joint ventures, or direct investments in external companies that successfully reach a signed agreement.
Target · 2-3 per year

Successfully closing a joint development agreement with a leading quantum computing startup and making a minority investment in a novel biotech firm in a single year.

P&L Impact from Integrated Technologies
The direct financial impact (new revenue generated or costs saved) from technologies identified, vetted, and successfully integrated into our business units.
Target · >£5M annually

A new manufacturing process identified by your team leads to a £3M reduction in production costs and enables a new product line generating £2.5M in sales.

Reduction in Internal R&D Cycle Time
The percentage decrease in the time it takes for key internal R&D projects to go from concept to market, thanks to the adoption of external technologies.
Target · >15% for relevant projects

By licensing a specific AI algorithm, a product development project that would have taken 24 months is now completed in 18 months.

Strategic Influence on R&D Roadmap
How effectively your team's insights are shaping the long-term direction of our internal R&D projects and overall strategy.
  • Your team's recommendations are consistently incorporated into the annual R&D planning cycle. You're proactively consulted by the VP and C-suite on strategic pivots. You see internal projects being re-prioritised or initiated based on your external technology reports.
External Reputation & Network Quality
Our standing in the external innovation ecosystem (VCs, startups, academia) and the quality of relationships your team maintains.
  • We're consistently approached by top-tier VCs with exclusive deal flow. Founders seek us out as a preferred partner. You're invited to speak at major industry innovation conferences. Positive feedback from external partners about our engagement process.
Team Development & Mentorship
Your ability to build, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of technology scouts and analysts.
  • Low attrition rates within your team. Direct reports consistently achieve their career goals and take on more responsibility. Positive feedback in 360-degree reviews regarding your leadership and development support. Your team is seen as a talent incubator for the wider R&D function.
Risk Mitigation & Due Diligence Quality
The thoroughness and accuracy of your team's technical and commercial due diligence, preventing costly mistakes.
  • No major unforeseen technical or commercial issues arise post-acquisition/partnership that your team's due diligence should have caught. Legal and Finance teams consistently praise the quality and depth of your team's assessments. Early identification of 'vaporware' or commercially unviable technologies.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future of the Business

You'll spend your days identifying technologies that could genuinely transform our product lines or operational efficiencies. Seeing your strategic recommendations adopted and eventually leading to new market opportunities is what gets you out of bed. It's about leaving a tangible mark on the company's long-term success.

Successfully championing a new energy storage technology that becomes a core component of our next-generation product, leading to a significant market share gain.

Intellectual Challenge & Discovery

You'll constantly be learning about new scientific breakthroughs, market trends, and business models. The thrill of uncovering a truly novel technology or connecting disparate pieces of information to form a strategic insight is a huge driver. Every day brings a new puzzle to solve, a new domain to explore.

Deep-diving into a complex area like quantum computing, understanding its potential applications for our industry, and then translating that into a clear, actionable strategy.

Building & Leading a High-Impact Team

You'll be responsible for recruiting, mentoring, and developing a team of talented scouts. Seeing your team members grow, take ownership of critical initiatives, and deliver impactful results under your guidance is a significant source of satisfaction. It's about multiplying your impact through others.

Watching a Lead Scout you mentored successfully close a complex strategic partnership, knowing you helped them develop the skills to do it.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Not Invented Here' Syndrome: Battling internal R&D teams who view external technology as a threat to their own projects and relevance, rather than a complement.
  • Death by Pilot Purgatory: Finding a great technology partner only to see the pilot project get stuck for months (or years) without a clear decision to scale or kill it.
  • Strategic Whiplash: Being tasked to find solutions for 'AI in manufacturing' one quarter, only to have the corporate strategy pivot to 'sustainability tech' the next, rendering months of work obsolete.
  • The Translation Burden: Constantly feeling like you're the only one who can bridge the gap between deep-tech startups and risk-averse corporate executives, which is exhausting.
  • Procurement & Legal Bottlenecks: Watching a time-sensitive opportunity with a hot startup wither on the vine while waiting six months for legal to approve a simple NDA or MSA.
  • Being the 'Shiny Object' Scapegoat: When a high-profile technology trend (e.g., Blockchain, Metaverse) fails to deliver on its hype, the scouting function that surfaced it often takes the blame.
What this role does not give you
  • A predictable, linear path: The world of emerging tech is anything but. Expect constant shifts.
  • Guaranteed success for every project: Many promising leads won't go anywhere, and you need to be okay with that.
  • Deep technical hands-on coding/lab work: You're more of a strategist and orchestrator than a bench scientist or developer.
  • A quiet, solitary work environment: You'll be constantly engaging with people, both internally and externally.

8Who you work with

This role directly influences the multi-year R&D roadmap, budget allocation (typically £2M-£10M+), and ultimately, the company's future product portfolio and market position. Your decisions here can drive significant new revenue or create substantial cost efficiencies across the business units. You're essentially the eyes and ears for future growth, making sure we stay ahead of the curve.

