Job ID: 490013 

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. 

Position Overview

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.

Key Responsibilities (Essential Duties and Functions)

• 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.

Core Competencies and Behaviors

• Academic Experience: Candidates should have experience with the research and development activity within the academia and be knowledgeable about how the institutions conduct their day to day activities.
• Strong technical background: the candidate should demonstrate the ability to strongly communicate in the technical fields of interest for CRH (Water, Material Science, Low/Zero Carbon Solutions, Asphalt/Roads of the Future, Industrialized Construction, 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.

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• 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 partnerships or collaborative research projects.
• Strong understanding of construction materials, research methodologies, and innovation processes.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Project management expertise, including budget management and resource allocation.
• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Work Requirements

• Must be 18 years in age or older.
• Must pass pre-employment drug screen and criminal background check.
• Strict adherence to safety requirements and procedures as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Willingness to work independently within a team environment and assist the team with other duties as required.
• Must be willing to travel occasionally.

Knowledge/Skill Requirements

• Excellent communication skills, written and oral.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products (focus on: SharePoint, Teams, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Experience working in IP Management Systems (e.g., Anaqua, Clarivate, Equinox, etc).

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Able to communicate with others by telephone and in person.
• Able to utilize a computer for word processing, email communication, and preparation of documents and presentations.
• May require sitting for extended periods of time.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Must be able to provide functioning home or remote office.
• When working from a CRH office, expect normal office working conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
• The position may require work outside of normal business hours.

The statements included in this job description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Other duties may be assigned as required. Requirements for this job are subject to modification by the Company and its designees, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

What CRH Offers You

• 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

About CRH

CRH has a long and proud heritage. We are a collection of hundreds of family businesses, regional companies and large enterprises that together form the CRH family. CRH operates in a decentralized, diversified structure that allows you to work in a small company environment while having the career opportunities of large international organization.

If you’re up for a rewarding challenge, we invite you to take the first step and apply today! Once you click apply now, you will be brought to our official employment application. Please complete your online profile and it will be sent to the hiring manager. Our system allows you to view and track your status 24 hours a day. Thank you for your interest!

CRH is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.

EOE/Vet/Disability--If you want to know more, please click on this link.