Business Development and Commercialization Manager - Kingston and Surrounding Region

The Opportunity:

This is a chance to use your extensive business, technology and sector expertise to help build Ontario’s innovation economy and be a part of discovering and advancing commercial solutions to industry challenges and urgent global issues. Whether you are a seasoned professional or at an early stage in your career with strong relevant experience and/or academic qualifications, by working for a dynamic organization that is continuously evolving to help increase Ontario’s economic competitiveness and in meeting the needs of Ontario’s innovators, you will constantly encounter new challenges and opportunities to make a difference.

As a Business Development and Commercialization Manager at OCI, you will work to assist companies that drive Ontario’s economy to greater prosperity, health, and sustainability. With a focus in the Kingston and Surrounding region, you will guide and support entrepreneurs, start-ups, and high-growth companies. This includes identifying exciting new technologies with strong commercialization potential; supporting collaborations between industry and academia; and encouraging entrepreneurs and company leaders to aspire to creating globally scalable products and services. Intrinsic to OCI’s mandate and success, BD Managers manage their own projects and clients, working within a highly collaborative environment where all are ultimately focused on moving innovation opportunities from the bench to significant commercial success.

Our team’s culture matters highly to us, and we value team players who work well with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Your Contribution:

At OCI, your work will be varied every day and you could contribute in several different ways:

• Work collaboratively across the organization to deliver OCI’s corporate plan, program portfolio and the achievement of program targets.
• Identify technology with strong commercial potential and develop commercialization opportunities e.g., knowledge transfer, start-ups, spin-offs, licensing.
• Engage in extensive ecosystem networking to identify and engage potential industry and academic partners, entrepreneurs and other relevant associations and agencies with the aim of fostering collaborations and linking to appropriate programs offered by OCI and others.
• Expand OCI’s network by participating in events, business associations, technical committees and professional organizations.
• Identify sources of public funding and private investment and build relationships with appropriate staff.
• Provide clients with insight, mentoring and coaching.
• Be a connector, facilitating the introduction of people and companies to share business, technical knowledge and experience. Connect potential Ontario-based suppliers with customers and vice versa. Leverage your own expanding personal network, OCI’s network, and the network of ecosystem partners to drive impact.
• Fulfill specifically assigned account responsibilities including establishing and executing engagement plans; capturing key personal and project information related to contacts, grants and private-sector investments; engagement with Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) etc.; providing expert advice internally; and tracking metrics and outcomes for internal strategy development and reporting.
• Act as an ambassador of OCI through speaking and other public engagements.
• Manage key accounts, initiatives, projects, portfolios and programs, while providing reviews, metrics and outcome assessments.
• Take a leadership role in the planning and execution of identified priorities and the organizing of events and workshops, etc.
• Working in conjunction with OCI’s marketing and communications group to identify and communicate success stories, trends and new developments.
• Maintain knowledge of OCI programs and keep abreast of sector and industry news, regional issues, regulatory issues and key contacts.
• Undertake continuous professional development and a willingness to stretch into new areas, sometimes difficult ones, and sometimes at short notice. The goal is to be agile, flexible and always striving to be the best you can be.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Attributes:

• Domain expertise and/or experience in any of the following - Information & Communications Technology Healthcare & Life Sciences or Advanced Manufacturing
• First-hand experience founding a start-up; building a scale-up; developing business strategies/models; leveraging relevant public programs and resources.
• Strong communications skills, including ability to understand complex technology/science and convey in simple terms, ability to build meaningful relationships with all aspects of Ontario’s innovation ecosystem, including academic researchers, regional innovation centres, industry clusters, angel networks and other commercialization support networks
• Conversant in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and CRM systems, as well as the ability to learn new software applications
• Have the use of a personal vehicle to visit stakeholders and clients

Core Competencies:

In keeping with OCI’s values of Collaboration, Empowerment and Leadership, Communication, Agility and Accountability, we seek candidates who are:

• Active listeners that can offer clients relevant advice, coaching and mentoring;
• Self-aware with the ability to identify personal strengths and areas for improvement;
• Respectful of the knowledge and expertise of clients and colleagues;
• Able to win confidence of/work with diverse stakeholders;
• Able to assume the role of both team player and team leader;
• Consummate professional, able to represent the organization in all circumstances;
• Relationship builders who open doors, build rapport with decision makers and position OCI for opportunities;
• Passionate about helping innovators and entrepreneurs reach their goals;
• Intellectually curious about developments and trends in a sector;
• Able to demonstrate integrity and ethics in decision making and in their relationships with colleagues and clients;
• Able to reflect and promote OCI’s values through work with colleagues, clients and stakeholder