Team Leader Business and Management
Jay Blackburn is a Team Leader in the Business and Management Department at UCNL and UCDon, where they play a key role in strengthening links between students and industry, driving educational gains, and enhancing the overall student experience. With a background in recruitment and marketing, Jay brings over a decade of combined academic and professional experience to their teaching, leadership, and research.
Jay holds a BA in Events Management from the University of Huddersfield, an MBA in Entrepreneurship, a PGCE, CIPD Associate Membership, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Their professional experience includes recruitment account management and marketing roles, working with major clients such as Marks & Spencer and Argos, where they developed expertise in large-scale temporary HGV and warehouse staffing, managing accounts with over 200 personnel daily. Jay has also worked with national and international governing bodies in Skater Hockey, supporting their marketing and promotional activities. This varied industry background informs Jay’s applied, practice-led teaching approach, with a particular focus on entrepreneurial practices and employability development.
Jay currently teaches Enterprise and Innovation and Marketing Innovations, with academic interests in entrepreneurship, marketing, and the creative elements of business. They also support student business start-ups, contributing to the department’s broader mission of student success, innovation, and business engagement.
Jay’s research interests include employability skills developed through entrepreneurship, a topic explored during their MBA. They are currently undertaking a PhD in Football Branding and collaborating with the Careers and Enterprise Company on the EcoPreneurs project, with plans to expand this initiative in the coming years.
A committed FHEA practitioner, Jay is dedicated to continuous professional development and enhancing the student learning experience through active learning and innovative pedagogies.