Corporate Partnerships Specialist, Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum) (Johns Ho[...]
Johns Hopkins University
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Job summary
Qualifications
- Seven or more years of experience in corporate development or related roles.
- U.S. Citizenship or legal permanent residency required due to Federal Export Controls.
- Service-minded with strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Expand corporate sponsored research portfolio in Materials & Physics.
- Build relationships with faculty, researchers, and industry leaders.
- Monitor industry trends in Materials & Physics and identify partnership opportunities.
Skills
Education
Job description
Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) supports the commercialization of university technology through the development of industry-sponsored research, technology licensing, and venture creation. JHTV serves as business advisors to investigators at all ten schools of the university to enable the translation of academic research with commercial potential. The resources we provide include wraparound support for industry-sponsored research intellectual property (IP) protection and management, technology analysis, marketing and licensing support, translational and venture funding support, physical space through our FastForward innovation hubs, and professional services such as mentorship, pro bono legal and accounting services, and educational programming.
We are seeking a Corporate Partnerships Specialist, Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum). Reporting to the Director Business Development & Portfolio Management, the Corporate Partnerships Specialist will help to expand the JHU corporate sponsored research portfolio with focus in the fields of Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum). By combining deep faculty engagement, domain knowledge and market intelligence to cultivate, source, shape, and enable industry-sponsored research collaborations in materials and device physics, including the design, synthesis, and fabrication of devices for optics, electronics, and quantum technologies. This new role expands the work of JHTV’s Corporate Partnerships team by dedicating a resource focused on a specific domain area as a technical specialist and dedicated resource. The Corporate Partnerships Specialist will also actively coordinate with other domain specialists to identify strategic cross-disciplinary research for industry funding. The role will have a dotted line to the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences Executive Vice Dean and the Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The role proactively identifies where companies are investing, sources partnership opportunities, and works alongside our worldclass researchers to shape sponsor‑ready collaboration concepts, in close coordination with other teams in JHTV. This role also serves as a liaison and bridge between the relevant departments/centres of the university and the broader JHTV organization, helping to increase connectivity and identify promising intellectual property/licensing opportunities and startup ideas.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with faculty, researchers, and leadership across the Aligned Departments, Centers, Institutes, and Cores.
- Conduct regular outreach and meetings with faculty to understand research priorities, emerging projects, and collaboration interests.
- Serve as a visible, accessible resource for faculty seeking industry engagement, providing guidance on partnership structures, timelines, and JHTV processes.
- Identify and cultivate relationships with high‑impact researchers whose work aligns with current industry investment priorities.
- Monitor industry trends, competitive landscapes, and corporate R&D priorities in Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum) to identify where companies are investing.
- Track relevant market signals including M&A activity, clinical pipeline, licensing deals, and strategic activities by target companies.
- Translate market intelligence into actionable insights that inform faculty engagement and strategies for partnering opportunities.
- Identify and prioritize target companies with strategic alignment to JHU's research strengths in medicinal chemistry.
- Proactively source industry funded collaboration by leveraging scientific networks, conferences, and internal and external referrals and warm entry points.
- Proactively scout faculty work and develop corporate partnership opportunities by matching faculty capabilities with industry needs.
- Shape sponsor‑ready collaboration concepts, including defining value propositions, research scope, deliverables and timelines.
- Develop compelling pitch materials, research summaries, and partnership proposals tailored to prospective corporate sponsors.
- Coordinate introductions and facilitate meetings between faculty and industry partners to advance partnership discussions and provide hand‑on support to ensure readiness for industry engagement.
- Support deal structure and contract negotiations by providing technical context, managing faculty expectations, and ensuring alignment on deal terms.
- Maintain accurate, up‑to‑date records of prospects, opportunities, and active engagements in CRM and pipeline management tools.
- Track the progress of opportunities through the business development lifecycle, ensuring timely follow‑up and momentum.
- Provide regular pipeline updates to the Director Business Development & Portfolio Management, and participate in pipeline review meetings.
- Flag stalled opportunities, risks, or resource needs to ensure proactive problem‑solving.
- Serve as the primary liaison between the Aligned Departments, Centers, Institutes, and Cores and JHTV teams, including Tech Transfer and FastForward to ensure faculty connect to the appropriate JHTV resources.
- Identify and surface promising intellectual property, licensing opportunities, and startup ideas emerging from the research portfolio.
- Coordinate seamless handoffs to Tech Transfer (for disclosures/IP/licensing) and FastForward (for startup support), as appropriate.
- Collaborate closely with fellow domain‑focused Corporate Partnership Specialists and other corporate partnerships team members to share best practices, identify strategic cross‑disciplinary opportunities, and maintain a coherent approach.
- Partner with Research Administration and other central offices as needed to support agreement execution and compliance.
- Contribute to team knowledge‑sharing by documenting lessons learned, successful approaches, and market insights.
- Prepare and deliver portfolio updates, activity reports, and key metrics to JHTV and School leadership as requested.
- Participate in regular team meetings, pipeline reviews, and strategic planning sessions.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Advanced Degree (PhD, MD) in directly related field.
- Seven (7)+ years experience in corporate development, business development, external innovation, translational research, R&D strategy, or related roles in industry or academia.
- U.S. Citizen or legal permanent resident required due to Federal Export Controls.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
- Advanced Degree (MS, PhD) in Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum, synthesis).
- Science and business fluency and able to engage academic researchers and industry leaders around a value proposition.
- Working familiarity with research/innovation translation and commercialization pathways.
- Experience supporting research collaborations in academia, industry, or similar organizations.
- Service‑minded with strong stakeholder management and communication skills including oral and writing skills.
- Experience working in a matrix organization with primary responsibility for success while relying on a team of resources which are not direct reports.
- Thrive in cross‑functional teams with competing priorities and incomplete information.
Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency
- Business Development - Advanced
- Commercialization Expertise - Advanced
- Market and Opportunity Analysis - Advanced
- Project Management - Advanced
- Partner Relationship Management - Advanced
- Stakeholder Engagement - Advanced
- Interpersonal Skills General - Advanced
- Negotiation - Advanced
- Proposal Development and Writing - Advanced
- Data Management and Analysis - Advanced
The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.
Classified Title: Business Development Lead
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Corporate Partnerships Specialist, Materials & Physics (optics, electronics, quantum) (Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PH
Starting Salary Range: $116,600 - $204,000 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F/8:30am-5pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Krieger School of Arts & Sciences
Department name: Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Personnel area: Academic and Business Centers
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