Innovation Studio Senior Program Manager

About the Role

As RBIA’s Senior Program Manager for Innovation Studio, you will lead the sector-focused development of the region’s biotech, life sciences, and healthcare innovation ecosystem. At its core, this role is about building the ecosystem, resources, and programming that early-stage founders need: recruiting and supporting founders, designing and running programming, cultivating mentors and partners, and connecting companies to the lab infrastructure, expertise, and capital that accelerate commercialization. Within this ecosystem, Innovation Studio is RBIA’s startup-focused program. RoVa Labs provides the wet-lab, prototyping, and shared infrastructure, and the partner network reaches well beyond it. Innovation Studio is where RBIA concentrates on founders directly, delivering the mentorship, programming, connections, and hands-on support that early-stage biotech, life sciences, and healthcare companies need to grow and commercialize. You will serve as the day-to-day operational leader of the Studio, working closely with RBIA’s Director of Innovation and in strong, ongoing collaboration with Carilion Clinic. This position is jointly funded by RBIA and Carilion Clinic and depends on close partnership across both organizations. This role also supports grant-funded projects and initiatives. You will help track and report on milestones, metrics, and deliverables for funders, and may support future grant-writing efforts, but you will not be responsible for managing grants. The position requires regular travel throughout Southwest Virginia and occasional out-of-region travel for conferences and events, with some programming occurring during evenings.

Ecosystem & Sector Development

• Lead sector-focused development of the region’s biotechnology, life sciences, and healthcare innovation ecosystem, growing the density of founders, mentors, partners, and resources
• Build and maintain productive relationships with entrepreneurs, researchers, clinicians, investors, universities, healthcare systems, corporations, economic development organizations, and service providers
• Cultivate the mentors, subject-matter experts, technical resources, and commercialization partners that early-stage life sciences and healthcare companies need
• Identify gaps in the ecosystem and develop new partnerships, resources, and programming to fill them
• Represent RBIA and Innovation Studio at regional meetings, conferences, community events, and entrepreneurial activities

Programming Development & Delivery

• Design, launch, and continuously improve programming that serves biotech, life sciences, and healthcare founders, including workshops, educational series, office hours, founder cohorts, and commercialization initiatives
• Tailor programming to the distinct needs of life sciences and healthcare startups, from translational research and prototyping through regulatory readiness, funding, and market entry
• Lead planning and execution of Innovation Studio programming end to end: scheduling, speaker and mentor coordination, logistics, promotion, and post-event follow-up
• Contribute to the Emerging Technology Conference, particularly its biotechnology and life sciences programming, in partnership with the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC)
• Coordinate programming timelines, budgets, deliverables, and stakeholder communications
• Contribute ideas and strategic input on programming direction based on founder needs and industry trends

Founder Success & Ecosystem Navigation

• Serve as a primary point of contact and relationship manager for founders using Innovation Studio services and sub-programs
• Run RBIA’s Ecosystem Navigator Program, connecting new founders to the right people and resources: lab and prototyping infrastructure, mentors, investors, technical experts, university and clinical partners, and service providers
• Coordinate introductions and referrals across the regional innovation ecosystem, including RAMP, Common Wealth Angels, Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and other partners
• Maintain regular communication with founders to support progress toward commercialization milestones
• Foster a welcoming, collaborative entrepreneurial community that encourages peer learning and regional connectivity

Studio Operations

• Manage the day-to-day operations of Innovation Studio, ensuring an outstanding experience for founders, tenants, mentors, partners, and visitors
• Develop, document, and continuously improve operational processes that support the long-term success of the Studio
• Coordinate scheduling, facility utilization, and shared resources in partnership with RoVa Labs and Carilion Clinic
• Maintain operational systems that keep the Studio functioning efficiently and professionally

Reporting, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Support grant-funded projects by tracking and reporting on milestones, metrics, and deliverables (this role supports reporting and does not manage grants)
• Assist with data collection and documentation for grant proposals, annual reports, and organizational performance metrics, and support future grant-writing efforts as needed
• Develop and maintain dashboards measuring program participation, founder engagement, commercialization outcomes, and ecosystem impact
• Prepare reports for leadership, funders, and partners, and use data to drive continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, entrepreneurship, life sciences, public administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Five (5) or more years of experience managing complex programs, operations, projects, or entrepreneurial initiatives
• Strong relationship-building skills, with comfort reaching out directly to founders, partners, and stakeholders and speaking at events
• Program and project management experience with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• A customer-focused mindset and genuine passion for supporting entrepreneurs and innovation

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare innovation, or other technology-driven sectors
• Experience with startups, innovation ecosystems, incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurship centers, or economic development organizations
• Experience supporting commercialization, venture development, technology transfer, or product development, particularly bench-to-market pathways in the life sciences
• Understanding of the resources life sciences startups require, such as wet-lab and prototyping infrastructure, translational research, regulatory pathways, and non-dilutive funding (e.g., SBIR/STTR)
• Experience supporting grant-funded programs, including milestone and metric reporting
• Familiarity with Virginia’s technology and life sciences landscape and economic development priorities
• Experience with CRM, project management, or program management software

Benefits

• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Retirement stipend
• Paid time off
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development opportunities