Ecosystem Development Manager

Purpose of the role

We are looking for an outgoing and driven Ecosystem Development Manager to work with us on the next stage of E-Spark’s growth. In this role you will be the conduit between our entrepreneurs, alumni and the wider investment and business ecosystem, connecting them relevant investors, commercial opportunities, sector expertise and partnerships that add value to the startup ecosystem. You will also be at the front line of E-Spark’s business development and growth agenda, identifying and shaping new accelerator opportunities alongside our Leadership Team. 

We run a number of accelerators including the UK Space Agency Accelerator and Accelerate to Investment, and are growing into adjacent sectors across the UK. As part of this growth, we are seeking a dynamic and organised Ecosystem Development Manager to grow and maintain our vibrant national accelerator ecosystem, with a particular focus on strengthening relationships with early-stage investors, angel networks, commercial partners and the communities that can create opportunities for our entrepreneurs.  

Your responsibilities will include working closely with our programme delivery and marketing teams, as well as external delivery partners and wider stakeholders. You will be the primary conduit between the UK Space Agency Accelerator and the external business and investment community, connecting with investors, industry partners and experts to bring valuable opportunities to our cohorts and alumni. You will champion the Accelerator and our entrepreneurs at events across the UK, finding the best applicants to join us and sharing our mission to attract support. You will know our portfolio companies well, understand where they are in their growth journey, and use your judgment to make thoughtful introductions when they are ready. 

Who We Are 

Entrepreneurial Spark build great people who build great businesses to drive growth that benefits everybody. We do this by developing the mindsets and behaviours of entrepreneurs, a method proven by working with over 10,000 participants globally. We help people to overcome barriers both personally and professionally and help them achieve their goals and ambitions.  

How do we do this? We run accelerator programmes for entrepreneurs globally, both ourselves and in partnership with others. Our focus is on building communities of like-minded collaborative people in person and online.   

We believe that entrepreneurs can reach their greatest potential when equipped with accountability, insight, and support throughout both their business and mindset. 

We believe everyone who commits to start and grow a business should have the opportunity and support to succeed, or to discover it is not for them at this time.   

We believe that having the right mindset in whatever you do underpins any future action, decision making and behaviours. The right mindset leads to the right action!   

Who You Are

We are looking for someone who shares our passion and drive to positively impact others and who can help us in creating a better way to support entrepreneurs globally. See our mission and values for more on what drives us. 

You understand the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence and you actively use this to get the best out of yourself, and to connect with others. You approach everything you do with a determination for growth and improvement and bringing innovative ideas to the table and team excites you.  

You are an energetic, open-minded, and self-starting individual who enjoys working within a start-up and the opportunities this brings. The role will be remote, and you will need to be able to maintain motivation working from home and while travelling. You are a great communicator and can adapt your tone, message, and style dependant on the audience. 

To succeed in this role, you should have excellent time management and communication skills, as you’ll collaborate with clients and internal teams to deliver results on deadlines. You will be a confident and systematic networker, able to build senior relationships quickly and maintain contact strategies to sustain them.  

You will understand the early-stage investment world and be able to judge when a founder is ready for the right introduction, and when they may need further support before taking that step. You will be a strategic thinker who can plan ahead, spot useful growth opportunities, and understand the importance of consistent storytelling for brand development. 

Ideally, you will have experience working with high-growth startups and the early-stage investor community (pre-seed and seed) or have worked closely with fundraising founders, angel networks, venture support programmes or accelerator-backed businesses. 

Roles and Responsibilities

• This role will primarily be working on the UK Space Agency Accelerator, with connections into A2I and E-Spark’s wider business development and growth agenda. 

• Collaborate with our Enablement Team who deliver our programmes to understand the entrepreneurs we work with, their businesses, growth needs, and readiness for relevant investor or commercial introductions. 

• Work with our Marketing Team to align ecosystem activity with the UK Space Agency Accelerator brand, campaigns and impact storytelling. 

• Develop an ecosystem strategy focused on the communities that can create growth opportunities for our entrepreneurs, including early-stage investors, commercial partners and sector experts. 

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including UK Space Agency, Delivery Partners, investors and external partners, to create mutually valuable opportunities. 

• Develop strong relationships with early-stage space investors and established space companies, connecting entrepreneurs with relevant funders or customer opportunities when appropriate. 

• Build connections across space-adjacent sectors, including Defence, Energy, Advanced Manufacturing and Mobility, to support entrepreneurs and explore new accelerator and business development opportunities. 

• Support application campaigns by identifying good candidates for our programmes through your networking activity. 

• Maintain engagement with founders and alumni by following up on introductions, opportunities and relationships created through the ecosystem.  

Skills and Qualifications

Please note that the following list is indicative only and you are strongly encouraged to apply even if you do not meet all of the criteria.

• Communication, both 1:1 and 1-to-many. You should be as comfortable on a stage as you are in a small meeting. 

• Organisation with the ability to plan, prioritise and follow-up consistently so relationships and growth opportunities keep moving. 

• An understanding of the challenges and needs of high-growth startups and/or the space sector, including what makes a founder ready for an investor or commercial introduction. 

• Experience working with early-stage investors – you should understand the investment landscape and candidates who have an existing network of investors will be preferred. 

• Initiative, motivation and adaptability. 

• Confident, purposeful networking, with an awareness of how these relationships can support business development and E-Spark’s growth. 

• High levels of emotional intelligence and inter-personal skills. 

• Diplomacy and teamwork to manage relationships and integrate seamlessly with our delivery teams. 

• Experience working with a CRM system would be preferred but is not required. 

Our Work Ethos

Entrepreneurial Spark is one of the most stimulating and vibrant companies that you will ever have the pleasure of operating in. We think differently and every day you will be working with inspirational people with exciting and creative ideas, so will operate in a continuous learning environment. In this phase of growth, you will be working in a small team. There is a level of autonomy that comes with the remote working, and this comes with a degree of flexibility in the role. We will rely on you to bring your thoughts and ideas to the table play an active role in the growth of Entrepreneurial Spark. 

As a team we believe in growth, learning and development so you should be comfortable being uncomfortable. As a role model for the people you work with and a key member of a small team, we will challenge you to up your game and be the best you can be. If you are not open to honest and frank conversations which will help you and the company grow, then this isn’t for you. 

Location

This is a remote role, but we are ideally looking for someone in London or within easy reach. You will be travelling frequently to events across the UK to represent us and develop our national ecosystem, so you should be flexible enough to spend up to one night per week away from home. We also hold in-person team meetings once a quarter and would like you to join these meetings. All travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for the above events and meetings. 

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time, so candidates must already have the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely. 

The Package

• £45,000-£50,000 annual salary (depending on experience), plus 10% London weighting for candidates living in London. 

• £75 monthly wellbeing allowance to spend on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. 

• Remote working from day one, with flexibility in how you manage your role. 

• 28 days annual holiday allowance + bank holidays. 

• Mobile phone and laptop will be provided if required. 

• Travel and accommodation expenses covered for required events and meetings. 

• Opportunities for personal and professional development as E-Spark grows. 

How to Apply 

Note that we are looking for candidates to start as soon as possible. 

Please send your CV and maximum 500-word cover letter to hello@entrepreneurial-spark.com by the 22nd July 2026. Our application and appointment timeline is as follows: 

• 20th-24th July – First round interviews. 

• 28th-29th July – Final interviews. 

• 30th-31st July – Successful candidate notified. 

• 7th September – Target start date. 

We are aware that holidays and notice periods may have an impact on interview and starting availability, and we will adjust these timelines where possible to accommodate if you are successful in your application.