Senior Manager, Innovation Partnerships – Life Sciences

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

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Job Summary
The Senior Manager Innovation Partnerships Life Sciences is a senior business development and partnership architecture role within Innovation UBC with a specific focus on the life sciences sector. Reporting to the Associate Director Innovation Partnerships the incumbent initiates develops structures negotiates within delegated authority and advances high-value partnerships with industry government not-for-profit organizations foundations and other external partners. The role is accountable for generating and advancing opportunities that convert UBC research strengths innovation assets talent intellectual property and facilities into strategically significant externally funded collaborations that deliver measurable research innovation economic environmental health and societal impact.

This position is focused on complex and multi-faceted public-private partnership opportunities including multi-party research consortia anchor partner relationships challenge-based initiatives and major strategic alliances. The Senior Manager applies scientific and/or technical fluency business acumen senior relationship management opportunity qualification and knowledge of sponsored research technology transfer commercialization entrepreneurship and public/private innovation funding models to create collaborations that are larger in scope longer in duration and more strategically important than incremental project-by-project research contracts. The Senior Manager is expected to independently generate opportunities for review lead assigned initiatives and drive them to completion with regular progress check-ins and direction from the Associate Director. The Associate Director retains ultimate responsibility for partnership strategy escalated negotiations institutional commitments and signing authority.

Organizational Status
Internal

Reports to the Associate Director Innovation Partnerships. Works closely with Innovation UBC Sponsored Research Technology Transfer Entrepreneurship and other Innovation UBC colleagues to ensure external partners receive coordinated and coherent outreach and responses. Engages with UBC faculty research clusters research centres institutes Deans Associate Deans Research VPRI Office colleagues Development and Alumni Engagement Government Relations legal and contracting resources finance and administrative units and other UBC staff in partnership-facing roles. May provide project direction and coordination to project managers contractors or other resources assigned to specific partnership initiatives. The role does not have overall responsibility for managing the Innovation Partnerships team.

Work Performed
Strategy Planning and Opportunity Development

• Contributes to the development and execution of Innovation UBCs partnerships strategy annual work plan and strategic opportunity pipeline.

• Independently identifies and generates new partnership opportunities for review prioritization and direction by the Associate Director.

• Identifies areas where UBC research strengths facilities intellectual property entrepreneurial capacity and student talent can be combined into compelling value propositions for external partners.

• Undertakes proactive external market discovery and environmental scanning to identify major industry needs government priorities funding opportunities consortia models and public/private innovation programs beyond recurring transactional mechanisms.

• Develops opportunity briefs partner value propositions prospect strategies and internal decision materials for high-potential strategic initiatives.

• Assesses and prioritizes opportunities based on strategic alignment partner readiness potential funding scale UBC research fit complexity risk reputational value likelihood of execution and long-term impact.

• Provides recommendations to the Associate Director on opportunity prioritization partner engagement strategies risk considerations and next steps.

• Maintains awareness of national and international innovation trends major funding programs sector roadmaps policy priorities and emerging research partnership models relevant to UBC.

Business Development and Senior Relationship Management

• Builds deepens and manages relationships with external partners capable of supporting major research and innovation collaborations with UBC.

• Leads partner discovery outreach needs assessment opportunity framing and early-stage business development activity for assigned strategic accounts and partnership opportunities.

• Acts as a trusted intermediary between external partners and UBC researchers by translating industry government and not-for-profit needs into researchable problems and by translating UBC research capabilities into clear partner value propositions.

• Develops and maintains account plans relationship maps opportunity roadmaps and renewal or expansion strategies for anchor partners and consortium participants.

• Prepares and delivers presentations pitches briefing notes concept papers and partner-facing materials that support strategic partnership development.

• Drives assigned partnership initiatives toward completion coordinating internal and external contributors maintaining momentum managing timelines and providing regular progress updates to the Associate Director.

• Coordinates with Development and Alumni Engagement on corporate and foundation opportunities that may include philanthropic sponsorship research or blended funding components.

• Coordinates with Government Relations and relevant academic and administrative units when opportunities involve government policy priorities public funding or public-sector partners.

• Escalates difficult partner negotiations complex conflicts unresolved internal issues or matters involving significant institutional risk to the Associate Director.

Consortium and Partnership Architecture

• Designs and advances complex multi-party multi-year partnership structures including research consortia anchor industry partnerships public-private initiatives innovation hubs challenge-based collaborations and strategic alliances within delegated authority and under the direction of the Associate Director.

• Brings together UBC researchers across faculties departments research centres and campuses to form credible interdisciplinary teams around major external opportunities.

• Works with researchers and partners to define partnership scope strategic objectives work packages governance models membership models funding structures milestones deliverables decision rights and partner benefits.

• Identifies and integrates appropriate provincial federal international philanthropic and partner co-investment programs to improve the value proposition and increase the scale of collaboration.

• Coordinates the development of letters of intent concept notes non-confidential summaries term sheets memoranda of understanding consortium proposals and other materials required to move opportunities from concept to execution.

• Negotiates partnership terms within delegated authority and in accordance with UBC policy established practice and direction from the Associate Director and responsible institutional offices.

• Works closely with Sponsored Research Technology Transfer legal and contracting resources finance and other responsible offices to support the structuring negotiation and execution of complex agreements including multi-party and public-private arrangements.

• Provides recommendations on partnership strategy and business terms while ensuring that institutional approvals signing authority legal review research administration and compliance requirements are handled through the appropriate UBC processes.

