Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), affiliated with the University of Toronto, is Canada’s most research-intensive hospital.
The Industry Partnership & Commercialization (IP&C) office of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) champions the development and commercialization of SickKids research. To achieve this goal, we foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, we forge commercial partnerships and we help to build start-up companies. Read more about the IP&C office here: ipc.sickkids.ca.
The IP&C Team is looking for a strategic, high-energy, and driven individual to join as Director, Licensing & Business Development.
In this role, you will:
- Lead a team of licensing and business development professionals developing and supporting commercialization strategies for SickKids technologies/innovations that address unmet market needs.
- Provide guidance and support to researchers at SickKids in translating their laboratory and clinical research excellence into commercial products for the public benefit.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and implement, in consultation with the Executive Director, technology transfer strategies to maximize benefit to hospital stakeholders.
- Prepare and recommend policies and guidelines, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, that facilitate technology sourcing, evaluation and commercialization through licensing and formation of new ventures.
- Manage project/case and overall pipeline for Business Development team.
- Negotiate and manage major IP related agreements for the institution.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the Business Development team in the office, including supervision of permanent and temporary staff.
- Provide coaching and career development to staff and interns.
- Serve as the point of contact for all licensees and other partners.
Direct Reports
Senior Manager(s)-Business Development, and/or Commercialization Consultant.
Required Qualifications
- Passion for commercialization of early stage technologies.
- Positive outlook, sense of urgency, and great team player.
- 10+ years of direct relevant work experience.
- 5+ years of experience in licensing technologies and drafting/negotiation of agreements, including NDAs and commercial licenses.
- Excellent communication skills – ability to have candid, firm and respectful conversations with others.
- 5-7 years of successful senior management experience in corporate, academic, startup and/or entrepreneurial setting with technology transfer, business development, intellectual property management, and related activities.
- Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to identify and hire talent, coach staff, manage and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget.
- Experience and strong technical competence negotiating deal terms, complex and standard, with industry perspective and understanding of relevant comps (e.g. royalty rates, term sheets, IP).
- Understanding of, and experience in, negotiating start-up company creation agreements, including shareholder agreements.
- Proven success engaging the private sector in a variety of commercial endeavors.
- Action-oriented and innovative leader for business development and implementation.
Desired Qualifications
- Understanding of early product development.
- Prior experience in market research and business case preparation.
- Ability to understand and discuss scientific foundations of life sciences technology development (genomics, pharmaceuticals, etc.).
- Understanding of the academic research environment.
- Experience working effectively in a large organization or corporation.
- Understanding of life sciences industry, technology trends, industry current events
- Start-up company experience including knowledge and experience with convertible debentures, equity documents, cap tables, etc.
Education Required
- Advanced university degree in life sciences (MSc, PhD, MD or similar)
- MBA is preferred
- CLP designation is an asset
More about SickKids
In honour of being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2019 and one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers 2019, we asked SickKids staff members, “What makes SickKids a great place to work?” Here’s what they had to say.
- When you join SickKids, you’re joining a community with over 135 years of making a difference to the lives of children and their families.
- One of the world’s leading paediatric health-care centres, SickKids advances children’s health by integrating research, care and learning.
- Our staff are involved in uncovering the secrets of the genome, helping children recover faster from surgery and providing comfort and care when it’s needed most.
- We believe in Healthier Children. A Better World and we nurture a supportive and meaningful work environment where we work together to achieve that goal.