Inside the business
  • VP, R&D Strategy & Corporate Innovation
  • Head of Product Development
  • CFO and Finance Leadership
  • Legal Counsel
  • Business Unit Heads
Outside the business
  • Venture Capital firms and their portfolio companies
  • University Technology Transfer Offices
  • Startup founders and CEOs
  • Industry consortia and research institutions
  • M&A target companies

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience (10+ years) in a senior technology scouting, corporate venturing, or R&D strategy role within a complex, innovation-driven organisation.
  • Demonstrable track record of identifying, vetting, and successfully integrating or investing in external technologies that have generated significant business impact.
  • Extensive experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including managing senior-level individual contributors.
  • Expertise in building and presenting compelling business cases, including sophisticated financial modelling, to C-suite executives and board members.
  • A deep, practical understanding of the R&D process and product development lifecycle within a relevant industry sector.
  • Strong existing network within the global innovation ecosystem (VCs, startups, universities).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced IP Portfolio Architecture

As IP becomes increasingly complex and global, Directors will need to move beyond individual patent analysis to architecting comprehensive, defensible IP portfolios that align with multi-year product roadmaps and M&A strategies. This means understanding how to strategically acquire, license, and defend IP assets.

IP landscaping for M&A targeting and integration · Patent thickets and defensive publishing strategie · Global IP harmonisation and enforcement challenges · Valuation models for complex IP portfolios · Blockchain for IP provenance and smart contracts

  • This quarter: Review 3-5 recent M&A deals in our sector, focusing on how IP played a role in valuation and integration.
  • Next 6 months: Work with our legal team to develop a 'future IP landscape' for a key emerging technology area.
  • Next 12 months: Lead a project to audit our existing IP portfolio against future strategic needs, identifying gaps and opportunities.
  • Ongoing: Attend advanced IP strategy workshops and build relationships with leading IP lawyers and strategists.

Quick win: Ask our IP counsel for a deep dive into our most critical patent families. Understand their strengths, weaknesses, and how they protect our core business. It's foundational knowledge.

Integrated Technology Roadmapping & Portfolio Optimisation

The future demands a more dynamic and integrated approach to roadmapping, combining internal R&D projects with external technology acquisition and partnerships. Directors will need to use advanced portfolio optimisation techniques to manage risk, maximise return, and ensure strategic alignment across all innovation investments.

Real options analysis for R&D investments · Multi-objective optimisation for innovation portfo · Agile portfolio management methodologies (e.g., Le · Integration of external technology data into inter · Value stream mapping for innovation pipelines

  • This quarter: Research 'real options' theory and its application to R&D investment decisions.
  • Next 6 months: Lead a cross-functional workshop to map our current internal and external technology portfolios against strategic objectives.
  • Next 12 months: Implement a pilot programme for an agile portfolio management approach within your team or a specific R&D domain.
  • Ongoing: Explore advanced project portfolio management software and methodologies beyond basic tracking tools.

Quick win: Take one of your current strategic technology initiatives and apply a simple 'real options' framework to it. How would you stage investments to maximise learning and minimise risk?

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend and present at leading industry conferences (e.g., CES, Web Summit, Slush, specific scientific symposia).
  • Participate in executive education programmes focused on corporate innovation, technology strategy, or M&A.
  • Maintain active memberships in professional organisations related to R&D, innovation, or your specific technology domain.
  • Engage in continuous learning through online courses, technical journals, and industry reports to stay current with emerging technologies and strategic frameworks.
  • Seek out mentorship from C-suite executives or board members to hone your strategic and leadership capabilities.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sensemaking

The sheer volume of global innovation data (patents, research, investments) is overwhelming for human analysis alone. AI will increasingly be used to identify weak signals, predict technological convergence, and model future market scenarios. Directors who can effectively use AI for foresight will have a significant strategic advantage.

  • Generative AI for scenario generation and narrativ
  • Graph neural networks for identifying hidden conne
  • Anomaly detection in patent and research publicati
  • Ethical considerations and bias detection in AI-dr
  • Human-in-the-loop validation for AI-generated insi

Ecosystem Orchestration & Platform Strategy

Innovation is increasingly happening in decentralised ecosystems, not just within single companies. Future Directors will need to be experts at orchestrating complex networks of partners, not just managing individual relationships. This means understanding platform business models and how to build and participate in them.

