Director of Business Dev. LINK

Job Description

LINK, Center for Advancing Partnerships, is seeking a Director of Business Development to support industry partnerships for Virginia Tech. LINK is a jointly funded center between the Office of Research and Innovation (OVPRI) and University Advancement. OVPRI supports university-wide strategic initiatives, innovation and technology commercialization, and operational functions of Virginia Tech's $520+ million research enterprise that spans nine academic colleges, eight university research institutes, and three affiliated corporations. Advancement works with alumni, friends, and donors to meet philanthropic goals to support students, faculty, research, and outreach initiatives at the university. This position is key to the ambitious plans Virginia Tech is making to be a leading land grant university that delivers innovative solutions to the most pressing global challenges of our time. ||The Director of Business Development will be located on the Blacksburg campus and serve as the primary interface between a defined portfolio of industry partners and the university. This individual will be part of a distributed and matrixed team, working together to bring a holistic approach to partnership, from Discovery to Market. This person will support partnerships and engagement as they relate to key strategic activities at the university, including those associated with the recently awarded Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and the new VT Innovation Campus in Alexandria, VA. This person will identify, nurture, and expand relationships through research-based partnerships, connections to research centers, institutes and programs, faculty expertise, facilities and equipment, facilitated working sessions and cocreation activities, fundraising, facilitation of student hiring and internships, professional training, advisory board opportunities, networking events, and other University activities and programs in response to industry partner needs and interests.||Reporting to the Executive Director of LINK, the Director of Business Development will:|Through a portfolio based and client centered approach, engage key industry partners to support growth and opportunities at VT, including sponsored programs, contracts, philanthropy, recruiting, sponsorship, and other forms of collaboration.|Nurture and expand relationships with prospective industry partners, often with senior leaders, serving as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of corporations. |Work closely with faculty, researchers, program managers, and Advancement professionals across the institution to engage industry partners, making links between company interests/market needs and university opportunities, research, and students.|Lend industry, market, and/or technical domain analysis, insight, and experience to identify possible opportunities and value drivers to inform and support cultivation and engagement strategies.|Develop intelligence around and connections to University faculty and research interests, capabilities, and activities connections, identifying opportunities that have industry/market relevance; organize working sessions, and effectively connect and shepherd the relationships. |Identify, shape, and solicit corporate opportunities (including philanthropic), through a variety of mechanisms, including organizing working sessions and cocreation activities with members of the faculty and staff.|Schedule and host corporate visits to campus that reflect the breadth of VT offerings, driving toward tangible opportunities and outcomes.|Maintain knowledge of technology, research, and recruiting needs of industry, as well as of specific firms.|Assist in crafting grant applications, proposals, white papers, status reports and corporate report cards.|Assist in formulating collaboration strategies and opportunities, as well as research contract and gift agreement review and processing.|Assist in developing marketing initiatives and stewardship programs with corporate partners.|Serve as liaison to certain University colleges, units, and institutes.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and demonstrated sales/industry experience; or master's or other advanced degree.|Experience in consultative or technical sales/marketing, business development, client management, business/research strategy, and/or innovation/partnerships function or relevant experience.|Track record of professionalism, with strong communication skills and ability to work with and support a wide range of constituents, e.g., clients, customers, teams, donors, and volunteers.|Ability to analyze data (e.g., market, technical, customer) and lend technical expertise to establish priorities, and develop and implement strategies with increasing complexity. |Evidence as a selfstarter who can work independently, as well as be a team contributor in a complex and fastpaced organization. |Willingness to travel on a frequent basis.

Preferred Qualifications

Technical or industry background, including in engineering, data sciences, cybersecurity, defense, physical sciences, life sciences, information technology, and related domains.|Evidence of business/revenue growth and/or partnership development in a technical sales/marketing capacity.|Evidence of productive relationships and facilitation with administrators, key business leaders, faculty, staff, institutional boards, volunteers, and/or donors.|Previous business development/strategy experience developing progressively complex strategies and using data analytics, technical/domain knowledge and information, and competitive/market intelligence to guide decision making.

Pay Band

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experience

Review Date

February 26, 2021

Additional Information

The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brandi Barnett at brandib@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Advertised: January 26, 2021
Applications close: