Job ID: 501738

CRH is a leading global diversified building materials group, employing over 75,800 people at more than 3,160 locations in 29 countries. CRH is the leading building materials company in North America and the world. We manufacture and distribute a diverse range of superior building materials, products, and solutions, which are used extensively in construction projects of all sizes.

Job Summary

As an Academic Relationship Manager at CRH, you will be at the forefront of our research and development initiatives. You will be responsible for formulating and executing a comprehensive academic partnership strategy, selecting key institutions for long-term collaboration, and overseeing the management of these relationships and associated projects. This is a hybrid position based in our Atlanta corporate office in Sandy Springs, GA.

• Develop Academic Partnership Strategy:
  
  • Collaborate with the Global Innovation Team, Group, and OpCos R&D Teams to define a comprehensive strategic plan for engaging with academic institutions.
  • This strategy should align with the company's innovation objectives, iCSC thematic areas, and winning strategies defined within each thematic area.
• Institution Selection:
  
  • Provide a comprehensive landscape of the key institutions worldwide with core capabilities and competencies that align with iCSC thematic areas.
  • Understand their current state of work and existing relationships with private companies and assess the willingness and fit to collaborate with CRH.
  • Prioritize institutions for long-term collaboration and propose a long-term engagement plan.
• Relationship Management:
  
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for academic partners, nurturing strong and mutually beneficial relationships.
  • Facilitate regular communication and collaboration between the company and academic partners.
  • Support the Communications Team by elaborating a targeted communication plan to position CRH as a preferred partner for academic institutions.
• Project Oversight:
  
  • Oversee the planning, execution, and monitoring of projects conducted under long-term agreements with academic institutions.
  • Ensure projects remain on track, meet objectives, and deliver valuable results.
  • Manage potential scope, timing, and budget conflicts between the CRH Innovation community and the Academic partners.
  • Develop remediation plans and recovery plans as needed.
• Budget Management:
  
  • Develop and manage budgets related to academic partnerships and associated projects.
  • Optimize resource allocation to maximize the impact of collaborations.
• Contract Negotiation:
  
  • Collaborate with Legal, Intellectual Property and Procurement teams to negotiate and finalize long-term agreements with academic partners, ensuring all terms and conditions align with company objectives.
  • Support the elaboration of a relationship strategy that provides CRH with a competitive edge regarding control of intellectual property and/or access to the technology under exclusive rights.
• Knowledge Transfer:
  
  • Facilitate the exchange of knowledge and technology between the company and academic partners.
  • Ensure that research findings and innovations are effectively integrated into the company's product development and innovation processes.
• Performance Evaluation:
  
  • Continuously assess the performance of academic partnerships and associated projects.
  • Implement improvements and course corrections as necessary to achieve desired outcomes.

• Bachelor's degree in Material Science Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, or Physics (Master's or Ph.D. preferred).
• Proven experience in developing and managing academic R&D partnerships or collaborative research projects.
• Strong understanding of construction materials, research methodologies, and innovation processes - specifically Water, Material Science, Low/Zero Carbon Solutions, Asphalt/Roads of the Future, Industrialized Construction and/or Circular Economy.
• Curious and Entrepreneurial Mindset: candidates must have a "scientifically curious" mindset and "action-oriented" behavior to drive science into a business opportunity.
• Product development, program management, and launch: The ideal candidate must have previous experience in product development, program management, and new product launch/introduction.

• Highly competitive base pay
• Comprehensive medical, dental and disability benefits programs
• Group retirement savings program
• Health and wellness programs
• A diverse and inclusive culture that values opportunity for growth, development, and internal promotion