Lead, Commercialization and Academic Partnerships - Business Development Office, Research Services

Do you want to work for a world-renowned research institute that pushes the boundaries of biomedical science and health research? Right here in Montreal! At the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), you can be part of an organization focused on scientific discovery and innovation in patient-centered medicine. Join us today and make a difference!

Job Description

RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE MUHC
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the Institute is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS).

Position summary
Reporting to the Manager of the Business Development, the Lead, Commercialization and Academic Partnerships is the internal execution engine of the Business Development Office (BDO) and the IMPACT Centre.

Based within The Institute's Research Services, the incumbent owns the BDO pipeline: advancing RI-MUHC research teams from early-stage discovery through validation, commercialization readiness, and funding application, with measurable outcomes at each stage.

The incumbent maintains structured working relationships with the McGill innovation ecosystem (Dobson, Engine, I+P, Technology Transfer) and the CLIP platform, and coordinates actively with the MUHC Directorate of Innovation, Performance and Quality (DIPQ) under the governance of the Joint Innovation Council (JIC).


General Duties
A. INNOVATION PIPELINE OWNERSHIP AND RESEARCH TEAM PROGRESSION (35%) — Own and maintain the IMPACT Centre/BDO internal project pipeline: document development stage, IP status, funding needs, validation requirements, partner contacts, milestones, barriers, and responsible parties for each file. Conduct structured pipeline reviews to assess project maturity, identify bottlenecks, and prioritize based on strategic potential. Establish and track stage-gate criteria: exploration → validation → commercialization readiness → funding application. Produce pipeline dashboards, progress reports, and briefing notes for IMPACT Centre/BDO leadership and institutional stakeholders. Identify and mitigate early-stage risks: IP conflicts, regulatory gaps, validation bottlenecks, and team-readiness gaps.

B. DIRECT COACHING, VALIDATION PATHWAY NAVIGATION, AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT (30%) — Work directly and individually with RI-MUHC research teams to assess innovation stage, clarify pathway, and develop a structured progression plan. Provide hands-on support for pitch competitions (local, national, international), philanthropic funding, proof-of-concept programs, and sponsored research conversations. Serve as the primary IMPACT Centre liaison with the CLIP platform to connect biomedical engineering, digital health, and medical device teams to appropriate clinical and technical validation pathways. Collaborate actively with the MUHC DIPQ to align the internal innovation pipeline with clinical transformation priorities and IMPACT Centre objectives, consistent with JIC strategic direction. Co-develop and deliver capacity-building activities: innovation pathway workshops, pitch preparation sessions, and ecosystem navigation guides.

C. ECOSYSTEM INTEGRATION AND PARTNER COORDINATION (25%) — Maintain active, structured working relationships with the McGill Dobson Centre, McGill Engine, McGill Innovation + Partnerships, McGill Innovation Fund, and IMPACT Centre Technology Transfer managers. Facilitate warm handoffs from the IMPACT Centre/BDO pipeline into ecosystem programs and back, with clear documentation and confirmed follow-through. Coordinate with the MUHC DIPQ and Clinical Performance, Transformation and Innovation teams on validation, clinical implementation pathways, and IMPACT

D. CROSS-BDO COORDINATION, HANDOFFS, AND PIPELINE REPORTING (10%) — Receive projects from the Research Development & Innovation Facilitator (Stage 1), transfer funding-ready projects to the Lead, Strategic Research Development & Global Partnerships (Stage 2) with full documentation. Coordinate strategic positioning of pipeline projects and identification of funding opportunities. Ensure all pipeline transitions are documented, structured, and communicated to avoid duplication or gaps. Provide input to IMPACT Centre/BDO Management on pipeline priority, resource needs, and strategic opportunities.

Website of the organization

Education / Experience

Education: Master's Degree
Field of Study: Life sciences, health sciences, biomedical engineering, management of technology, innovation, or a related field.
Other education considered an asset for this position: PhD in a relevant field.
Work Experience: 5–7 years of progressively responsible related experience in a research institute, academic hospital, university, innovation program, technology transfer office, incubator, accelerator, or life sciences organization.

Required Skills

• Direct working knowledge of the McGill innovation ecosystem (Dobson Centre, Engine, McGill I+P, McGill Innovation Fund) strongly preferred. Strong understanding of the health innovation and commercialization pathway: from early-stage research through IP, validation, regulatory considerations, and industry partnership.
• Hands-on experience with pitch preparation, competition navigation, philanthropic or translational funding, and/or proof-of-concept program management.
• Experience in or with a hospital, clinical research environment, or biomedical engineering validation context is a significant asset. Ability to assess innovation maturity, identify gaps, and design structured progression plans for research teams at varying stages of readiness.
• Excellent coaching, facilitation, and relationship-building skills with diverse research, clinical, and administrative stakeholders.
• Strong project management and analytical writing skills: pipeline dashboards, opportunity profiles, briefing notes, pitch materials, and strategic summaries.
• Sound judgment, initiative, diplomacy, and discretion in a complex institutional environment.
• Bilingual in written and spoken English and French (required).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, Power BI).