Associate Director, Industry Engagement

Context of Job: Under the general direction of the Director, Member Engagement & Strategy, the Associate Director, Industry Engagement will have primary responsibility for moving the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) closer to its financial goals by cultivating a network of dedicated and engaged industry members, leading to value creation for NIIMBL as well as a positive return on investment for the members. NIIMBL membership fees represent a significant and impactful portion of revenue. The incumbent will form and manage strong relationships with external stakeholders and ensure key industry members are engaged and satisfied with their membership.

NIIMBL is a member of the Manufacturing USA network of institutes funded by the federal government to advance United States competitiveness in advanced manufacturing innovation. NIIMBL is established by a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a public/private consortium of a diverse set of member organizations, including industry, academia, non-profit organizations, state governments, and federal agencies. Institutionally, NIIMBL reports to the Vice President for Research, Scholarship & Innovation.

Major Responsibilities:

• Manage existing Industry Member relationships to enhance their continued involvement in NIIMBL activities, strengthening the relationship between NIIMBL and its Members.
• In partnership with the Director, Member Engagement & Strategy, implement effective Member engagement and communication plan to translate value delivery metrics to Member organizations, promoting retention. Monitor and measure KPIs touching alliance health and success.
• Create new partnerships by recruiting new large company Industry Members and contribute to recruiting other Members, including companies manufacturing medicines, equipment and technology providers, Universities, nonprofits and other related organizations.
• Use technical knowledge to connect Members and prospective Members to the areas of NIIMBL which are the best fit for Member priorities and that can advance the work of the community.
• In coordination with the Director, Member Engagement & Strategy and with the help of an additional team member, steward contractual financial and administrative matters relating to memberships. Document and verify collection of membership fees and in-kind commitments, ensure compliance with the membership agreement and bylaws, and manage the execution of membership renewal agreements and governance documents through NIIMBL Legal Counsel.
• Working with NIIMBL’s legal representation and internal project management group, manage member communication related to donation agreements or patent disclosures as applicable.
• Interface with the NIIMBL Leadership and industry members to resolve issues or interpret policy.
• Manage Member data in NIIMBL’s customer relations database. Provide membership engagement data to external evaluators, Leadership Team and NIST.
• Engage with the broader technical community in public-facing opportunities to share the NIIMBL story to interested audiences.
• Other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in biochemical engineering or related field and eight years of experience in public-facing roles.
• Experience understanding both the technology and the business of biomanufacturing technological innovation, as well as competitive and pre-competitive issues for such technologies. Experience in interacting with entrepreneurs/innovators, as well as developing and cultivating business partnerships in the biopharmaceutical industry preferred.
• Ability to interact effectively with a wide range of constituencies both within and outside of NIIMBL.
• Superior oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks.
• Strong organizational and attention-to-detail.
• Flexible, versatile and tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency.
• Ability to resolve complex problems/issues and to make administrative/procedural decisions and judgments.
• Willingness to travel to Member locations and attend industry related events throughout the U.S.