Research Business Development Lead, Defence & Sovereignty

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal applicants will be given priority consideration based on minimum qualifications, or a combination of experience, skills, and abilities before external applicants are considered.

This position has an end date of March 14, 2029.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Research Business Development Lead, Defence and Sovereignty drives the strategic expansion of industry-engaged applied research, ecosystem development, and net-new sponsored research funding within the defence sector for the Faculty of Engineering. Reporting to the Associate Dean (Infrastructure and Centers) and under the daily tactical guidance of the Director, Research Business Development, this role serves as an agile, highly sophisticated interface bridging academia, medium-to-large enterprises, and multinational defence prime contractors. The Lead advances three high-priority initiatives—the Dual Use Ecosystem for Future Engineering, National Defence, and Sovereignty (DEFENDS) ecosystem, PrairiesCan’s Regional Defence Innovation Initiative (PC-RDII), and the Alberta Innovates Uncrewed Systems Ecosystem Development Program (AI-EDP)—while accelerating industrial engagement for aligned Research Centers, primarily the Center for Applied Research in Defence and Dual-Use Technologies (CARDD-Tech). By transforming complex industrial technical challenges into high-value academic research proposals across key technology domains (including aerospace, tactical defence, sovereign computing, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing), the Lead is directly accountable for generating projects by securing industry cash that can be leveraged through matching grants, while enhancing graduate student training and regional economic impact.

• Industry Engagement & Pipeline Development: Proactively scout, engage, and cultivate relationships with medium, large, and multinational defence primes to identify R&D opportunities; map target company needs into multi-disciplinary academic research proposals; manage account histories and pipeline milestones; and organize targeted industry-faculty events, technical roundtables, and facility engagements.
• Research Funding & Proposal Generation: Drive a pipeline to secure direct industry investments that can be leveraged through grant funding; structure, negotiate, and shepherd collaborative research proposals from initial discovery to executed agreement; balance corporate milestones with academic mandates; and actively monitor active project deliverables alongside Principal Investigators (PIs).
• Ecosystem Building & Grant Compliance: Fulfill capacity-building milestones for the DEFENDS, PC-RDII, and AI-EDP grant programs; participate in and lead industry engagement activities (e.g., sandboxes, procurement readiness sessions, technology demonstrations); execute supply chain mapping across core defence tech domains; and collect data to prepare mandatory quarterly/annual compliance and impact reports for funding bodies.
• Research Center Optimization: Partner closely with Faculty Research Center Directors, Managers, and affiliated faculty—specifically within CARDD-Tech—to market specialized facilities and equipment to industry partners; structure multi-center consortia or industrial research chairs to tackle broad sector challenges; and expand the overall industrial footprint of the Faculty's research infrastructure.
• Internal Matrix Coordination: Align daily outreach efforts with the Director, Research Business Development; collaborate with central university offices (including the Vice-President Research, External Relations, and Innovation, International, and Enterprise portfolios) to maintain institutional policy, risk, and security compliance; and provide strategic guidance and mentorship to junior business development roles.

• Education: 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. combining technical engineering literacy with commercial acumen preferred.
• Professional Experience: Minimum 5+ years of progressive experience in corporate business development, technical sales, B2B account management, or university-industry knowledge mobilization.
• Security: Must hold, or be able to hold, a Reliability Status clearance.
• Domain Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the Canadian defence and sovereignty landscape, including Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs), Controlled Goods regulations, and strategic federal/provincial initiatives (e.g., Defence Industrial Strategy, BOREALIS, MINERVA).
• Technical & Commercial Acumen: 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.
• Negotiation & Communication: Superior written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to engage C-level executives, military officials, and academic researchers; expert consultative sales and interest-based negotiation skills that bridge corporate speed and ROI with academic publishing and training mandates.
• Personal Attributes & Logistics: Self-starter with high emotional intelligence, strong organizational skills, and comfort navigating ambiguous, matrixed environments.
• Travel: Willingness to travel regularly within the province of Alberta and Canada with occasional international travel required.

Application Instructions

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This position offers a comprehensive benefits package with an annual salary range of $95,082 to $130,739.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule E of the Collective Agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.