Business Development Manager - Computational Social Science Lab - Penn Engineering

Job Description

The Business Development Manager (BDM) is responsible for driving the commercialization and market adoption of the CSSLab research efforts. The BDM develops and implements strategic business development plans in alignment with broader CSSLab and University goals, identifying and cultivating relationships with current and prospective partners across industry, policy, and research sectors. The BDM leads go-to-market strategy development and execution, manages the development of pitch materials, proposals, and RFP responses, and oversees sponsorship and outreach activities in collaboration with relevant university communications teams. The BDM works closely with CSSLab researchers, Penn's Center for Innovation, and the Office of General Counsel and other departments to develop sustainable partnerships and revenue streams through licensing agreements, sponsored research contracts, and data access partnerships. Additional responsibilities include maintaining a pipeline and tracking system for monitoring opportunities and timelines, managing stakeholder engagement, and synthesizing intelligence on emerging market trends to position the lab's tools competitively.

• Develop, implement, and regularly review strategic business development plans; maintain a rolling pipeline and tracking system to monitor opportunities, forecast targets, and measure progress across all lab commercialization initiatives; and adjust strategies in response to new opportunities or shifts in the external environment.
• Identify and cultivate partnership opportunities; work with relevant partners and internal stakeholders to negotiate and complete licensing agreements, sponsored research contracts, and data access partnerships that generate sustainable revenue streams; and manage the compilation, development, and maintenance of relevant database contacts and mailing lists to support outreach efforts.
• Lead go-to-market strategy development and execution for the lab's commercialization efforts, including building and maintaining target lists, conducting market and competitive research to identify high-value use cases and target segments, and developing pitch materials, proposals, and RFP responses for prospective partners.
• Lead efforts to identify relationships and build awareness of Lab research with relevant organizations and external groups; represent the lab at conferences, events, and meetings; and serve as a market-facing ambassador to mobilize commercialization efforts.
• Manage internal stakeholder development, coordination, and communication across university offices to align priorities and advance business development efforts; and participate in research and partnership meetings to help identify and pursue new business development opportunities with targets and existing relationships.