WCIC Business Development Director

The Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center (WCIC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking an experienced Plant Scientist to serve as the Center's scientific and business ambassador. The WICIC Business Development Director will leverage technical expertise, professional networks, and industry presence to establish partnerships and expand externally funded projects. They will develop and maintain strategic relationships with biotechnology companies, academic researchers, non-profits, and industry partners to generate new business opportunities and service contracts. Additionally, they will attend and present at scientific conferences and industry events to promote organizational capabilities and expand client engagement. The Business Development Director is also responsible for moving opportunities through to executable projects by developing project scopes, technical approaches, timelines, and associated budgets.

WCIC is a ~100,000 square foot state-of-the-art agricultural biotechnology complex, housing laboratories and greenhouses dedicated to the production and analysis of transgenic and gene edited plants. This facility is the largest publicly held plant transformation facility in the United States and is aimed at improving crop plants for humans, livestock, and the environment. The facility is located approximately 8 miles from the central UW Madison campus.

• Serves as a unit liaison to internal stakeholder groups to foster cross-unit partnership efforts regarding research programs and activities

• Collaborates with project directors and the full range of clients whose knowledge and expertise varies

• Manages large research projects for a center or program

• Serves as a consultant to project directors and provides technical expertise to research and operational personnel

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Assists with planning, implementation, and management of strategic initiatives for a center or program

• Determines unit personnel needs and the unit personnel resource allocation plan

• Leads business development activities by cultivating relationships with academic and industry partners, representing the organization at conferences and trade events, identifying emerging opportunities, and securing new research and service contracts

The Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center

The starting salary for the position is $100,000 annually; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Additional benefits information can be found at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf

• Experience in plant biotechnology techniques and workflows
• Experience supervising, leading, or mentoring staff in a collaborative environment (e.g., coaching, assigning priorities, coordinating workflows)
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets and financial resources, including project costing, expense monitoring, and/or fiscal planning

• Experience preparing grant proposals, service proposals, sponsored research agreements or contracts
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with academic, industry, and/or non-profit partners
• Experience presenting scientific or technical information at conferences, industry meetings, or client-facing events

Required: Bachelor's Degree

Preferred: Terminal degree Plant Biology, Plant Genetics, Plant Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Crop Science, or a closely related field

To apply for this position, please click on the "I am a current employee" button or "I am not a current employee" button under Apply Now. You will be prompted to upload the following documents.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

Please note, there is only one attachment field. You must upload all your documents into the one attachment field. All listed application materials must be received to be considered.

Finalists will be asked to provide contact information (phone and email) for three references, one of which must be a current or former supervisor. References will not be contacted without prior notice.

It's important that your cover letter and resume reflect your experience for this position related to the Qualifications section. Your application materials will be used during our evaluation to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

Additional Information:

• Criminal Background Check may be required.
• Evaluation Period may be required

Work Schedule:

Normal hours are 8:00 am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. Occasional nights and weekends may be required for this position.

Sonia Parker, CALS HR Generalist

sonia.parker@wisc.edu

608-890-2547

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