The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is on the hunt for a new Managing Director (MD), when its current Managing Director (MD), Jeff Pratt, steps down from the role later this year. 

The MD will leave UKBIC at the end of his five-year contract. Jeff joined UKBIC in June 2018 to oversee the development, delivery and launch of the £130 million facility as a new business, funded by government through the Faraday Battery Challenge. 

The pioneering facility is a key part of the Faraday Battery Challenge programme, which is being delivered by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), with the aim of building a high-tech, high-value, high-skill battery industry in the UK.

UKBIC’s role is to support UK industry through the challenging scale-up and industrialisation of battery technologies into commercial production. UKBIC is the UK’s national manufacturing battery development facility, where businesses can develop their battery manufacturing processes at the scale they need to move to industrial production. Opened in July 2021, the unique facility bridges the gap between battery research and successful mass production, helping companies of any size to scale and commercialise their technologies.

The facility was formally launched by the Prime Minister in July 2021.  Since then, it has worked with a number of companies, providing capability and manufacturing facilities to support them in demonstrating their products at scale to de-risk investment in UK production.

Richard Moon, UKBIC’s Chairman, said: “Since Jeff joined UKBIC as Managing Director, five years ago, he has overseen the successful delivery of the £130 million capital project, as well as establishment of the business from scratch and the growth of UKBIC from a small project team of around 10 people in 2018 to an operation of over 140 staff today. He has led the business through the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic over the last few years.

Despite this, he has still managed to see UKBIC through to its launch in 2021 and the building of new business with the first customers since then. I am immensely grateful to Jeff for his dedication to UKBIC over the last five years and the vital expertise and experience he brought to the development of this unique facility.” 

Anyone wishing to apply for the role, should do so here.