Employment Opportunities

Director, Business Development Life Sciences

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Executive Vice President of Business Development, the Director of Business Development performs lead generation and business development activities to attract new companies within life sciences and related industries to Greater Richmond. The Director of Business Development is responsible for identifying and nurturing leads, making the business case for the region and working to position Greater Richmond as the top mid-sized region in the U.S. for companies to invest.

This is an at-will position.

This position is a 2-year, contracted role that will work with the Alliance for Building Better Medicine, a recipient of the United States Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge.

Typical Duties

• Stays abreast of current news and trends specifically within the life sciences industry to identify companies that may be ripe for expansion or relocation opportunities.
• Maintains high levels of customer service satisfaction with prospects, investors and partners.
• Works in close coordination with local and statewide economic development partners. Maintains an impartial stance on the individual localities that GRP represents.
• Serves as main point of contact for the Alliance for Building Better Medicine Supply Chain effort.
• Maintains detailed records for related grant.
• Generates high quality leads from companies in life sciences and related industries where the business case for Greater Richmond will resonate. Works to convert prospects to wins.
• Works on the business development project pipeline to include working projects as well as data entry and analysis.
• Cultivates relationships with targeted site location consultants, brokers and c-suite executives in life sciences and related industries.
• Works on project proposals, Requests for Information (RFI) and presentations for clients and collaboratively works with other team members to craft “Why Richmond” pitches.
• Conducts virtual and in-person domestic and international sales missions to targeted markets and participates in tradeshows and conferences. Establishes and coordinates work including timeframes, budget and participation of stakeholders.
• Hosts clients for virtual or in-person tours of the region meeting with partners and assessing real estate options.
• Establishes relationships with industry leaders to gain greater insight into the challenges and opportunities within those industries as well as seeks out ways to participate in related discussions.
• Supports the organization’s investor relations efforts by helping to make introductions to companies, setting meetings and assisting with follow-up.
• Works with team to identify suitable sites and buildings and maintains a working knowledge of available commercial real estate.
• Schedules tours, makes travel and logistical arrangements for inbound visits and outbound sales missions.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing or a related field. A minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated success in business attraction and project management experience in economic development, commercial real estate or related field. Work experience may be substituted for education year-by-year on a case-by-case basis.
• Superb written and verbal communication abilities to include stellar presentation skills.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize complex data in order to tell a story from it.
• Command of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Salesforce, Google Alerts.
• Must be able to help shape abstract concepts then produce a definitive product, as well as work on numerous projects simultaneously.

Desired Qualifications

• Bilingual.
• Certified Economic Developer status.
• Working knowledge of CoStar.
• Command of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Gazelle, HubSpot and Salesforce.
• Familiarity with data visualization platforms such as Tableau, Canva.

Working Conditions

• Comfortable working conditions, handling lightweight, intermittent sitting, standing and walking. Occasional exposure to hazards associated with construction site visits including exposure to multiple-story elevations, cramped quarters, temporary stairs and planks, temperature extremes, dust, noise, power equipment and vehicular traffic.
• Considerable exposure to stressful situations and stress as a result of human behavior and various responsibilities.
• Non-traditional working hours which may include evenings and weekends.
• Operates a motor vehicle requiring a standard Virginia Driver’s License. Operates a variety of standard office equipment including a personal computer, copier, fax machine, telephone, calculator and based on job assignment may require the performance of other essential and marginal functions.

GRP Values

• Focused
• Disciplined
• Innovative
• Collaborative
• Inclusive + Diverse
• Passionate

Compensation and Benefits

The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. offers a competitive compensation package for this position. Salary for the position is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Additional benefits include:

• Health, Vision and Dental
• Paid Time Off Benefit
• Paid Holidays
• Group Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Plans
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Retirement Savings Plan

How to Apply

Interested candidates should email [email protected] the following information:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Reference list to include three professional references.

A CRIMINAL AND EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND CHECK IS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified.

 All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

The Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.
800 E. Canal Street, Suite 925
Richmond, VA 23219