Client Development Lead – Emerging Technology & Strategy

The Pitch. It’s a fun job with a great team - and it’s a serious one too.

This is not a traditional business development role. You won’t be pitching products, chasing leads or working from scripts. Instead, you’ll be working at the intersection of emerging technology, strategy, and long-term client relationships, helping some of the world’s most influential R&D-led organisations make sense of what’s coming next, and decide where to engage.

If you enjoy intelligent conversations with very smart people, are comfortable with ambiguity, and want real ownership rather than a narrow sales remit, this role will feel unusually well-matched.

The role

As Client Development Lead – Emerging Technology & Strategy, you will take ownership of how Outsmart Insight develops and grows its client relationships as we enter our next phase of scale.

You will work directly with senior leaders (CTOs, Heads of Innovation, R&D Directors, technical strategists) across defence, aerospace, energy, elite sports, advanced manufacturing and government. Your job is to develop clients, not “sell to them”:

• Turning early curiosity into meaningful, funded engagements
• Shaping broad conversations into well-scoped pilots
• Growing trust-based relationships into long-term partnerships

This is a role for someone who wants to be close to decision-making, not buried in process.

What you'll be doing

• Leading senior-level, consultative conversations with technically sophisticated clients
• Developing new client relationships and expanding existing strategic accounts
• Helping clients define the right problem to explore before money is spent
• Structuring pilots and guiding clients through how to buy, not just what to buy
• Acting as a trusted interface between deep technical insight and commercial outcomes
• Feeding market insight back into how we shape and position our services
• Working closely with delivery teams to ensure credibility, quality and follow-through

This is low-volume, high-trust work. Success is measured in relationship depth and repeat engagement, not activity metrics.

The technology landscape

You’ll gain exposure to – and be expected to engage thoughtfully with – a wide range of emerging technology domains, including:

• Artificial intelligence and human–machine teaming
• Robotics and autonomous systems
• Advanced sensing, haptics and human performance engineering
• Secure communications and resilient architectures
• Next-generation materials and energy systems

You don’t need to be an expert. You do need to be genuinely curious.

Who this role is for

This role is designed for someone who is:

• Mid-career and ready for greater autonomy and ownership
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and incomplete information
• Credible with technical, sceptical audiences
• Motivated by long-term impact rather than short-term wins
• Calm, thoughtful, and intellectually curious

Many strong candidates have experience within:

Technical / Innovation Consultancy

• Senior Consultant / Principal Consultant (Technology, Innovation, Foresight)
• Innovation Consultant
• Technology Strategy Consultant

Corporate Innovation / Open Innovation

• Open Innovation Manager
• Innovation Partnerships Manager
• External Innovation Lead
• Technology Scouting Manager

Research Commercialisation

• Industry Partnerships Manager
• Corporate Venture Manager
• Ecosystem Manager
• Strategic Partnerships Manager

If you’ve spent years being close to important conversations but not quite owning the outcome, this role is worth your attention.

What we're looking for

Rather than a checklist, we’re looking for strong alignment with how we work. In practice, that usually means:

• You’ll have approximately 10 years of experience in senior client-facing, partnership, consulting or commercial roles, ideally in technology-led or R&D-driven environments

Additionally:

• Experience of selling to clients and acquiring new company logos
• A track record of working with R&D-led or technology-driven organisations
• Comfort operating without scripts, rigid playbooks or heavy supervision
• A background in, or strong affinity for, science, engineering or technology
• The judgement to balance patience with momentum

If you describe yourself primarily as a “closer” or are motivated by aggressive targets, this role is unlikely to be a good fit.

Practicalities

• Schedule: Monday to Friday, no weekends
• Location: UK-based
• Working style: Remote and flexible arrangements considered

Why Outsmart Insight?

Advances in science and technology – from robotics and AI to climate tech and space – are reshaping every industry. Navigating that change requires more than information; it requires judgement, perspective and trust. Outsmart Insight is a technology intelligence company working at the intersection of deep tech and the future. We specialise in horizon scanning, technology monitoring, trend forecasting and innovation scouting, supporting global companies, venture firms and government agencies as they make long-term decisions under uncertainty. We are deliberately intellectually serious, and highly trusted by our clients. As we grow, we are focused on building durable partnerships.

Our values

• Smart minds, working together
• Quality delivered every time
• Strong client relationships built on trust
• Hard work, rewarded
• A happy, healthy team

Apply

Send a short cover letter and a two-page CV to careers@outsmartinsight.com, outlining why this role and this type of work appeals to you.

Please note: only applications sent directly to this email address will be considered.