R&D Business Developer (1.0 FTE)

In conjunction with its partner organisation Utrecht Life Sciences, the Utrecht Science Park Foundation has launched the BOOSTER programme, which aims to make the existing research infrastructure and services available at the Life Sciences & Health cluster more accessible and better suited to the data needs of knowledge-intensive businesses. The Utrecht Science Park thus strengthens its reputation as a dynamic and results-oriented innovation cluster. A key component of this programme is the front office, which serves as a central point of contact for businesses.

 

We are looking for an R&D Business Developer to further expand the activities of the BOOSTER programme. The Business Developer works in a team that includes other Business Developers, Communication Officers and supporting members. Duties include setting up and expanding networks of local, national and international knowledge-intensive businesses in consultation with knowledge institutions and regional partners, managing customer relationships, identifying their knowledge/data needs and acquiring projects for the available research facilities and services.

The successful candidate will be employed by Utrecht Life Sciences (part of Utrecht University), have an office at the Utrecht Science Park Foundation and report to the Manager of New Business Development.

The position involves:

Scouting: Investigating opportunities for the development of business cases for research facilities/services in new and existing markets. Screening: Ascertaining the wants and needs of the market in terms of research facilities and services, and providing research questions to both internal and external research facilities. Community-building: Developing and managing multidisciplinary relationships between researchers and research facilities, in order to coordinate activities and explore new opportunities for introducing integrated solutions for data issues to the market. Project Management: Initiating new public/private collaborative projects involving research infrastructure and services, based on the data needs present in the market. Process Management: Advising and supporting university staff and others on the setup and progress of research projects as part of the BOOSTER programme. Training: Organising (annual) training sessions for academic and other research-facility staff, in order to raise service and entrepreneurship levels.