• Supports transition from opportunity development to implementation by helping establish launch plans governance meetings partner onboarding reporting expectations and internal handoffs.

Researcher Liaison and Internal Coordination

• Develops and maintains relationships with UBC researchers research clusters institutes centres and academic leaders whose work aligns with major external partnership opportunities.

• Facilitates dialogue among principal investigators academic units Innovation UBC teams and external partners to identify areas of mutual interest and to build partnership concepts that are academically credible and externally compelling.

• Connects UBC researchers and partners with appropriate Innovation UBC VPRI Development and Alumni Engagement Government Relations and administrative resources.

• Supports UBC researchers in understanding partner expectations partnership models funding program requirements proposal strategies intellectual property considerations commercialization pathways and governance requirements for major collaborations.

• Develops and delivers workshops briefings or other educational activities that improve researcher readiness for strategic external partnerships.

• Applies a triage approach to ensure opportunities are directed to the right UBC pathway. Opportunities that are primarily transactional community-engaged philanthropic educational or advisory in nature are referred or co-managed with the appropriate UBC unit unless they form part of a strategic research partnership or consortium opportunity.

• Works within UBC policies and procedures and coordinates with relevant offices on matters such as confidentiality intellectual property conflict of interest research ethics Indigenous engagement data governance export controls financial administration and contracting.

Portfolio Management Metrics and Reporting

• Maintains accurate records of opportunities contacts engagement activities pipeline stages risks next steps and outcomes using the systems and reporting tools adopted by Innovation UBC.

• Develops and monitors portfolio metrics in collaboration with the Associate Director including net-new sponsored research funding value and stage of qualified pipeline number and value of strategic partnership proposals partner engagement partner satisfaction consortium renewals and long-term research and innovation outcomes.

• Prepares regular pipeline reports opportunity updates risk assessments and decision materials for the Associate Director Innovation UBC leadership and advisory bodies as required.

• Conducts post-opportunity reviews to identify lessons learned from successful and unsuccessful pursuits and to improve partnership development practices.

• Contributes to annual planning performance evaluation and continuous improvement of the Innovation Partnerships operating model.

Outreach Communications and Representation

• Represents Innovation UBC in meetings conferences sector forums government and industry roundtables and other venues related to university-industry-government collaboration and innovation within delegated authority and in coordination with the Associate Director.

• Works with Innovation UBC and VPRI communications colleagues to identify partnership success stories and to support communications that highlight UBC research impact and partner value.

• Builds and maintains relationships with relevant associations alliances funders innovation networks and peer institutions to strengthen UBCs visibility and partnership pipeline.

• Promotes awareness within UBC of strategic partnership opportunities public/private funding programs and best practices in large-scale external collaboration.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Senior Manager operates in a highly visible externally facing role with significant financial reputational operational and strategic consequences for UBC. Errors in judgement may result in lost funding opportunities weakened relationships with strategic partners reputational damage unrealistic expectations delays in major proposals or agreements or exposure to legal intellectual property confidentiality compliance financial or conflict-of-interest risk. The role requires a high degree of independence discretion diplomacy critical thinking negotiation acumen and the ability to manage complexity without creating commitments beyond delegated authority. The incumbent is expected to recognize and escalate high-risk precedent-setting or highly complex matters to the Associate Director and to the appropriate institutional offices.

Supervision Received
Works with a high degree of independence under the general direction of the Associate Director Innovation Partnerships. Strategic direction priorities performance objectives and key metrics are established through annual planning and reviewed regularly. The incumbent is expected to exercise independent judgement in opportunity qualification relationship development internal coordination and escalation of risks or institutional issues.

Supervision Given
No direct ongoing staff supervision is assumed at the time of posting unless assigned. The Senior Manager may provide functional leadership to cross-functional project teams working groups students interns coordinators external consultants or temporary project resources. The position mentors colleagues and provides guidance to researchers and internal stakeholders on partnership development practices.

Minimum Qualifications
Masters degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of nine years in the life science industry or related experience in a senior management position or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives including perspectives in conflict with ones own.

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and skills related to equity diversity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in science engineering health business law public policy or another relevant field or an equivalent professional designation.

• Proven track record creating or materially advancing complex high-value multi-party public-private partnerships research consortia strategic alliances or innovation initiatives.

• Experience working in or with a research-intensive university research institute technology company government agency industry consortium or innovation organization.

• Working knowledge of sponsored research research contracting intellectual property licensing commercialization entrepreneurship public/private funding models and the differences between research philanthropy sponsorship procurement and service activity.

• Experience with Canadian and international innovation funding programs including the ability to identify interpret and align opportunities with partner and researcher interests.

• Strong business development negotiation account management proposal development financial modelling budgeting and project management skills.

• Ability to engage credibly with senior executives government officials funders faculty members research leaders entrepreneurs legal and contracting professionals and administrative stakeholders.

• Ability to synthesize complex scientific technical commercial policy and institutional information into clear and persuasive written and oral communications.

• Demonstrated success building interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral teams and facilitating work among stakeholders with different goals cultures timeframes and decision processes.

• Exceptional judgement discretion diplomacy resilience and ability to work in ambiguous fast-moving environments.

• Experience using CRM pipeline management reporting or other tools to track business development activity and partnership outcomes.

• Knowledge of one or more UBC priority research or innovation areas is an asset; however the role is not limited to a fixed sector portfolio.