  • Multi-sided platform dynamics and network effects
  • API economy and open data strategies for innovatio
  • Governance models for collaborative innovation eco
  • Value co-creation with external partners at scale
  • Digital identity and trust frameworks for ecosyste

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Assessment
  • Market Landscaping & Adjacency Mapping
  • Technical & Commercial Due Diligence
  • Open Innovation Frameworks
  • Business Case Development & Financial Modeling
  • Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Lead Technology Scout (L4)

    3-5 years

    Skills to master

    • Architecting comprehensive technology landscapes, influencing R&D roadmaps, managing key external relationships (VCs, universities), and leading complex due diligence projects.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivering high-impact external insights that directly influence internal R&D decisions.
    • Successfully leading cross-functional teams through multiple complex due diligence processes.
    • Building a strong external network that brings in proprietary deal flow.
    • Demonstrating strong mentorship capabilities for junior team members.
  2. 2

    Manager, Technology Scouting & Innovation (L5)

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Managing the entire scouting funnel, leading a team of scouts, being accountable for the conversion rate of opportunities to pilots, and presenting strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven ability to manage and motivate a high-performing team.
    • Consistently achieving targets for opportunity pipeline health and conversion.
    • Strong track record of influencing senior stakeholders and securing funding for pilot projects.
    • Demonstrating a deep understanding of the commercial implications of new technologies.
  3. 3

    Senior R&D Manager / Head of Product Innovation

    4-6 years

    Skills to master

    • Leading large internal R&D programmes, integrating external technologies into product roadmaps, managing significant R&D budgets, and driving product innovation from concept to market.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully bringing multiple innovative products to market.
    • Expertise in managing complex R&D project portfolios and cross-functional teams.
    • Demonstrating strong commercial acumen and understanding of market needs.
    • Proven ability to collaborate effectively with external partners and integrate their technologies.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to positions such as Chief Technology Officer or Chief Innovation Officer, shaping technology direction or innovation across a business.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Science Foundations, worked against Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting.

Data Science Foundations Level 7

Applied to your work in Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting

1. To enable the learner to define the scope and landscape of Data Science and differentiate the roles of Data Scientists from other IT professionals. 2. To enable the learner to evaluate key topics within Data Science, including data administration, governance, and big data sources. 3. To enable the learner to describe the architecture and core elements of Apache Hadoop. 4. To enable the learner to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of utilising Artificial Intelligence techniques in a business context. 5. To enable the learner to critically analyse the impact of Big Data on digital transformation within organisations and its effects on users. 6. To enable the learner to review strategies for ensuring data compliance and explain the responsibilities and challenges faced by data specialists.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting
  • Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Assessment
  • Market Landscaping & Adjacency Mapping
  • Technical & Commercial Due Diligence
  • Open Innovation Frameworks
  • Business Case Development & Financial Modeling
  • Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP, R&D Strategy & Corporate Innovation (L7)

    3-5 years

    Elevation to C-suite level influence and enterprise-wide strategic accountability.

    • Establishing and managing Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) funds.
    • Developing and executing enterprise-level open innovation platforms.
    • Driving multi-year, multi-business unit transformation initiatives.
    • Representing the organisation as a thought leader in global innovation forums.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, you're already juggling a million things. Imagine if you could offload the grunt work and focus purely on the strategic decisions that move the needle. AI isn't here to replace your brain; it's here to give you superpowers, freeing you up to think bigger and faster.

For a Director of Technology Strategy & Scouting, AI isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a strategic weapon. You can use it to cut through the noise, accelerate due diligence, and craft compelling narratives, giving you more time to engage with partners and shape our future. Think of it as having a highly intelligent, tireless research assistant and comms specialist rolled into one.

Automated Horizon Scanning

Imagine AI agents constantly sifting through thousands of ArXiv papers, patent filings, VC announcements, and niche tech news. They'll flag emerging trends and 'unknown unknowns' based on your strategic keywords, giving you a real-time pulse on the innovation landscape. This means you're always ahead, not just reacting.

Accelerated Due Diligence

Point an LLM at a target company's data room – technical docs, financials, contracts. Ask it to 'Identify key IP risks,' 'Summarise scalability challenges,' or 'Flag unusual terms in financial statements.' This cuts weeks off a typical due diligence process, letting you focus on the human element and strategic fit.

Rapid Domain Immersion

When you're suddenly tasked with a new, complex area like 'advanced materials for space applications,' use a conversational AI as your tutor. Ask it to 'Explain the core principles like I'm a business manager,' 'List the top 10 research labs,' or 'Draft an initial market map.' You'll get up to speed in hours, not days.

Executive Briefing & Comms Co-Pilot

After a deep technical dive, paste your raw notes into an LLM and prompt it to 'Draft a 1-page executive summary for the Board, focusing on business opportunity, risks, and next steps.' Use it to draft initial outreach emails to founders or structure complex strategic proposals. This saves you hours on reporting and ensures your message is always clear and impactful.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting?

Common routes in include Lead Technology Scout (3-5 years), Manager, Technology Scouting & Innovation (2-4 years) and Senior R&D Manager / Head of Product Innovation (4-6 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting progress to?

This role can lead on to VP, R&D Strategy & Corporate Innovation (3-5 years), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director, Technology Strategy & Scouting?

Increasingly, AI-Powered Strategic Foresight & Sensemaking and Ecosystem Orchestration & Platform Strategy. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in research and development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in this role, including strategic foresight, due diligence, ecosystem building and influence at senior level, apply across many research-intensive industries. These include pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, energy and digital technology. The ability to turn deep technology into commercial value is useful in most of them.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.