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Research Business Development Lead – Defence & Sovereignty
University of Alberta. Scout, engage, and cultivate relationships with medium, large, and multinational defence primes to identify R&D opportunities .
About the role
Key responsibilities & impact- Scout, engage, and cultivate relationships with medium, large, and multinational defence primes to identify R&D opportunities
- Map target company needs into multidisciplinary academic research proposals
- Manage account histories and pipeline milestones
- Organize targeted industry-faculty events, technical roundtables, and facility engagements
- Drive a pipeline to secure direct industry investments leveraged through grant funding
- Structure, negotiate, and shepherd collaborative research proposals from discovery to executed agreement
- Balance corporate milestones with academic mandates
- Monitor active project deliverables alongside Principal Investigators
- Fulfill capacity-building milestones for DEFENDS, PC-RDII, and AI-EDP grant programs
- Lead and participate in sandboxes, procurement readiness sessions, and technology demonstrations
- Execute supply chain mapping across core defence technology domains
- Prepare quarterly and annual compliance and impact reports for funding bodies
- Market specialized research facilities and equipment to industry partners
- Structure multi-center consortia or industrial research chairs
- Coordinate with university offices to maintain policy, risk, and security compliance
- Provide strategic guidance and mentorship to junior business development roles
Requirements
What you’ll need- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business/Commerce, or a closely related scientific discipline required
- Master’s degree (M.Eng., M.Sc., or MBA) or Ph.D. preferred
- Minimum 5+ years of progressive experience in corporate business development, technical sales, B2B account management, or university-industry knowledge mobilization
- Must hold, or be able to hold, a Reliability Status clearance
- In-depth understanding of the Canadian defence and sovereignty landscape, including Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs), Controlled Goods regulations, and strategic federal/provincial initiatives
- Strong capability to comprehend complex engineering concepts and translate them into commercially viable value propositions
- Hands-on skill in co-authoring proposals, structuring multi-party project budgets, and designing co-investment models
- Superior written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to engage C-level executives, military officials, and academic researchers
- Expert consultative sales and interest-based negotiation skills
- Self-starter with high emotional intelligence and strong organizational skills
- Comfort navigating ambiguous, matrixed environments
- Willingness to travel regularly within Alberta and Canada, with occasional international travel required
Benefits
Comp & perks- Comprehensive benefits package
- Terms and conditions governed by Schedule E of the Collective Agreement