Director Business Dev & Portfolio Mgmt (Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures)

Johns Hopkins University•Baltimore, MD

15d•Hybrid

About The Position

Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) supports the commercialization of university technology through the development of industry-sponsored research, technology licensing, and venture creation. JHTV serves as business advisors to investigators at all ten schools of the university to enable the translation of academic research with commercial potential. The resources we provide include wraparound support for industry-sponsored research intellectual property (IP) protection and management, technology analysis, marketing and licensing support, translational and venture funding support, physical space through our FastForward innovation hubs, and professional services such as mentorship, pro bono legal and accounting services, and educational programming. We are seeking a Director Business Dev & Portfolio Management, a critical leadership role designed to enhance the corporate partnerships function in JHTV. In addition to being the backstop for Business Development Leads embedded in schools to support faculty, the incumbent will own the day-to-day portfolio management and will be responsible for coordination and information-sharing between Business Development Leads and JHTV teams. The Director Business Development & Portfolio Manager will employ best practices in business development and project management to support the scaling of corporate sponsored research at Hopkins through consistent follow-through, timely handoffs and coordination with appropriate JHTV teams. The Director reports to the Sr. Director Corporate Partnerships and will work closely with colleagues to ensure the success of translational activities at Johns Hopkins (industry sponsored research, invention disclosures and startup activities).

Requirements

Advanced Degree (PhD, MD) in life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, or related field. Master’s degree will be considered, depending on experience and field of training.
Eight years of experience in alliance management, portfolio/program/product leadership or management corporate or business development, or related roles involving large-scale coordination.
U.S. Citizen or legal permanent resident required due to Federal Export Controls.
Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Nice To Haves

Science and business fluency and able to engage academic researchers and industry leaders around a value proposition.
Working familiarity with research/innovation translation and commercialization pathways.
Experience supporting research collaborations in academia, industry, or similar organizations.
Strong portfolio management and ability to design and run reliable processes, track actions, and drive closure across all stakeholders.
Experience with CRM tools and structured datasets, dashboards, KPI reporting.
Able to switch between hands-on and strategy depending on the situation
Service-minded with strong stakeholder management and communication skills including oral and writing skills.
Experience working in a matrix organization with primary responsibility for success while relying on a team of resources, which may or may not be direct reports.
Have managed cross-functional teams with competing priorities and incomplete information
Demonstrated people-management experience building and leading high-performing teams in a matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end BD pipeline management across all embedded functions; monitor portfolio activities throughout the project lifecycle and drive timely execution.
Manage opportunity flow, partnerships pipeline and contacts using CRM system and project management tools; monitor portfolio activities across project life cycle and drive execution of projects.
Employ best practices in business development and project management to scale corporate sponsored research through consistent follow-through, timely handoffs and proactive coordination with JHTV teams.
Drive continuous improvement of business workflow by proactively identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks and frictions points; implement process enhancement in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Serve as the primary backstop for Business Development Leads embedded across Schools, providing strategic guidance and direct support in managing industry and faculty relationships.
Surface and cultivate cross-disciplinary opportunities across the University that can be leveraged for strategic industry partnerships.
Provide oversight and escalation support for contract negotiations, term sheets, and deal structures, stepping in to lead negotiations on strategic, complex, or high-value partnerships.
Provide integrative leadership across business development activities, ensuring alignment and collaboration with Corporate Partnerships, Tech Transfer, FastForward, and Research Administration teams.
Coordinate seamless handoffs between teams and track project progress to prevent duplication, maximize efficiency, and scale institutional impact.
Manage key internal relationships to maintain stakeholder alignment, coordination, and buy-in across JHTV and University partners.
Serve as the central hub for internal information sharing—ensuring timely dissemination of updates, best practices, and lessons learned across Business Development Leads, faculty, and JHTV teams.
Establish and maintain robust operational mechanisms (dashboards, pipeline reviews, decision/action tracking) to drive accountability and systematic follow-through.
Deliver clear, actionable portfolio reporting on key results and metrics to JHTV and School leadership.
Manage and develop direct reports through regular coaching, performance feedback, and professional development planning.
Set clear expectations and cultivate a high-accountability, results-oriented team culture.
Other duties as assigned.