Principal, Business Development and Commercialization

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

Job Description

*Repost*

Union: Non-Union
Number of vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: New
Site: Mars/Hybrid
Department: Commercialization
Reports to: Ernest Ho
Salary Range: $115,730 to $165,730 per annum
Hours:
Shifts: Days
Status: Temporary Full-Time
Closing Date: July 22, 2026

Position Summary:

Research at UHN is comprised of two major institutes: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and UHN Research Institutes.

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is where cutting edge oncology research is moved forward every day towards our mission of impacting patients globally. UHN Research Institutes is internationally recognized for its multidisciplinary biomedical research which encompasses activity across the UHN sites (other than Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) and drives the convergence of care, research, and education across a broad scope of disease fields and disciplines; as such it is a cornerstone of UHN’s innovation ecosystem. These areas include Krembil Brain Institute, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, KITE Research Institute, McEwen Stem Cell Institute, Ajmera Transplant Centre, and The Institute for Education Research, as well as research in respiratory health, metabolism and organ function, and health systems and policy.

UHN’s commercialization successes include the Medly cardiac digital health platform, EVLP lung transplant system, Adela Bio Inc., and more. These companies, first incubated within UHN, are among many others that have collectively injected more than $5 billion into the economy. among others, which have reshaped patient care and global standards in their respective fields.

The Business Development and Commercialization Principal will play a key role in advancing UHN’s research commercialization objectives including driving efficient execution and timely turnaround of licensing, sponsored research, and other research‑related agreements across his or her assigned portfolio primarily within the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

This role requires a dynamic, commercially minded professional with strong academic credentials, demonstrated contract negotiation expertise, and the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships in fast‑paced research and industry environments.

The Principal is responsible for maximizing the commercial success of research conducted within their assigned portfolio. In close collaboration with the Head of Business Development & Commercialization, Principal Investigators, Institute Directors, and research teams, the Principal also supports end‑to‑end revenue generation activities, including opportunity evaluation, IP protection, marketing, licensing, and company formation.

Depending on the stage of each asset within the portfolio, the Principal assesses market potential, develops IP and marketing strategies, engages pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners, and leads the negotiation and execution of sponsored research agreements, licensing agreements, and related term sheets, with a strong emphasis on efficient deal structuring and timely contract closure.

A key focus of this role is improving the efficiency and turnaround time of sponsored research agreements and industry licensing, balancing institutional risk management with the need to rapidly enable industry‑academic collaborations.

Duties

• Proactively engage researchers within the assigned portfolio to understand research priorities and advance commercialization by translating research activities into executable licensing and sponsored research opportunities
• Drive deal flow and contract execution activities in a collaborative team environment, with accountability for timely negotiation and completion of licensing and sponsored research agreements.
• Support and lead opportunities for UHN commercialization funds and external ecosystem funding, as required.
• In alignment with the Head of Business Development & Commercialization, take primary ownership of the assigned portfolio’s contracting activities, including: Leading the negotiation and turnaround of sponsored research, licensing, and related research agreements such as confidentiality and service agreements and coordinating internal stakeholders to reduce cycle times and remove bottlenecks in contract approvals
• Work closely with Licensing & Commercialization, IP Management, Marketing, Operations, Research Legal, and the UHN Foundation to ensure contracts align with institutional policies while enabling rapid deal execution.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant business experience or equivalent
• Completion of a Master’s degree in oncology, immuno-oncology, or a related field, preferably with a translational research and or commercialization specialization or recognized equivalent experience required; PhD and/or MBA highly preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in clinical and translational research environments, with strong working knowledge of Clinical oncology, Oncology broadly
• Experience in the negotiation and completion of research support, licensing and/or partnership deals is required.
• Demonstrable and relevant industry and/or investment experience with a strong focus on licensing, sponsored research agreements, and contract execution in complex research environments is required.
• Very good knowledge of licensing practice and capacity for autonomously understanding and evaluating detailed legal agreements required
• Experience working in pharmaceutical or biotech business development, technology transfer, venture capital or related environment required
• Good knowledge of patent practice required
• Strong presentation skills required
• Experience launching and leading startup biotech companies (including sourcing seed and venture capital funding and divestments) would be an asset
• Knowledge of internet patent and other database searches desirable
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize while working under pressure with tight deadlines is required
• Self-starter with demonstrated history of taking initiatives
• Ability and comfort communicating to a range of stakeholders, from researchers to CEOs, from a business and science perspective

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates. Please ensure you check your email regularly. At University Health Network (UHN), artificial intelligence technologies may be used to assist in the screening, assessment, and selection of candidates for this position.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.