Business development manager

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 20000 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. 

University of Antwerp is recruiting a Business Development Manager for its Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV) which is located at Vaccinopolis, Edegem, Belgium

The CEV is a research centre of the University of Antwerp (UAntwerp), headed by Prof. Van Damme, having a long standing expertise on the assessment of new vaccines and is offering services in the field of clinical trials for vaccines. Besides ambulatory vaccine trials, it offers CHIM (Controlled Human Infectious Model) studies with the goal to accelerate the evaluation and development of vaccine candidates. The CEV is located at Vaccinopolis, a new state-of-the-art facility from UAntwerp.  Vaccinopolis has a unique 30-bed capacity under biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) conditions which allows it to perform CHIM studies with pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Next to the human challenge capability, the centre offers a large BSL-2 and BSL-3 lab capacity as well as an ambulatory vaccine trial unit.

For the above services, CEV is looking for a BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.

Position

You will be responsible for developing our vaccine clinical trial service business, with a focus on CHIM studies. You will manage existing customer accounts while also developing new business opportunities with biotech and pharma companies and/or Universities and Research Institutes in Europe and Rest of the World (RoW). The position is located in Antwerp, Belgium. In this function at least 25% travel will be required.

Further tasks and responsibilities

• You will be part of the management team and be responsible for preparing and implementing a strategic business plan based on market need, industry insights and calls for proposals of funding agencies.
• Ensure that the income from clinical studies is in line with the business plan.
• Follow up requests for proposals (RFP) and prepare them with the Vaccinopolis team in a timely and professional manner.
• Develop and maintain long-term business relationships with partners and strategic suppliers/subcontractors.
• Call on existing and potential new partners and present them with Vaccinopolis services with focus on CHIM studies, while also highlighting the other services related to vaccine clinical trials.
• Identify pro-actively key stakeholders and networks to establish new opportunities worldwide.
• Recognize new opportunities and define corresponding improvements and extension of the clinical trial service offering based on the market needs.
• Work with the Vaccinopolis team members to evaluate and assess new projects in order to prepare  budget proposals in a given timeframe.
• Work with the Vaccinopolis team members to ensure that the projects are well planned and executed on time, with the required quality according to the applicable regulations and within the foreseen budget.
• Ensure that customers are fully informed via written and/or verbal communication.
• Develop contracts together with the customers in close interaction with the legal department and be responsible for their monitoring and compliance.
• Support client visits to Vaccinopolis.
• Represent and promote Vaccinopolis at conferences, meetings and networking events.
• Ensure that the website, LinkedIn and other social media are up-to-date.
• Develop various promotional materials, such as pitches and presentations and ensure that these are regularly updated.

Profile

• A medical degree and/or a PhD in life sciences, with experience in the area of vaccines and/or infectious diseases.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, with experience in clinical trials.
• Experience with CHIM studies would be an asset.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in business development in a pharma environment.
• Knowledge of GCP, GMP, and GCLP.
• Outstanding organisational and presentation skills.
• Excellent relationship builder with strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to gain buy-in both internal and external.
• Able to manage complex projects, multi-task and plan strategically.
• Ability for decision-making, problem solving and to have a foresight into potential issues is required.
• Skills with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required.
• You are fluent in Dutch and English. Fluency in French is an asset.

What we offer

• We offer a fulltime appointment for an unlimited period after a positive evaluation at the end of the first year. A part-time appointment is a possibility and can be discussed.
• Your gross monthly salary is calculated according to the pay scales in the Contract Research Staff category (Dutch: Bijzonder Academisch Personeel, BAP). Initial pay scale will be determined on experience.
• The planned start date is 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible after that date.
• Your office will be in Vaccinopolis at Campus Drie Eiken in Edegem in a dynamic and stimulating working environment. Frequent travel will be required and home work is acceptable.
• Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here.

Want to apply?

• You can apply for this vacancy through the UAntwerp’s online job application platform up to and including 30 September 2024 (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, (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.
• If you have any questions about the online application form, please check the frequently asked questions or send an email to jobs@uantwerpen.be. If you have any questions about the job itself, please contact: bart.vanmeerbergen@uantwerpen.be

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.