Senior Director - Business Development - Partnerships

The primary responsibility of this position is to directly support the mission of Mayo Clinic Business Development. The Senior Director may perform as an individual contributor as needed.  As a leadership level role, the Senior Director will be accountable for the execution and outcomes of multiple projects or major initiatives, activities, deals, opportunities and other work of the department, from inception to execution. The role will help organize opportunities as they arise into appropriate work teams and will help with assigning staff to work teams.  The Senior Director will communicate/ report project status to department leadership and will represent the department with other Mayo Clinic department or organizational leadership, and with external entities, as warranted. Based on the needs of the department, the Senior Director may be assigned directly reporting staff, and if so, will be accountable for managerial and human resources duties, including performance reviews, goal-setting, mentoring/coaching, and career development.  The Senior Director is expected to also share in accountability for the overall success of the department, and will work with leadership colleagues to prioritize and balance all efforts and initiatives to achieve optimal departmental success.  As a leadership level role, the Senior Director will model the values, policies and goals of the department and of Mayo Clinic. 

The department is organized into three functional Work Units, with positions assigned within one of these three areas and with responsibilities as described for each area:

• Partnerships – Source, evaluate, analyze and develop new business opportunities for Mayo Clinic, including but not limited to partnerships, joint ventures, new company spin-offs, investments, mergers and acquisitions. Work with areas throughout Mayo Clinic and the marketplace to identify new business opportunities, including the ability to connect these activities with existing Mayo Clinic operational units, in alignment with the Mayo Clinic strategic plan, prioritized market opportunities, and competitive activity. Contribute to the development of a network of industry, entrepreneurial and investor contacts to serve as a resource for business development and/or commercialization activities. 
• Commercialization – Evaluate the commercial potential of a variety of medical inventions and discoveries coming from Mayo's clinical and research activities, developing and implementing technology sales and marketing plans, managing the patent process, identifying potential commercial partners, negotiating license agreements and other commercialization arrangements, managing relationships with industry and advising Mayo physicians and scientists regarding protection of intellectual property and technology-based business matters.
• Technology Development – Facilitate the development and commercialization of Mayo Clinic technologies by collaborating with Mayo Clinic staff, external companies, entrepreneurs, and investors: (a) Identify, evaluate, and support the development of novel technologies arising from Mayo Clinic’s clinical and research activities, with a focus on improving patient care and outcomes; (b) Collaborate closely with physicians, researchers, and cross-functional teams to advance innovative solutions and align technology development efforts with organizational priorities; (c) Facilitate invention disclosure and intellectual property development, including identifying patentable innovations, conducting prior art and landscape analyses, and supporting IP strategy; (d) Conduct feasibility assessments, market analyses, and competitive evaluations to determine the potential impact and commercial viability of new technologies; (e) Develop materials to communicate and promote technologies, including summaries, presentations, and other supporting documentation for internal and external audiences; (f) Monitor industry trends and emerging technologies and contribute to ongoing improvement of development processes while ensuring compliance with regulatory, ethical, and confidentiality standards; (g) Support the planning and execution of technology development projects and commercialization efforts, including defining scope, timelines, and key deliverables, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Investments- Sourcing, evaluation, and execution of strategic and financial investments aligned with Mayo’s organizational priorities, ensuring all opportunities meet defined investment criteria, return thresholds, and governance requirements.  Assist in portfolio management and advising executive and department leadership on critical financial decisions.  Ideal candidates are intellectually curious, analytically rigorous, and thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.   (a) Originate, evaluate and execute investment opportunities; (b) Assess opportunities against investment criteria and capital structure standards; (c) Manage or lead financial modeling, valuation, scenario analysis, comprehensive diligence and related activities; (d) work with organizational departments, teams, and investment committees to facilitate investments that align with Mayo’s strategy; and (e) perform and manage post-deal activities, including governance, reporting, etc.

This role will lead efforts to expand Mayo Clinic’s strategic collaborations and investment relationships across biopharma and diagnostics, strengthening our position within the global life sciences and healthcare innovation ecosystem. The ideal candidate is a connector and strategist — fluent in capital markets, translational science, and commercialization — capable of driving collaborations that accelerate innovation and patient impact.

This is a hybrid position and must be located within 100 miles of a Mayo Clinic site or based in San Francisco Bay Area or Boston MA area.

• Master’s degree required, or an advanced degree preferred (e.g., PhD, MD, JD), in business, science, or related relevant field, plus eight years specific experience related to the role and area of work: business development, finance/venture capital, technology transfer, venture management, i/p commercialization, licensing, patents, partnerships, business-to-business collaborations, investments, start-up companies and/or sourcing partnering opportunities in the health care, medical/biotechnology or financial/venture capital industries.
• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of ten years experience parallel to the above. 
• Seven years experience directly related to technology licensing for roles within the Commercialization Work Unit.
• In lieu of a degree, a minimum of years of applicable experience equal to the number of years normally required to earn the degree will be recognized as satisfying the degree requirement, i.e. four years experience equivalency for a Bachelor’s degree, two years experience equivalency for a Master’s degree, two years experience equivalency for an advanced degree. 

Must have the ability to perform successfully in a business development/ technology commercialization role, and to navigate required complex inter- and intra-organizational issues and relationships.  Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact with a variety of different people with diverse backgrounds. Requires strong project management skills and time management skills and the ability to manage several initiatives simultaneously. Must have entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial qualities.  Must possess strong analytical skills, be resourceful, and be able to work independently on assigned projects. 

The ideal candidate will have the following key competencies:  

• Strategic Relationship Building: The candidate should demonstrate the ability to cultivate and sustain trusted relationships across venture capital, diagnostics, biotech, and pharmaceutical networks. They should have a proven record of engaging stakeholders from mid-market investors to corporate R&D teams, and be able to translate complex scientific or technical capabilities into clear partnership value.
• Venture and Capital Network Expansion: The individual should have a deep understanding of venture and strategic investment ecosystems across biopharma, diagnostics, and health technology. They will focus on expanding engagement with mid-sized venture and corporate funds, where early-stage capital is often deployed, and build relationships with family offices and healthcare investors open to supporting spinouts and co-development.
• Strategic Deal Structuring: The candidate must have experience structuring and negotiating a range of partnership models — including licensing, co-development, and investment agreements in both therapeutic and diagnostic innovation. They should be capable of aligning Mayo’s assets with partner portfolios and delivering strategic transactions that balance financial, scientific, and mission-driven goals.
• Ecosystem Positioning and Outreach: The candidate should be experienced in positioning organizations as partners of choice within the biopharma and diagnostics ecosystems. They will design and lead engagement programs such as investor days, showcases, and roadshows to enhance Mayo’s visibility and credibility, and work collaboratively with innovation hubs and accelerators to identify new opportunities for co-development, licensing, and commercialization.
• Internal Alignment and Execution: The candidate must excel at aligning external partnership opportunities with internal stakeholders across research, clinical, and business units. They should have experience implementing relationship management and performance tracking systems to measure engagement quality, deal progress, and partnership ROI, with a focus on accountability and continuous improvement.

Depending on the specific position assignment, additional preferred skills may include: business plan creation, due diligence, market research, marketing plan development, concept analysis, business model development, financial pro-forma development and analysis, legal/regulatory issues assessment, monitoring product/operating unit performance, technical sales, evaluation of medical technologies, negotiations, contract drafting, evaluation of scientific and commercialization potential of cutting-edge technologies, and knowledge of science, clinical or bench research, business principles, laws and regulations that relate to the patenting and licensing of inventions. Experience working with an organization or in a role directly related to one or more of the relevant Work Teams may be given special consideration.