Associate Vice President - Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute

WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute

The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) is a comprehensive multidisciplinary patient care, education, and research institute providing neurological and mental healthcare through more than 300,000 visits annually. The 300+ physicians and scientists of the RNI improve lives by pioneering advances in neuroscience, brain health, and therapeutics. The RNI team uses the latest technologies with academic, government, and industry partners to make tangible progress to combat public health challenges ranging from addiction to Alzheimer's disease.

The RNI's flagship facilities are located on the WVU Health Sciences campus in Morgantown, with more than 2,200 dedicated team members across seven departments, patient care units, and research laboratories. For more information, visit WVUMedicine.org/RNI.

About the Opportunity

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Strategy & External Partnerships serves as a senior strategic and operational leader for the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) reporting directly to the Executive Director of the RNI, Ali Rezai. The AVP leads high-priority strategic initiatives focused on technology commercialization, external partnerships, business development, communications, and institutional growth, and collaborates closely with RNI administrative leadership, RNI physician and scientific leadership, advisors, university and health system stakeholders, industry partners, foundations, state and federal government entities, and donors and philanthropy. This position involves a combination of onsite and hybrid work, with a strong expectation of regular onsite presence.

What You'll Do

Strategy and Technology Commercialization

• In partnership with WVU and WVU Medicine senior leadership, lead RNI's strategic partnership efforts with external stakeholders including medtech, pharma and digital health, state and federal government, foundations and donors. This includes development and implementation and measurement of strategic efforts.
• Lead strategy development, analysis, implementation planning, and operational execution across RNI strategic initiatives and growth priorities
• Develop timelines, budgets, prioritization frameworks, milestones, metrics, and reporting structures for key institutional initiatives.
• Lead RNI's commercialization strategy, including new company formation, governance structures, licensing and royalty agreements, and strategic planning related to regulatory, reimbursement, financing, and operational models.
• Facilitate and advance RNI technology development and commercialization initiatives with the RNI R&D team, including: Human Operating System (HOS) digital platform and related modules; Focused ultrasound device and clinical application development initiatives; Create presentations, documents and marketing material related to these efforts

Corporate Development & External Partnerships

• Lead RNI corporate and business development initiatives and strategic external partnerships.
• Manage executive-level relationships with industry and strategic partners, including organizations such as Insightec, Medtronic, NaviFUS, as well as academic, government, and commercial collaborators.
• Coordinate strategic planning, presentations, meetings, follow-ups, projects, and deliverables related to external partnerships and institutional initiatives.
• Collaborate with RNI executive leadership on the negotiation and development of agreements, partnerships, and strategic collaborations.
• Engage university and health system leadership to ensure alignment, approvals, and institutional support for strategic initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic liaison across clinical, research, operational, academic, philanthropic, and commercial functions.

Government & Foundation Relations

• Support development and execution of RNI's federal and state government relations strategy, including engagement with agencies and organizations such as ARPA-H, DARPA, National Institutes of Health, and Rural Health Transformation program (RHTP)
• Support foundation, philanthropy, and donor engagement initiatives and follow-up participation from fundraising efforts and unique donor requests, in collaboration with the VP RNI, the Executive Director of Development and other leaders at the WVU Foundation.

Marketing, Communications & Executive Support

• Oversee national and international media efforts (WSJ, 60 minutes, Washington Post, Bloomberg, and others) in collaboration with RNI marketing and communications teams and the RNI VP.
• Lead development of executive presentations, strategic messaging, and briefing materials for the RNI Executive Director and senior leadership.
• Serve as the point of contact with external communications consultants and contractors.

Supervising responsibilities

• Director of RNI WVU and philanthropy Administration and Finance
• Project Coordinator (HR)
• Director of Innovation

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of combined experience in one or a combination of the following areas: International Project Management; Management Consulting; Government relations experience; Healthcare Startup/Innovation experience
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated leadership experience in strategy, healthcare innovation, business development, commercialization, partnerships, consulting, or related fields.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives involving healthcare systems, academic institutions, industry partners, and government stakeholders preferred.
• Strong executive communication, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment.