Valorisation manager Life Sciences

Department: Valorisation Office
Regime Full-time

Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp

The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20 000 students, conduct pioneering scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape.

The Valorisation Office of the Department Research and Innovation, University of Antwerp, is looking for a full-time valorisation manager Life Sciences.

The Valorisation Office facilitates cooperation with industry, guarantees the safeguarding and licensing of intellectual property rights and guides the creation of spin-off companies. Moreover, it supports researchers in maximizing the economic and social impact of their research results and technology.

Your assignment

This position is financed by the Industrial Research Fund (IOF) and concerns appointments under the IOF fellowship modalities as applicable at the Antwerp University & University Colleges Association (AUHA). Your core assignment is to bring together the expertise of AUHA researchers with needs in business, with a view to contractual cooperation (bilateral, multilateral and through government channels to support innovation in business) and valorisation.

Within the Department Research and Innovation, you work complementary to the research managers of the Grants Office. The research managers provide information and support in particular at recruiting research funding at the initiative of the researcher. Within the Valorisation Office, you work in close collaboration with the colleagues who are specialized in intellectual property, business and market analyzes, setting up innovative companies, event organization and data management.

You have a broad scientific interest combined with a clear sense of valorisation of research results. You look towards projects from a broad knowledge profile without wanting to immerse yourself into scientific details or niches. You are proactive and aim at facilitating collaboration between researchers and industrial partners. You also support the researchers in identifying valorisation processes for their research results. You stimulate entrepreneurship among researchers. You advise on the development of business plans and guide researchers in presenting pitches to investors so that more spin-off companies can be started from AUHA. Networking is second nature to you, and you actively contribute to the development of a network of external partners for valorisation at AUHA. Reading, strategically interpreting and negotiating cooperation and licensing contracts does not deter you.

In the life sciences, several AUHA research groups regularly collaborate with industry. Some of the researchers involved can rely on an IOF valorisation manager assigned to the IOF consortium to which they belong. In particular, for all other professors and researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, you will become a pivotal figure in facilitating cooperation with the business community in the short term, including through the relevant Flemish smart specialisation clusters and sector organisations. The projects can include biomarker research, therapeutic interventions, diagnostic tools, exploitation of analysis methods, in vitro and in vivo models, medical devices, e-Health and rehabilitation applications. You also encourage professors to cluster their valorisation trajectories, so as to increase interdisciplinarity, collaboration and visibility.

Your profile

• You obtained a doctoral thesis or gained comparable research experience (at least 5 years) in one or more of the relevant disciplines; You have strong knowledge of development processes within the medical sector (therapeutics, biochemical tests, biomarker development ...);
• You have an active interest in valorisation of groundbreaking scientific research, both economically and socially;
• You have experience in valorisation of research in collaboration with the business community or experience in the private sector in a strongly innovation-oriented environment;
• You have a keen insight into the ecosystem in which you will work, and you are able to respond proactively to potential new markets;
• You have basic knowledge of technology transfer processes for academic knowledge;
• You have experience in reading, strategically interpreting and negotiating cooperation agreements and licensing contracts;
• Preferably you understand and speak Dutch fluently. You have a good oral and written knowledge of English;
• You have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and have the necessary communication and administrative skills;
• You will work closely with, among others, the research managers of the Grants Office, the colleagues experts of the Valorisation Office and the UAntwerp Legal Support Center;
• You are communicative, flexible, customer-friendly, honest, creative, quality-oriented and collaborative;
• You are a networker and bring a relevant network to the university and the Antwerp University & Colleges Association (AUHA).
• You are proactive, communicative and can follow up and support a broad portfolio of projects, you can set the right priorities in consultation with the researchers.

We offer

• A permanent contract;
• A full time gross monthly salary depending on your academic qualifications and professional experience is situated at the start of the position from € 4.217,53 tot € 6.397,43. After positive evaluations, you can evolve towards a higher wage range, which varies from €4.217,53 tot € 8.882,64.
• A dynamic and stimulating work environment;
• Flexible working hours;
• 40 days of holiday and 1 week of collective closing (1 week between Christmas and New Year);
• Reimbursement of public transport for homework travel;
• Bicycle allowance;
• Expected Start date: as soon as possible

How to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the University of Antwerp’s online job application platform up to and including September 21, 2021 (by midnight Brussels time). Click on 'apply', complete the online application form and don’t forget to include the following document(s): (1) a motivation letter and (2) your CV.
• The selection committee will review all of the applications as soon as possible after the application deadline. As soon as a decision has been made, we will inform you about the next steps in the selection procedure. Please make a note of the following dates: September 29, 2021 in the afternoon.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to [email protected] .
• More information regarding the IOF or about the profile and description of duties, can be obtained from Jurgen Joossens (tel. 3-265-30-25, [email protected] ).

The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity  and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.