University of Toronto: Director, Strategy and Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium

Date Posted: 01/19/2021
Req ID:2492
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Dept of Chemistry
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

 

Description:

About us:

Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto has evolved into Canada’s leading institution of learning, discovery and knowledge creation. We are proud to be one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, driven to invent and innovate. U of T is home to some of the world’s most talented thinkers, inventors, innovators, and educators, who are advancing knowledge and making critical discoveries for a healthier, more sustainable, prosperous, and secure future.

The Acceleration Consortium will lead a revolutionary shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The Consortium will leverage the power of artificial intelligence, robotics, materials sciences and high-throughput quantum chemistry to create self-driving laboratories called “Materials Acceleration Platforms. These autonomous laboratories will rapidly design high-performance materials and molecules, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. The Consortium is a coalition of entrepreneurs, technology companies and elite researchers from top universities.

Your opportunity:

As the Director, Strategy & Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium, you will play the primary role in securing funding for the Consortium, including industrial partnerships (Sponsored Research Agreements) and government/foundation funding, coordinating with internal units, including the University's Innovations and Partnerships Office. Fundraising will include introducing prospective projects, technologies, or platforms of the Acceleration Consortium’s researchers to major global organizations and negotiating their partnership and financial support. The candidate is expected to have an established network and maintain or develop a high level of understanding of the power of artificial intelligence, robotics, material science, and high-throughput chemistry developments and needs in the field. The Director, Strategy & Partnerships will be actively involved in the Acceleration Consortium’s strategic planning and help define the Consortium’s direction, scope and focus. The Director Strategy & Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium, will work to raise the national and international recognition of the Consortium. Finally, the Director Strategy & Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium, will support executing the Acceleration Consortium’s operational plan and activities.

Your responsibilities will include:

 

• Leading the management of commercialization projects that require a rigorous approach and attention to very fine detail; liaising with the University's Innovations & Partnerships Office.
• Developing and implementing strategies to maximize the economic and social impact of commercialization partnerships
• Identifying, developing, and executing strategies for the Acceleration Consortium.
• Developing and implementing plans to support areas of research relevant to industry needs that are consistent with the University’s academic mission
• Stewarding interesting research and innovation partners to invest in available opportunities
• Interpreting policies in decision-making and providing significant input into policies, procedures and practices.
• Conveying highly complex, technical, and confidential information regarding research and innovation projects to researchers and external contacts
• Developing and implementing agreements in support of commercialization and use of products for testing and evaluation

+Essential Qualifications:

 

 

• Ph.D. or Doctorate Degree or an acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum of eight (8) years’ relevant experience and a proven track record in business development or external partnership activities at the global level, with the ability to foster growth opportunities between complementary organizations.
• Strong scientific background in an area relevant to innovation using artificial intelligence to accelerate designs of high-performance materials
• Experience with project scale-up, monitoring, and evaluation
• Experience developing and implementing agreements in support of commercialization and use of products for testing and evaluation
• Experience applying an entrepreneurial approach to complex problem solving and create strategies where few parameters are provided
• Experience supervising staff.
• Strong interpersonal skills; highly proactive, persuasive, and diplomatic
• Excellent knowledge of the Canadian research landscape (academic and industrial)
• Excellent entrepreneurial ability; demonstrated initiative
• Ability to manage multiple priorities; Project management skills; ability to meet deadlines and
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to write and communicate effectively with a wide range of people (administrators, government, industry and researchers)
• Ability to gather, formulate and present complex information; to write and prepare information for presentation and publications
• Understanding of research contracts, intellectual property, research applications and research funding opportunities

Assets (Nonessential):

 

 

• Related experience in business development or partnership development that fosters growth opportunities between complementary organizations

To be successful in this role, you will be:

 

 

• Communicator
• Diplomatic
• Goal-oriented
• Proactive
• Problem solver
• Resourceful

 

This position is a 2-year term, with the possibility of renewal.

 

 

Closing Date: 01/27/2021, 11:59PM EDT
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Grant - Term
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: USW Pay Band 20 -- $112,690 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $144,107. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.