Partnerships Manager - UBC, Vancouver

The opportunity

The School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is seeking a Partnerships Manager to develop and implement external partnership, innovation, and commercialization activities in support of the School's strategic priorities. Established in 2017 as a partnership between the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, the SBME serves as a nucleus for education, training, research, and innovation. The Partnerships Manager acts as the primary resource for external engagement, ecosystem cultivation, and partnership development, working to build sustained relationships with industry, healthcare organizations, governments, not-for-profit organizations, funders, investors, incubators, and other academic institutions.

At UBC, attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning. The position works with considerable latitude under the general direction of the Director of Strategic Planning and Operations and in close consultation with the Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement.

Requirements

Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications and demonstrate a commitment to inclusive practices:

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum of six years related experience in an appropriate business specialization, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own.
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred qualifications that are considered an asset include:

• Graduate degree in biomedical engineering, bioengineering, life sciences, health sciences or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing complex, mutually beneficial relationships across academic, industry, health-care, government and not-for-profit settings.
• Experience supporting research commercialization, technology translation, venture creation, incubators or accelerators.
• Strong understanding of the life-sciences and biomedical innovation ecosystem, including research, intellectual property, venture financing and non-dilutive funding pathways.
• Strong understanding of the role of the university in the biotech landscape in BC and Canada.
• Outstanding written, oral and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific and technical information for varied audiences.
• Ability to listen closely, identify common interests, navigate competing priorities and build a persuasive case for partnership.
• Experience developing sponsorships, funded partnerships or other revenue-generating relationships.
• Excellent judgement, diplomacy and discretion in handling confidential or commercially sensitive matters.
• Strong planning, negotiation, facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work independently, travel locally and attend national or international meetings as required.

Responsibilities

The Partnerships Manager performs a wide range of duties to cultivate partnerships, support innovation, and manage strategic initiatives:

• Develops and implements partnership-development, industry-engagement, innovation and commercialization plans and activities in support of SBME's strategic priorities.
• Cultivates senior-level relationships with industry, health-care organizations, governments, not-for-profit organizations, funders, investors, incubators, accelerators, professional associations and academic partners locally, nationally and internationally.
• Develops and actively manages a partnership pipeline; assesses and prioritizes prospective relationships based on strategic fit, mutual value, readiness and potential impact; and advises School leadership and faculty on cultivation, stewardship and growth of strategically important external relationships.
• Identifies areas of shared interest between external organizations and SBME researchers and leaders; frames partnership opportunities and guides discussions regarding mutual value, strategic alignment and institutional fit.
• Identifies and develops opportunities for strategic collaborations that advance SBME priorities in research, education, innovation, translation, entrepreneurship and societal impact.
• Develops and implements engagement plans for strategic partners, ensuring regular communication, stewardship and progression of opportunities from initial discussion through active collaboration.
• Works closely with the Research Manager to align partnership opportunities with faculty expertise, emerging research priorities, educational programs and strategic institutional objectives.
• Works closely with the Manager, Major Initiatives to transition mature partnership opportunities into formal funding proposals, strategic initiatives, collaborative programs and funded projects.
• Creates presentations, briefing materials, concept notes, partnership proposals and business cases for prospective and current partners.
• Works with Government Relations and School leadership to coordinate engagement with government stakeholders and advance awareness of SBME priorities, initiatives and impact.
• Builds and maintains relationships with life-sciences associations, innovation organizations, hospitals, health authorities, research institutes and strategic alliances, and represents SBME at relevant meetings, conferences and ecosystem events.
• Leads the planning, coordination and continuous development of the annual UBC Vancouver Industry Breakfast and other strategic engagement forums.
• Leads the Industry Advisory Board, including membership strategy, recruitment, governance, meeting planning, stakeholder engagement, follow-up activities and implementation of recommendations.
• Supports the establishment, implementation and ongoing operation of external advisory bodies and stakeholder-engagement mechanisms, including a future Community Stakeholder Board.
• Develops and convenes strategic roundtables, workshops, networking events and partnership forums that foster collaboration among academia, industry, health-care organizations, governments, community groups and innovation-sector partners.
• Provides operational oversight and coordination for SBME Innovates, including its growth, service model, partnerships, governance processes, operating practices and long-term sustainability.
• Develops and manages SBME's commercialization and venture-development pipeline, from early identification of promising research and technologies through connection to technology transfer, venture development, incubation, mentorship and financing resources.
• Advises prospective and resident ventures and connects founders with Innovation UBC, investors, accelerators, mentors, professional service providers, sponsors and sources of dilutive and non-dilutive funding.
• Identifies, develops and maintains sponsorship, funding and partnership opportunities that support SBME Innovates, strategic hubs, educational initiatives and other School priorities.
• Develops and delivers education and engagement programs in entrepreneurship, commercialization, company creation, partnership development and knowledge translation for faculty, staff and trainees.
• Collaborates with Co-operative Education and other UBC partners to expand experiential learning, internship, exchange, training and employment opportunities for SBME trainees through external partnerships.
• Supports the development and implementation of strategic initiatives involving external stakeholders, as assigned by School leadership.
• Collaborates with the Communications team to profile partnership, innovation and commercialization successes and maintain effective partner-facing communications and engagement materials.
• Contributes partnership intelligence, ecosystem insights and external perspectives that inform School planning, priority setting and decision-making.
• Establishes portfolio measures, maintains relationship-management systems, evaluates outcomes and prepares reports, analyses and recommendations for School leadership.
• May supervise staff, students or contractors supporting the partnerships and innovation portfolio.
• Performs other related duties consistent with the scope and classification of the position.

The team

The position operates within the Administrative Management team of the School of Biomedical Engineering, under the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Applied Science at UBC. The Partnerships Manager works closely with the School Director, Director of Research, Research Manager, Manager Major Initiatives, Manager of Communications, Culture and Engagement, faculty members, and other academic leaders to ensure partnership activities align closely with SBME strategic goals and emerging opportunities across Vancouver's health, life sciences, and innovation ecosystems.