Director of Project Development and Translation

About the role

Catalyst serves as Stanford Medicine’s flagship innovation program to support inventors across the Stanford community in developing and accelerating their most promising innovations for transformative health.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a large portfolio of early-stage Catalyst healthcare Projects, guiding them from research and development through to clinical and commercial translation (“bench to bedside”).
• Hire, lead, and develop a high-performing team of project managers and staff; oversee career development, performance management, and team structure to ensure effective project execution, timely milestone achievement, and overall program success.
• Drive the development and execution of multi-year business plans, including pilot implementations within the Stanford healthcare ecosystem.
• Conduct market and clinical application analyses—including indication assessments, unmet need evaluations, market tracking, and business model development—and synthesize information from diverse sources to produce comprehensive market reports that inform strategic decision-making for Stanford Medicine Catalyst initiatives.
• Lead and facilitate high-level negotiations, communications, and presentations across diverse stakeholder groups, including academic researchers, corporate partners, investors, and industry collaborators.
• Effectively bridge cultural and organizational differences to build consensus, foster partnerships, and advance project goals.
• Provide strategic leadership for the program, including long-term planning, resource allocation, and alignment with institutional goals; serve as a key advisor to senior leadership on program direction, policy development, and broader institutional initiatives; evaluate organizational structure and effectiveness to drive continuous improvement in processes, team performance, and impact.
• Cultivate relationships with investors, strategic partners, and funding sources (e.g., VCs, angel investors, private equity, biotech corporates, incubators, and grant funders) to secure financial and strategic support for translational projects.
• Manage and contribute to outreach strategies, including relationship building and communication with internal and external stakeholders such as Stanford Health Care (SHC), Stanford Children’s Health (SCH), Industry Relations (IR), VCs, and industry partners.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, MBA, or PhD in Business, Science, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven years of relevant experience in the healthcare technology industry, including startups, corporates, incubators, or venture capital.
• Experience with private healthcare startups.
• Familiarity with commercialization strategies and scaling from a seed stage is a strong plus.
• Proven operational leadership experience in early-stage startups, including business development and transactional engagements, and/or successful private fundraising from venture capital, angel investors, or strategic partners.
• Deep understanding of innovation and development in one or more of early-stage therapeutics, including biotech and pharma, medtech, and/or digital health.
• Proven ability to navigate and contribute to high-growth or emerging healthcare technology environments.
• Strong technical and quantitative skills with demonstrated ability to execute complex analyses.
• “Hands-on” orientation, with demonstrated ability to roll-up-sleeves with teams tactically, while still being able to operate effectively strategically.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with senior management and executive stakeholders.
• Proficiency with productivity and project management tools, including Google Suite, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Airtable, and Smartsheet.