Director
Job Description
Overview & Description
As the Director of a life sciences innovation center, you will play a crucial role as the face of the center, orchestrating daily operations and leading a dynamic team. This role involves managing site operations, fostering a collaborative ecosystem of innovators, capital partners, and industry stakeholders, and supporting life-science entrepreneurs toward successful commercialization.
As the general manager, you will oversee the member experience, team management, partner relations, sponsor engagements, issue resolution, risk management, and operational excellence of facilities. You will also uphold the center's culture, values, and brand while selecting, mentoring, and developing a diverse and high-performing site staff across laboratory, office, facilities, and programming functions, with a focus on operational and client service excellence.
The role will also involve identifying and implementing creative strategies to enhance and amplify the center's impact within the local innovation ecosystem. This includes recruiting additional innovation-supporting organizations such as workforce programs, accelerators, shared facilities, and venture funds, while fostering collaboration and goodwill throughout the ecosystem.
The position will report to a senior executive responsible for community and/or center operations.
Responsibilities
Leasing & Tenant Management
Cultivate a pipeline of resident companies and actively recruit new members.
Lead business development, marketing, and client experience initiatives to generate new leads and expand the center's network.
Manage leasing and sales activities.
Collaborate with partners to create opportunities that support tenant growth and success.
Community Relations & Engagement
Establish and strengthen partnerships with industry, academic institutions, and ecosystem leaders.
Build a network of leading academics, industry experts, entrepreneurs, and other advisors to support resident companies.
Maintain strong relationships with landlords and collaborate on site-specific initiatives.
Manage sponsor relationships and ensure fulfillment of sponsorship commitments at the site level.
Foster the local entrepreneurial ecosystem by developing relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, community leaders, and other stakeholders.
Represent the center through networking, speaking engagements, committees, boards, and other ecosystem activities.
Leadership & Operations
Develop and manage budgets, establish revenue targets, control costs, and report financial performance.
Monitor and report on site KPIs and overall business performance.
Lead and develop the center team, promoting professional growth and a positive work environment.
Foster a culture of inclusivity, equity, collaboration, and shared belonging.
Monitor client satisfaction and business performance metrics.
Oversee operational excellence across facilities, laboratory, office, and programming functions.
Identify operational risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
Drive process improvements and ensure a high-quality member and client experience.
Preferred Skills & Abilities
Bachelor's degree or demonstrated experience in a relevant field such as incubator management, economic development, university administration, accelerator programming, or venture development.
Strong leadership and team management skills.
Experience with budgeting, financial forecasting, and managing financial targets.
Proven track record in business development, marketing, and client relationship management.
Ability to build and maintain strong partnerships with industry and academic institutions.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
Experience in operational management and process optimization.
Ability to foster an inclusive, equitable, and motivating work environment.
Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
Knowledge of the life sciences industry and commercialization processes.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Experience with leasing and real estate is a plus.
W3Global was established in 2006 in Fremont, CA with a vision: simplify the recruiting process and develop an industry-disrupting platform to connect candidates with clients. Our cutting-edge Applicant Tracking System enables us to find the right person for the right job, creating value for job seekers and employers. While W3Global initially focused on IT staffing, we have expanded the business to serve many other industries, including accounting and finance, legal, engineering, human resources, government and more.
We’re proud of the investments we’ve made in our team, having grown from four to 1000 employees and evolving into one of the leading recruitment and staffing solution providers in the industry. Our recruiters and account managers are passionate about connecting qualified professionals with the right positions in small, medium, and large companies.
Our Services
W3Global understands the natural ups and downs of an organization’s staffing needs. We are continuously adapting to industry and economic changes to find the right candidates.
We specialize in placing permanent, direct, contract, and temporary positions for companies of any size. Our recruiting services include sourcing, recruiting, screening, interview management, salary negotiations, training, and onboarding.
We are committed to helping organizations redefine their recruitment process by delivering our SaaS-based proprietary application tracking system software.
Our Expertise
W3Global has been delivering staffing solutions for nearly two decades; we know which recruiting strategies work best. Our expert team is committed to developing a customized solution to fit your company’s unique needs.
As a W3Global client, you’ll also receive personalized assistance from a seasoned team of staffing specialists. We are committed to providing both technical support and industry expertise to simplify the hiring process. We know that your time matters. W3Global will help you streamline the hiring process, getting it done and getting it right.
