Department: Technology and venture development
Role Summary: As Venture Associate II in CCRM’s business unit that is focused on technology sourcing and new company creation, you will be responsible for contributing to the activities of company incubation teams, which involves progressing therapeutics or technology-based programs from concept to spin-out. You are motivated by the opportunity to enable the translation of regenerative medicine technologies and have practical experience driving pre-clinical scientific assets through proof-of-concept studies. Additionally, you will have some experience in biotechnology operations, business development, technology licensing, venture capital or similar. You will be relied upon to support the unit in a variety of activities, including technology and market assessments, company concept development, incubation team operations, and strategic materials production.
Responsibilities:
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Uses knowledge of the gaps and opportunities in the regenerative medicine and cell and gene therapy industries to conceive of new company creation opportunities based on group ideation work and/or a pipeline of sourced intellectual property.
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Collaborates with line management and other departments and consultants to define critical path activities and milestones, identify and validate key assumptions, and develop scientific plans and budgets.
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Drives the execution of tasks/milestones for technology assessments and one or more incubation teams. Includes direct data generation (this role may be up to 50 per cent laboratory-based).
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Authors and maintains project documentation and records (e.g., study reports, risk registers, milestone tables, Gantts, data room, etc.) and reports on the progress and achievement of agreed-upon objectives.
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Works with colleagues and consultants to design, coordinate and execute upon development and regulatory plans, including proof-of-concept and pre-clinical animal studies with external contract research organizations.
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Develops investor pitch materials and presentations and presents to potential funding sources.
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Consults with technical and business colleagues to author and present diligence reports outlining the strategic alignment and commercial potential of proposed company concepts.
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Coordinates proposal requests for resources or the release of funds for new company incubations.
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Supports the coordination of legal review and execution of contracts, including confidential disclosure agreements, material transfer agreements, master service agreements, sponsored research agreements or collaboration agreements, as required, to conduct incubation team activities.
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Provides regular updates of progress, successes and challenges to achieving goals and metrics, and identifies risk mitigation strategies. Prepares updates and dashboards for presentation to senior leadership and internal committees.
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Collaborates to build unique bundles of intellectual property to strengthen company concepts.
- Performs cross-functional and/or other duties toward the creation or launch of spin-off companies.
- Supports other departmental requirements for the analysis of intellectual property, the creation of technology assessments and commercialization reports, and other related tasks.
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Recognizes strategic goals and demonstrates critical thinking in execution towards objectives.
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Demonstrates CCRM’s values: purpose, integrity, excellence, accountability and collaboration, and motivates others to do the same.
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Clearly communicates progress, challenges, recommendations and mitigation strategies to leadership.
Qualifications:
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Master’s degree in science (bioengineering, chemical engineering, bioprocess, biotechnology, cell biology, molecular biology, microbiology, chemistry, etc.); PhD is preferred.
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Specialized knowledge in stem cell biology, cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine.
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2+ years of experience in a related role.
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Practical experience in conceiving, developing, analyzing and independently carrying out a wide range of experiments and troubleshooting complex technical issues.
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Familiarity with containment level 2 lab procedures, aseptic technique, safety procedures, and equipment.
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Strong English written and oral communication skills.
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Must be able to travel domestically and internationally up to 5 per cent of the time.
Desired Characteristics:
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Independent, detail-oriented self-starter with excellent analytical skills and the ability to multitask and succeed in a team environment.
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Strong understanding of regenerative medicine processes, technologies and regulatory/quality requirements.
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Expertise in one or more of the following areas: cell or molecular biology, gene engineering, pluripotent stem cells and derived progeny, hematopoietic stem cells, immune cells, advanced drug delivery, tissue engineering.
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Demonstrated initiative and the ability to deliver high-quality outcomes.
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Demonstrated project management experience with a successful track record of on-time and on-budget execution.
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Demonstrated ability to lead business interactions in combination with scientific/technical expertise.
