ASU Enterprise Partners – Skysong Innovations - Director Business Development, Life Sciences

What we do:
ASU Enterprise Partners is a global-reaching non-profit based in Tempe, AZ. We raise resources to support students, researchers and programs at Arizona State University so that they can improve the world.

As is customary at ASU, we operate a little differently: not only do we cultivate philanthropy, we also identify real estate, technology transfer, international partnership and defense research opportunities that yield private support for the university. You can learn more about each of these entities at www.asuenterprisepartners.org.

Who we are:
Our team is varied – fundraisers, designers, scholars, financial wizards, ex-CEOs, filmmakers, venture capitalists, inventors, volunteers – and each member brings a different perspective to our vision.

Regardless of background, we share a mission that we can help, that quality higher education should be accessible -- no matter from where one comes -- and that we are responsible for the wellbeing of the communities we live in and serve.

Want to advance the most innovative university in the country – and your work? Join us.

 
There is no single career journey at Enterprise Partners. Roles often shift as passions are discovered. You’ll be encouraged to look across the organization to determine if new areas are of interest – whether in fundraising, real estate development, social media or something else. Training courses are offered every week, and our main offices face ASU’s Tempe campus, where our employees’ tuition is significantly reduced.

Our advancement opportunities are real – and so is the ability to be part of an intellectually stimulating, people-focused, mission-driven team doing meaningful work in a beautiful, vibrant, sunlit location.

Details about our comprehensive benefits are available at https://www.asuenterprisepartners.org/careers/benefits.

Partner Description: Skysong Innovations

As the top-rated university for innovation, Arizona State is a powerful generator of intellectual capital and technology. Skysong Innovations, a private non-profit organization, disseminates and manages that capital in the marketplace by nurturing relationships between faculty, investors and industry partners. Since its creation in 2003, Skysong Innovations has launched more than 120 startups, which support over 1,000 jobs and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to Arizona’s economy.

GENERAL SUMMARY: 

The Director of Business Development position is an exciting full-time position within the Life Sciences Team at Skysong Innovations, LLC. Skysong Innovations is the exclusive provider of technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) management services to Arizona State University (ASU). The new Director of Business Development will join an accomplished technology transfer office in its mission to advance ASU innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace for the good of society. For more information about Skysong Innovations, its mission, and its team, please visit www.skysonginnovations.com.

 The overall mission statement for the Director of Business Development is to help the Life Sciences Team identify, evaluate, protect, market, and commercialize innovative life-science-based technologies developed at ASU, a $600MM+ research enterprise. Within this overall mission statement, the Director of Business Development will primarily focus on removing impediments associated with the licensure of university technologies while ensuring a fair return for the university. The Director of Business Development will also promote the formation of ASU startup companies, communicate business and technical insights to the Life Sciences Team and ASU researchers when appropriate, and otherwise provide top-quality support within the Life Sciences Team and to ASU researchers. In addition, in some instances, this function may support technology transfer activities for other universities and research institutions.

What you'll do:

• Negotiate and execute licensing transactions from term sheet to definitive agreement
• Facilitate (and in some cases lead) marketing efforts to potential licensees via emailing, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, which includes encouraging faculty to disclose ASU-generated intellectual property and to participate in aspects of the commercialization process
• Provide the Life Sciences Team with business and technical insights concerning technologies and possible commercialization opportunities and pathways, particularly in the context of licensing deals and key decisions arising in associated patent prosecution timelines
• Maintain up-to-date project statuses via Skysong Innovations’ central database and participate in (and eventually lead) a recurring Life Sciences Team licensing meeting
• Make presentations to faculty, industry, university leadership, and boards
• Other duties as required

What you'll need:

• Proven experience and success in the negotiation and conclusion of successful licensing and research agreements
• Proven ability to work productively with inventors, administrators, and investors in an academic environment
• A proven communicator—comfortable dealing with senior faculty and university executives and administrators—as well as with executives in the commercial communities of technology, in order to develop and maintain relationships with faculty, industry, and other academic institutions
• Familiarity with the basic concepts of intellectual property law, particularly patent law, is required
• Ability to represent the institution well and to enthusiastically serve as an emissary for ASU
• Team-oriented strategist able to effectively manage complex situations involving numerous and sometimes competing constituencies
• Collaborative style, combined with the ability and desire to work in a team-based environment
• Ability to maintain a high-degree of confidentiality and responsibility regarding information related to Skysong Innovations (SI), ASU Enterprise Partners, and University business and confidential information
• Strong and collegial interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively in person, writing, and by phone with faculty, researchers, administrators and industry
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Problem solver who can take initiative and set priorities while being flexible
• Ability to represent and promote SI and ASU
• Attention to detail and thoroughness in completing assigned duties
• Highly organized and able to handle multiple projects
• Adept at navigating complex environments with evolving priorities and communication plans
• An advocate’s belief in the vision of ASU as the New American University

Relevant Experience:

Because this position entails evaluating and discussing sophisticated and often cutting-edge technologies on a regular basis, it requires an advanced technical degree and an ability to continuously educate oneself about new technologies. The ideal candidate will possess a PhD in biology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, or another life-science-related field. This position requires a minimum of eight (8) years of hands-on licensing/business development experience.

Advanced technical degree, Masters or Ph.D. required and a minimum of ten years of related experience. 

Contact us today.

Skysong Innovations, through ASU Enterprise Partners offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan and reduced tuition at ASU.

For more information on Skysong Innovations, visit our web site at www.skysonginnovations.com/  If interested in the Director Business Development Life Sciences position, please apply online at www.asuenterprisepartners.org/content/careers.

Skysong Innovations is an Equal Opportunity Employer