Director - Life Sciences Partnerships

Job Summary

The Economic Transformation Division’s mission is to accelerate the growth of New Jersey’s economy by implementing initiatives that enhance the State’s long-term economic competitiveness and establish New Jersey as an innovation leader within high job growth strategic sectors, including life sciences and technology, clean energy, film and digital media, and advanced manufacturing.

NJEDA’s Director – Life Science Partnership is responsible for developing and managing strategic business relationships with New Jersey large and high-growth Life Science companies. The Director – Life Science Partnerhsips helps all businesses in the industry understand the State’s overall value proposition, connect with other industry and academic stakeholders, and advises them on products from NJEDA (and other State entities) that could support their growth. He or she is also responsible for developing and implementing strategies and initiatives to support the overall growth of the Life Science industry in New Jersey. The Director will work with, and provide strategic counsel to, the NJEDA’s leadership team and members of the Governor’s Office Economic Develompent Team on relevant industry policy matters. In addition, the Director maintains a general working knowledge of other NJEDA Programs and Departments in order to support, promote, and manage NJEDA’s offerings effectively to manage external and internal relationships. This individual will identify opportuites for the state to further advance it’s strategic position in the life science industry in the state. They will have deep relationships with all key industry leaders and identify opportunities for state engagement. The Director will build and manage a team that will focus on client engagement and partnerships to support overall growth of the Life Sciences Industry in New Jersey.

$111,792 - $139,740

Note: The NJEDA currently offers a hybrid work schedule for up to 2 days of telecommute work from home. To participate, you will be required to have high speed home internet access and a manager's approval. This program does not supersede the "New Jersey First Act", which requires newly hired NJEDA employees to establish and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as EDA’s relationship manager for key life science partners;
• Develops and manages a list of priority private sector companies in the industry at all stages and maintains strong contacts within the team for companies based on business size (e.g., larger companies, high-potential growth companies and start-ups, etc.) within the State and, as appropriate, outside of the State.
• Actively participates in company attraction, expansion, and retention efforts and identifies effective approaches to localize and grow the Life Sciences industry.
• Clearly identifies opportunistic fit for current NJEDA products to help companies in the industry grow and, where appropriate, promotes other government programs and supports.
• Understands market opportunities, trends and gaps and works with colleagues to framework new supportive industry specific products and talent initiatives.
• Actively engages and serves as lead industry relationship liaison with private sector partners, industry associations, and relevant academic and government stakeholders.
• Coordinates engagement of private sector companies with other State agencies and Non Government Office  partners as appropriate (e.g., NJ Business Action Center and Choose New Jersey).
• Develops and executes focused industry topical events and programs that facilitate industry job creation, relationship building, enagement, and partnership across the industry.
• Leads business attraction efforts at industry trade events .

• Serves as a primary contributor to the State’s life sciences economic strategy and policies;
  • Understands firm-level and industry-level value-drivers and dynamics and contributes this knowledge to economic development policy.
  • Tracks industry progress at the state, regional, national, and international level.
  • Deepens industry expertise for EDA through project-based research and analysis and industry engagement conducted by members of the team.

• Develops and leads a portfolio of initiatives and programs that ensure New Jersey’s long-term competitiveness in the Life Sciences industry;
  • Identifies potential initiatives via conversations with industry stakeholders and monitors successful programs from other states and countries.
  • Forms collaborations with partners to develop and drive programmatic initiatives.
  • Develops and mentors direct reports to build skills and behaviors to enhance performance. Sets staff goals and objectives, reviews staff semi-annually and annually against individual plans. Creates and implements a training and succession plan for the team.
  • Works across EDA and with external partners to scale and institutionalize successful programs, and transition them over time to Product Managers who will be responsible for their long-term execution.
• Serves as EDA’s industry expert
• Understands firm-level and industry-level value-drivers and dynamics and tracks industry progress at the state, regional, and national level.
• Acts as a public speaker and public relations representative on industry topics, in ways that support the Authority’s profile.
• Provides industry-related policy inputs and guidance to NJEDA leadership and, as appropriate, the Governor’s Office.
• Actively contributes to and oversees the content and messaging for all industry related social media, marketing content, and web content (e.g., reviews and approves all industry related press, posts, and tweets, and contributes relevant industry sector content).
• Demonstrates a leadership and ownership mindset within team and Economic Transformation Division, supporting other team members and suggesting new ideas for how to improve the team and division.
• Promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer- focused work environment among division, EDA staff, and external customers.
• Develops, mentors, and coaches the project officers; sets project and development goals and objectives, provides regular feedback to team members, and provides input to semi-annual and annual reviews.
• Supports the development and execution of department goals; reviews and evaluates own performance against key metrics.
• Helps to institutionalize best practices; defines and implements needed systems and policies.
• Ensures department practices and processes are in compliance with EDA policies and guidelines and are consistently applied.
• Performs duties to the highest standards of ethics and professionalism
• Must complete annual and semiannual self-assessment as required.
• Performs other duties and special projects, as assigned.

