Associate Vice President - Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute

West Virginia University • West Virginia, WV

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Strategy & External Partnerships serves as a senior strategic and operational leader for the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) reporting directly to the Executive Director of the RNI, Ali Rezai. The AVP leads high-priority strategic initiatives focused on technology commercialization, external partnerships, business development, communications, and institutional growth, and collaborates closely with RNI administrative leadership, RNI physician and scientific leadership, advisors, university and health system stakeholders, industry partners, foundations, state and federal government entities, and donors and philanthropy. This position involves a combination of onsite and hybrid work, with a strong expectation of regular onsite presence.

Requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of combined experience in one or a combination of the following areas: International Project Management, Management Consulting, Government relations experience, Healthcare Startup/Innovation experience.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in strategy, healthcare innovation, business development, commercialization, partnerships, consulting, or related fields.
• Strong executive communication, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives involving healthcare systems, academic institutions, industry partners, and government stakeholders preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead RNI’s strategic partnership efforts with external stakeholders including medtech, pharma and digital health, state and federal government, foundations and donors.
• Lead strategy development, analysis, implementation planning, and operational execution across RNI strategic initiatives and growth priorities.
• Develop timelines, budgets, prioritization frameworks, milestones, metrics, and reporting structures for key institutional initiatives.
• Lead RNI’s commercialization strategy, including new company formation, governance structures, licensing and royalty agreements, and strategic planning related to regulatory, reimbursement, financing, and operational models.
• Facilitate and advance RNI technology development and commercialization initiatives with the RNI R&D team, including the Human Operating System (HOS) digital platform and related modules, and focused ultrasound device and clinical application development initiatives.
• Create presentations, documents and marketing material related to these efforts.
• Lead RNI corporate and business development initiatives and strategic external partnerships.
• Manage executive-level relationships with industry and strategic partners, including organizations such as Insightec, Medtronic, NaviFUS, as well as academic, government, and commercial collaborators.
• Coordinate strategic planning, presentations, meetings, follow-ups, projects, and deliverables related to external partnerships and institutional initiatives.
• Collaborate with RNI executive leadership on the negotiation and development of agreements, partnerships, and strategic collaborations.
• Engage university and health system leadership to ensure alignment, approvals, and institutional support for strategic initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic liaison across clinical, research, operational, academic, philanthropic, and commercial functions.
• Support development and execution of RNI’s federal and state government relations strategy, including engagement with agencies and organizations such as ARPA-H, DARPA, National Institutes of Health, and Rural Health Transformation program (RHTP).
• Support foundation, philanthropy, and donor engagement initiatives and follow-up participation from fundraising efforts and unique donor requests, in collaboration with the VP RNI, the Executive Director of Development and other leaders at the WVU Foundation.
• Oversee national and international media efforts (WSJ, 60 minutes, Washington Post, Bloomberg, and others) in collaboration with RNI marketing and communications teams and the RNI VP.
• Lead development of executive presentations, strategic messaging, and briefing materials for the RNI Executive Director and senior leadership.
• Serve as the point of contact with external communications consultants and contractors.
• Supervise Director of RNI WVU and philanthropy Administration and Finance, Project Coordinator (HR), and Director of Innovation.

Benefits

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6%25 employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks.
• Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager