Business Development Coordinator / 事業開発コーディネーター

About The Position

The Business Development Coordinator will develop and maintain industry partnerships at OIST. The role will involve partnership development, project management, and coordination and implementation of industry partnerships. The work includes business development activities related to OIST Innovation and the OIST's COI-NEXT Center of Excellence (Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation).

This position is funded by the JST COI-NEXT grant.

Responsibilities

1. Project Management and Implementation with Partner Companies

• Plan and implement multi-faceted projects, including research aligned with OIST’s strategic goals.
• Coordinate and finalize various agreements (e.g., comprehensive partnership agreements, joint research agreements, etc.).
• Manage and oversee the implementation of agreed collaborative activities and projects in coordination with relevant teams and stakeholders.
• Provide support for commercialization of research outcomes, including internal and external coordination and negotiation.

2. Identification of Partner Companies and Market Analysis

• Analyze and identify companies whose missions, goals, and values align with OIST.
• Collect and manage comprehensive company information and maintain related databases.
• Prepare reports and presentations based on analytical results.

3. Relationship Building

• Build relationships within the OIST innovation community, including researchers and startups.
• Develop and maintain relationships with existing and potential corporate partners, members of the OIST Innovation Network (INO), and other domestic and international business networks.
• Serve as a point of contact for inquiries from companies.
• Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to plan and organize industry–academia collaboration events, meetings, and activities.

4. Reporting and Evaluation

• Collect and analyze performance data related to collaborative activities.
• Prepare and update regular reports on partnership activities.
• Create and prepare materials for internal and external stakeholders related to collaboration initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business, Marketing, Science, or a related field, with at least three years of experience in client management or business development in a corporate environment. Experience in the life sciences field is highly desirable.
• Experience in contract negotiation, data analysis, communication, and project management.
• Ability to build relationships with faculty members and senior management of large corporations.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong multitasking and adaptability skills.
• Native-level proficiency in Japanese and business-level proficiency in English.
• Proficiency in project management tools and CRM software.
• Experience supporting startup creation or growth is an advantage.