Lead, Industry 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 and Pre-Awards Office, the Lead, Industry Partnerships serves as the front-end growth and opportunity generation engine of the IMPACT Centre and the Business Development Office (BDO).

Based in the Business Development Office, the incumbent proactively scans The Institute's research and innovation portfolio to identify commercialization, partnership, and investment opportunities, and independently builds and maintains a portfolio of relationships with industry partners, investors, and venture funds.

The incumbent also develops innovation readiness across The Institute's research community and determines the most effective advancement pathway for each opportunity, executing structured handoffs to the Lead, Strategic Research Development & Global Partnerships or the Lead, Commercialization and Academic Partnerships.


General Duties
A. OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION AND PIPELINE INTELLIGENCE (30%) — Monitor and manage the IMPACT Centre and BDO intake channels as primary sources of commercial and partnership intelligence. Conduct proactive scanning of The Institute’s research and innovation portfolio to identify projects at or approaching commercialization readiness, validation potential, or industry partnership fit. Assess the commercial and partnership potential of incoming and identified opportunities: evaluate innovation stage, IP status, market landscape, competitive positioning, and advancement barriers. Produce structured Opportunity Assessment briefs for each qualified opportunity, and deliver an Innovation Opportunity Mapping Report within 90 days of hire.

B. INDUSTRY AND INVESTOR ENGAGEMENT (30%) — Develop and maintain an active portfolio of relationships with industry partners, investors, venture capital funds, and accelerators relevant to The Institute’s research and clinical strengths. Proactively engage external stakeholders to create partnership opportunities: present The Institute's capabilities, identify areas of strategic alignment, and develop initial partnership concepts. Evaluate inbound industry and investor inquiries, identify commercialization pathways beyond traditional IP licensing, and represent the IMPACT Centre and BDO at relevant industry events, investor forums, and innovation conferences.

C. INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCHER ADVANCEMENT (25%) — Map The Institute’s research and clinical population for innovation potential and design structured engagement programs addressing recurring commercialization barriers: targeted workshops, pathway clinics, investor pitch preparation sessions, and one-on-one navigation support. Maintain the IMPACT Centre innovation community database and serve as the initial navigation point for researchers, clinicians, and trainees seeking guidance on commercialization, IP, industry partnerships, translational funding, or clinical implementation.

D. STRATEGIC PATHWAY NAVIGATION AND HANDOFFS (15%) — For each qualified opportunity, determine the primary advancement pathway: major grant application, industry partnership, investor engagement, validation program, commercialization structure, or philanthropic funding. Execute structured handoffs to the Lead, Strategic Research Development & Global Partnerships (Stage 2) for grant and external funding opportunities, and to the Lead, Commercialization and Academic Partnerships (Stage 3) for pipeline progression and validation — with a documented opportunity brief and recommended approach.

Website of the organization

Education / Experience

Education: Master's Degree
Field of Study: Life sciences, health sciences, biomedical engineering, management of technology, business, or a related field.
Other education considered an asset for this position: MBA or professional degree in business development, technology commercialization, or innovation management considered a strong asset.
Work Experience: 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in business development, industry partnerships, technology transfer, commercialization, or innovation management within a research institute, academic health centre, life sciences organization, incubator, accelerator, or venture environment.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated ability to identify commercial potential in research-stage innovations and translate scientific work into industry-relevant value propositions.
• Experience engaging with companies, investors, venture funds, or industry partners independently, ability to develop relationships and advance exploratory conversations without constant institutional direction.
• Knowledge of the full spectrum of health innovation commercialization models: IP licensing, know-how, data partnerships, co-development, service commercialization, and venture creation.
• Familiarity with The Institute, MUHC, and McGill innovation ecosystem (Dobson, Engine, I+P, TTO, CLIP) is a significant asset, experience in or with a hospital or clinical research environment is also a significant asset.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills: ability to assess commercial potential, map barriers, identify pathways, and produce actionable recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, and negotiation skills with diverse scientific, clinical, administrative, and industry stakeholders. Strong writing and communication skills: opportunity briefs, strategic reports, partnership summaries, and external-facing materials. Sound commercial 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, Copilot).