Assistant Director of Business Development

Brown University is a leading research university distinct for its student-centered learning and deep sense of purpose. Our students, faculty, and staff are driven by the idea that their work will have an impact in the world.

About the role

Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Development, Life Sciences, the Assistant Director of Business Development serves as a key operational lead in advancing Brown University’s mission to commercialize internal technologies. This role is accountable for ensuring that specific goals, objectives, and all work within their assigned pipeline are accomplished through hands-on management of a complex portfolio of life science technologies. The Assistant Director independently performs complex work requiring significant judgment to identify key barriers to commercialization and apply advanced knowledge to resolve them.

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. Negotiates agreements that protect the institution’s interests while fostering innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field (Life Science or Biomedical Engineering, etc.) required. An advanced degree (Ph.D., Master’s, MBA, or JD) is preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of related experience in academic research, business development, or technology commercialization.
• Experience working in or with academic institutions and/or medical centers is a plus.

Skills

• 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.

Benefits

• Flexible work/life balance, including summer hours and winter break.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, tuition assistance, retirement, wellness, and employee discounts.
• Annual paid holidays and time off.

Schedule

This is a hybrid role with an expectation of a minimum of 2-3 days per week in the office (3-4 days/week as noted).

Full-time, scheduled weekly hours: 37.5.