Licensing Manager

Vylor; Johnston (IA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits for you and family

Paid time off

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Retirement savings plan

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Vylor is seeking a Licensing Manager to drive diligence, negotiations and governance for licenses, collaborations and technology transfers in crop science. You will coordinate cross-functional teams across R&D, Legal, Finance and business units to ensure compliant, timely agreements.

The role requires strong writing and negotiation abilities, IP management knowledge, and the capacity to manage multiple concurrent projects in a dynamic biotech environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or higher degree in biological/chemical sciences required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 3 years in licensing or technology transfer in academic or corporate settings.
• Experience with negotiations, IP rights, patent processes, and contracting/licensing norms.
• Knowledge of IP management, chemistry/biology, and regulatory activities in agriculture.
• Knowledge of plant biology/physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and plant breeding.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and technical writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with timelines.

Responsibilities

• Plan, lead and execute diligence and negotiation for licenses, collaborations and tech transfer.
• Coordinate and manage contract negotiation workstreams with R&D, Legal, Finance and other groups.
• Work with finance and legal to obtain necessary clearances for agreements.
• Draft and negotiate terms, moving term sheets to executed contracts.
• Coordinate clearance for release, license or transfer of technologies across geographies.
• Monitor agreement management, stewardship and compliance including contract databases and obligations.
• Maintain relationships with public/private sector contacts to track industry standards.
• Provide guidance/training on technology transfer and licensing standards.

Skills

Licensing experience

Agreement negotiations

Intellectual property

Patent process

Contracting norms

IP management

Plant biology

Biochemistry

Communication skills

Project management

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in biological or chemical sciences

Master's degree in biological/chemical science or MBA or law

Job description

Join Vylor—Powering the Future of Agriculture
At Vylor, we’re advancing agriculture through breakthrough science—combining elite germplasm, cutting-edge biotech, and next-generation expertise in gene editing and molecular breeding. Our portfolio includes trusted industry brands like Pioneer®, Brevant®, and Hoegemeyer®, delivering performance farmers rely on.
Join us to help scale innovation globally and shape what’s next in crop science.
Are you seeking a new and challenging opportunity to further enhance your career? Vylor currently has a vacancy for a Licensing Manager on our team. The Licensing Manager will be a dynamic, goal-oriented, and results-driven individual with demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal); the ability to work effectively with multiple internal functions including R&D, Legal, Finance, and business teams; experience in technical writing and/or contract drafting/writing, negotiation and process management; ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and efficiently; a solid understanding of intellectual property management and/or scientific/technical arenas; and strong teamwork orientation and skills.
What You’ll Do

• Plan, lead and execute the diligence and agreement negotiation actions necessary to establish R&D and business level licenses, collaborations/alliances, and technology transfer transactions between Vylor and public and private entities, largely in support of Vylor R&D.
• Coordinate, lead and manage technology and/or intellectual property contract negotiation and agreement management related workstreams with colleagues in R&D, legal, external affairs, technology scouting/acquisition, alliance management, open innovation, regulatory, supply chain, finance, and other groups in Vylor.
• Work with Vylor finance managers and legal counsel to obtain necessary financial and legal clearances and guidance for agreements and associated projects.
• Be skilled in the art of agreement drafting and negotiation, with experience defining, writing and validating terms leading to successful alliances/collaborations and licenses.
• Capable of issue-spotting and taking agreements from term sheet to executed contracts.
• Coordinate clearance and approval for release, license or transfer of technologies, traits and germplasm (working with others in Vylor as appropriate) and be capable of managing this process across geographies in Vylor.
• Facilitate and monitor agreement management, stewardship and compliance including but not limited to contract database entries, and payment and other contract obligations, reports, exercising of options, terminations, etc. Develop and maintain strong knowledge of important agreements and their impact on new or ongoing technology contract negotiations.
• Maintain relationships with a network of contacts in both Vylor and the public and private sectors to determine shifting structures, standards/norms, roles and goals within the industry.
• Provide guidance/training to Vylor-internal R&D and business clients with respect to Technology Transfer and Licensing standards and processes.

What Skills You Need

• Bachelor’s degree in biological or chemical sciences is required.Master’s (or higher) degree in a biological or chemical science discipline, or a Master of Business Administration or law degree, is preferred.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience working in an academic or corporate licensing or technology transfer function is strongly preferred.
• Exposure to or experience with (i) agreement negotiations, (ii) intellectual property rights, (iii) patent process and/or (iv) contracting and technology licensing norms and issues; preferably in agriculture or the life sciences.
• Understanding of intellectual property management, chemistry/biology/biochemistry research, and regulatory activities in agriculture or related areas, is preferred.
• Basic knowledge and understanding of plant biology/physiology, genetics, biochemistry, plant breeding, organic chemistry and/or natural products, is required.
• Confidence and ability to work through and resolve challenging issues in a timely and professional manner, with internal and external stakeholders, to successful outcome.
• Experience in successfully managing multiple projects and deadlines within a complex organization, with strict attention to detail, prioritization and efficiency.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal), interpersonal, and technical writing skills required.
• Proven ability to build solid relationships, earn the confidence of internal stakeholders and demonstrate the ability to get results in a timely manner with attention to timelines and deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills required; project management skills preferred.
• Must be reliable, self-motivated, persistent and have the ability to work effectively both alone and collaboratively in small and large teams.
• Membership and/or credentialed in a national or international professional society focused on licensing and technology transfer topics is preferred.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Benefits – How We’ll Support You

• Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills
• Be part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better place
• Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment
• Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays
• Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father
• Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program
• Learn more about our total rewards package here - Corteva Benefits
• Check out life at Vylor! https://www.linkedin.com/company/vylorgenetics/

Vylor is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.