Assistant Director of Business Development

Brown University•Searchlight, NV

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Development, Life Sciences, the Assistant Director (AD) of Business Development serves as a key operational lead in advancing Brown University’s mission to commercialize internal technologies. The AD is responsible for the hands-on management of a complex portfolio of life science technologies. The AD independently performs complex work requiring significant judgment to identify key barriers to commercialization and apply advanced knowledge to resolve them. This role is not merely supportive but is accountable for ensuring that specific goals, objectives, and all work within their assigned pipeline are accomplished. This role is hybrid with an expectation of a minimum of 2-3 days per week in the office. As this is a hybrid role, the employee will be expected to be in the office 3-4 days/week.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field (Life Science or Biomedical Engineering, etc.) required.
Minimum of 5 years of related experience in academic research, business development or technology commercialization.
Experience with the practices and processes related to technology transfer and intellectual property.
Ability to resolve a wide range of complex, multi-stakeholder issues in creative ways and work collaboratively to make decisions in ambiguous situations.
Proven ability to work cross-functionally across departments and influence others to reach agreement.
Advanced written and verbal communication skills to convey technical and financial data to diverse constituencies.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree (Ph.D., Master’s, MBA, or JD) is preferred.
Experience working in or with academic institutions and/or medical centers is a plus.

Responsibilities

Technology Sourcing and Discovery: Proactively engages with the research community to identify and evaluate emerging technologies and high-potential inventions.
Faculty Business Partnership: Acts as a dedicated consultant to faculty and researchers, providing strategic guidance on commercialization pathways.
IP Portfolio Management and Prosecution: Oversees the end-to-end IP filing and prosecution process, including managing relationships with external patent counsel, reviewing legal filings for technical accuracy, and ensuring that the patent strategy aligns with the broader commercialization roadmap
Strategic Portfolio Prioritization: Evaluates commercialization opportunities within assigned portfolio to maximize impact
Marketing, Outreach and Deal Execution: Identifies and cultivates relationships with potential licensees, industry partners, and venture capitalists to drive engagement and awareness. Negotiate agreements that protect the institution’s interests while fostering innovation.