Skills and Abilities

• A deep knowledge and understanding of the New Jersey life science industry including but not limited to pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies with significant commercial development experience.
• An understanding of state government preferred.
• Experience in sales, operations, client services, or financial management.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; proficient in grammar, spelling and editing; and foster communications with business professionals and EDA staff.
• Ability to prioritize workload, must be highly organized, detail-oriented, handle various tasks simultaneously and work independently within limited time constraints with little or no supervision.
• Ability to lead a team of through complex and challenging work
• Experience in managing and cultivating a team and track record of successfully being able to multi-task and prioritize workflow
• Demonstrated successful track record of crafting comprehensive outreach plans and working cross organizationally to achieve alignment, integration and successful implementation of programs
• Demonstrated ability to motivate and lead own team planning and execution with a strong results orientation
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality and deal effectively and diplomatically with business professionals and EDA staff.
• Demonstrates respectful behavior and promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative and customer focused work environment among division, EDA staff and external customers. 
• History of sound decision making and ability to understand implications of decisions.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including ability to influence and engage team leaders and peers.
• Excellent customer service skills
• Strong ethical orientation, including exercising sound financial stewardship.
• Commitment to and passion for EDA’s mission and inspires a sense of shared purpose.
• NJEDA utilizes Microsoft as the core application platform and proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite is preferred.

EDA Leadership Profile

• Acquires and Develops Talent – Acquires and develops talent to meet current and future organizational goals
• Builds and Manages the Team – Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills with the ability to build, coach and lead a team with diverse levels of experience
• Collaborates/Partners Effectively Across Boundaries/Functions – Encourages and facilitates cooperation and collaboration within teams and across organizational boundaries to achieve strategies and objectives
• Champions a Vision - Inspires a sense of shared purpose and vision
• Guides Team forward to Achieve Positive Results – Demonstrates a commitment to achieving goals; and guides team forward to achieve positive results
• Encourages New Ideas and Opportunities for Change –Encourages new ideas and initiatives; creates opportunities for change
• Motivates and Energizes Others – Influences, motivates and challenges others; encourages contributions
• Thinks Strategically – Makes sound, well-informed and strategic decisions; understands the impact and implications of decisions

Preferred Qualifications

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with preference for business, engineering, economics, finance, policy, or public administration, and/or equivalent experience
• 7-10 years of job related experience
• 5 years management expereince

• Experience working with financing tools that support economic and community development

• A strong track record of professional success
• Experience in program development, public policy development and basic financial principles
• Minimum of seven years’ experience in a client-oriented work environment that required development and engagement with a broad professional network

• A proven track record of understanding and analyzing small and mid size businesses.

 Advanced degree or industry specific certification may be substituted for 1 year of experience

Physical Demands

• Minimal
• Ability to work outside normal business hours, as needed

Travel

• As necessary to events, meetings, businesses, etc.

Certificates and Licenses Required

• License: Staff are required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essentials duties of the position.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job description. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope, general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job.  This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.

Your employment at NJEDA is voluntary and subject to termination by you or NJEDA at will, with or without cause, or with or without notice, at any time.  Nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to conflict, eliminate or modify the employment-at-will status of NJEDA employees. 

This position is considered exempt and is excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights and protections afforded nonexempt workers under the FLSA.

NJEDA reserves the right to amend/revise this job description as necessary to meet current and changing business needs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NJ SAME Program

Position Requirements

• Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your own expense and must be submitted prior to a start date.  If this cannot be provided within 21 days of an offer the offer will be rescinded.
• Must comply with the “New Jersey First Act” which requires employees hired after September 1, 2011 to reside in New Jersey. Non-New Jersey resident employees must relocate to New Jersey within one year of their date of hire and provide proof of residency to Human Resources.
• Must complete an Outside Activity Questionnaire (disclosure of outside office or employment) on an annual basis.
• Must review the required NJEDA Ethics Guidelines.
• Those guidelines to can be found here:
• https://www.nj.gov/ethics/docs/ethics/plainlanguage2021.pdf
• https://www.nj.gov/ethics/docs/ethics/2022_uniformcode_april.pdf
  

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