Manager, Mentorship and Venture Development

About Ontario Genomics

Ontario Genomics is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the province of Ontario. Established in 2000, our mission is to lead the application of genomics-based solutions across key sectors of the economy to drive economic growth, improved quality of life and global leadership for Ontario. Our vision is to enable healthy people, a healthy economy and a healthy planet through genomics innovations. We work with researchers, small and large companies, not-for-profits and governments to create public-private and public-public partnerships that unlock made-in-Ontario, cutting-edge solutions and technologies for the world.

Ontario Genomics (OG) is leading a five-year project to deliver the BioCreate program to southern Ontario SMEs seeking to commercialize genomics and engineering biology research and technologies. BioCreate will provide increased investment, mentorship and business support, creating commercialization pathways for transformative SMEs in the health, cleantech, and agri-food sectors.

The multi-phase program includes direct grant funding of up to $150,000 from Ontario Genomics that is matched by an additional $100,000 from participating companies, and 18 months of business mentorship and access to critical lab space provided by OG’s strategic sectoral and regional partnerships with Velocity (Waterloo), Synapse Life Sciences Consortium (Hamilton), TMU (Toronto) and SpinUp (Toronto). The objective of the program is to provide funding and support for companies starting at TRL 4+ to advance their technology to TRL 7+ and create an inflection in value that allows the company to secure a seed round and/or further strategic partnerships.

Role Description:

Reporting to the Director, Investment and Venture Development, the Manager, Mentorship and Venture Development will lead the Mentorship component of BioCreate program and build inroads to investors locally and internationally, to achieve the program objectives. This role is ideal for a candidate who is passionate about supporting SMEs and startup companies to solve big problems and create economic growth for Southern Ontario. The candidate will bring experience in partnership development, stakeholder engagement and funding programs for startup companies and/or mentorship services.

We are a nimble and dynamic team, with opportunities for each team member to lead within their role, learn many facets of the business, help shape our processes and develop professionally. We offer a flexible, remote work environment, with the opportunity to influence parts of the business while having fun at the same time.

Key Responsibilities:

Funding:

• Participate where required to support the BioCreate team on the intake phase of the BioCreate Program
• Support the BioCreate Director and team for program sustainability
• Support companies by brokering introductions to investors to raise follow-on funding from Venture Capital, Angel Investors and/or other sources to grow their companies and create jobs

Mentorship and ecosystems building:

• Lead the development of a mentorship program process that provides value to SMEs, mentors and investors
• Leveraging Ontario Genomics’ and your own network, help the team grow a strong pool of mentors and investors that can support SMEs and accelerate their growth
• Embrace and build principles of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) into access to program resources and mentorship
• Support the BioCreate Advisor and Coordinator to organize BioCreate Ecosystem Events

Strategic Partnerships:

• Establish, develop, and grow strategic partnerships with accelerators, investors and incubators in the ecosystem
• Liaise with companies throughout the lifecycle of the BioCreate Program, ensuring companies needs are met and metrics are collected
• In collaboration with the Director, ensure FedDev Ontario and Ontario Government reporting requirements are met (including report writing) and that strong relationships are maintained to achieve their objectives

Promotion and Marketing:

• Support presentations on the BioCreate program by developing materials, including metrics, to promote the program and the SMEs supported through BioCreate
• Working with the Communications team, develop promotional materials highlighting the mentorship and investor showcase components of the BioCreate Program based in Southern Ontario and globally to the program and promote their successes
• Develop and execute investor pitch nights and other events that attract investors that can support BioCreate SMEs to raise additional funding and grow their businesses

Qualifications and Experience:

• Advanced degree in relevant field and a minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience as a startup operator/entrepreneur and/or innovation support organization specializing in startup companies and SMEs
• MSc, PhD in a life sciences field or equivalent combination of education (not required, but considered an asset) and/ or
• Bachelor or Master in Business and/ or Life Science with 4-5 years of working experience
• Comfortable working with a diverse team; embraces OG’s commitment to IDEA principles.
• Broad and updated market knowledge of genomics and engineering biology in one or more sectors including health, cleantech, and food
• Direct experience in sourcing and guiding biotech companies in seeking investment and/or non-dilutive funding from Canadian and applicable international funding sources.
• Able to identify partnership opportunities and explore correlations that may exist across sectors
• Ability to make timely decisions with limited data, work autonomously and within a team
• Demonstrated experience with milestone-driven projects and an ability to identify and assess objective, quantifiable measures of success
• High tolerance for ambiguous environments and able to drive progress in complex environments consisting of multiple including senior stakeholders who often have differing goals
• Is motivated by continuous learning and the desire to make a difference and a real contribution to the genomics and engineering biology company ecosystem
• Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills; French language is an asset

What’s in it for you?

• An opportunity to lead a critical component of the BioCreate Program and be part of a transformational innovation ecosystem in Southern Ontario.
• Competitive compensation that is reviewed on an annual basis.
• Flexible and collaborative work environment that combines remote working with purpose driven office-based work.
• Retirement and health/dental plan from day 1.
• Vacation, time off during summer and over the holidays; sick and personal days off.
• Heatlh/Wellness account and mental health support.
• An opportunity to join a fun, high performing team, where culture and people are a priority.

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