Chief Business Development Officer   Email     Print   PDF

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance & Administration, the Chief Business Development Officer is responsible for leading and managing new business development activities for the organization to include: establishing opportunities in federal government contracts and grants; identifying and licensing technical licensing intellectual property for corporate licensing agreements or establishing spin-off organizations; establishing corporate sponsored research, and the development of new organizations to include collaborative joint public and private consortiums. Responsible for establishing annual and long-term revenue goals.

• Manages daily operations of the Business Development Office

• Defines, refines, implements, and maintains growth strategies; integrates WHOI core science, technology, and intellectual property.  Conducts primary industry and market research, competitive analysis, and customer needs assessment

•  From the strategic plan, defines long, mid and short term goals

Identifies and realizes growth and alliance opportunities with key industry organizations.  Cultivates and maintains key contacts and relationships, positioning our business opportunities and developing capture plans

•  Is involved in supporting the development of high-level relationships with targeted industry accounts and the coordination of scientific and technical activities to ensure successful specifications of client’s products and conversions to revenues

• Orchestrates available resources to effectively manage high profile projects

• Develops and executes strategies for lead generation, pricing, and all other matters related to revenue generation within appropriate industries

• Leads internal teams from multiple disciplines to pursue key prospects

• Communicates effectively with resources to properly support targeted customers and their projects

• Is actively involved in establishing and disseminating the Institution’s business development strategy and plan

• Facilitates a high-performance department by timely hiring industry leading candidates and managing employees involved in client service, and business development.  Fosters an environment that rewards performance, builds confidence, and encourages interaction and teamwork; recognizes and celebrates current achievements and sets clear expectations for future success

• Represents WHOI in appropriate professional and community organizations

• Perform other duties as the supervisor may, from time to time, deem necessary

• A deep appreciation for the mission and aspirations of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; knowledge of, and a sincere interest in, the environment, ocean science research, and higher education

• At least ten years of experience and a proven track record of success in a non-profit environment

• Proven skills as a strategist, with the ability to articulate a vision for the future and to build business development relationships capable of sustaining that vision

• A self-starter who uses an entrepreneurial approach to building and guiding a business development program and who has the ability to reach out to a broader community to promote the mission of the Institution

• A track record of success leading a business operation; an approach to management that brings out the best in staff and yields pride, ownership, and a sense of team effort

• Possess a supportive and accessible management style, the ability to lead and motivate a diverse staff and to encourage change and growth in both people and programs, and a strong commitment to personal and professional development

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with varied internal and external constituencies

• The professional credibility, intellectual depth, maturity, wisdom, humor and collaborative skills to garner the trust and confidence of the President and Director, Board members and key stakeholders

• Superior communication skills, with the ability to summarize information and connect with a variety of audiences; clarity, crispness and persuasiveness in written and oral communications; high comfort level with current electronic media/databases

• Unquestionable integrity and professionalism

• Knowledge of, and input into, institutional financial planning

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s preferred; science background helpful