Associate Director of Business Development, CALS

Job Description

LINK, Center for Advancing Partnerships and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) are seeking an Associate Director of Business Development to support industry that advance the goals of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Virginia Tech. LINK, a jointly-funded center between Advancement and the Office of Research and Innovation, supports university-wide strategic initiatives, program partnerships, and the university’s $550+ million research enterprise. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has a dynamic network that connects and enhances agricultural research and educational initiatives across the Commonwealth of Virginia including eleven Agricultural Research and Extension Centers (AREC) and 107 local Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) offices. Central to the CALS strategy is the new Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture (CAIA) and its SmartFarm Innovation Network. This position is key to the presidential university initiative to be a leading 21st century land grant university that delivers innovative solutions to the most pressing global challenges of our time.

The Associate Director of Business Development will serve as the primary interface between a defined portfolio of industry partners and the university, as well as support program partnerships and corporate engagement related to key strategic activities of CALS, the ARECs, VCE offices, and the CAIA/SmartFarm Innovation Network. This person will identify, nurture and expand relationships through research-based partnerships, connections to research centers, extension programs, faculty expertise, facilities and equipment, facilitated working sessions, fundraising, facilitation of student recruitment and learning experiences, professional training, advisory board service, networking events and other College and University activities and programs in response to industry partner needs and interests.

Reporting to the Executive Director of LINK and embedded in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Associate Director of Business Development will:

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 CALS faculty, researchers, program managers, staff, 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 VT faculty and research interests, capabilities, and activities, 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 co-creation activities with members of the faculty and staff.

Schedule and host corporate visits to VT campuses that reflects the breadth of CALS and university 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 CALS leaders, faculty, and staff as well as collaborating colleges, units, and institutes.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree with demonstrated sales/industry experience applicable to the agricultural and life sciences; 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.

Track record of professionalism, with strong communication skills (both written and oral) 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 self-starter who can work independently, as well as be a team contributor in a complex and fast-paced organization.

Willingness to travel on a frequent basis.

Preferred Qualifications

Technical, research, or industry background in food, agriculture, and life science 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

N/A

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experiencce

Review Date

March 25,2022

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 military 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 21, 2022
Applications close: