Business Development & Partnerships Manager
Full-time
Location:
US/EU
Compensation:
$70,000-$95,000 (base pay) with 10-20% commission, commensurate with experience
Job Description:
Join WISER Solutions Launchpad (WSL) and help accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies. We connect industry, government, and academia to transform emerging quantum capabilities into real-world research and impact. We are seeking a proactive, entrepreneurial Business Development & Partnerships Manager to build strategic partnerships, develop funded research opportunities, and expand WSL's impact across priority industries.
Working closely with technical and executive leadership, you will identify new opportunities, shape collaborative research projects, secure funding, and represent WSL within the global quantum ecosystem.
What You'll Do:
- Establish and grow WSL partnerships across Energy, Finance, and an emerging frontier sector (e.g., U.S. Federal Government, National Laboratories, or Cryptography).
- Build relationships with corporations, startups, research institutions, and government organizations to identify collaboration opportunities.
- Translate partner challenges into funded research projects, proof-of-concepts, and commercialization initiatives.
- Develop project scopes, milestones, deliverables, budgets, and partnership proposals.
- Identify grant and funding opportunities (DOE, NSF, DARPA, ARPA-E, EU Horizon, and others) and coordinate competitive proposal development.
- Monitor industry trends, market needs, and emerging quantum applications to identify new strategic opportunities.
- Work closely with technical teams to ensure partner engagements align with organizational capabilities and research priorities.
- Travel extensively to meet with partners, customers, government agencies, and research organizations to establish and strengthen strategic relationships.
- Represent WSL at major quantum, science, innovation, and industry conferences, workshops, and networking events.
- Develop long-term partnerships through regular in-person engagement with executives, technical leaders, funding agencies, and research institutions.
- Organize and facilitate partnership meetings, workshops, and collaborative planning sessions with stakeholders.
Who You Are:
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's or PhD preferred in Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Business, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of the quantum technology.
- 5+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, technology commercialization, innovation programs, or research management.
- Experience working with government funding agencies, grants, or R&D partnerships is highly desirable.
- Excellent relationship-building, communication, and proposal writing skills.
- Willing and able to travel 30–50% (or more, depending on business needs), including domestic and occasional international travel.
- Exceptional interpersonal, networking, and executive communication skills.