Business Developer – IXA Amsterdam Neuroscience
Do you want to contribute to better treatments for brain diseases by connecting cutting-edge neuroscience with pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovation? Join the Business Development team of IXA–Amsterdam Neuroscience (ANS)!
We are looking for an experienced Business Developer with a PhD in Neuroscience or another relevant Life Sciences discipline, combined with several years of experience in business development, alliance management, technology transfer or the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
You are motivated by translating scientific excellence into impactful collaborations that advance therapies, diagnostics and biomarkers for neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this role, you operate at the interface of academia and industry, bringing together researchers, clinicians and external partners to build strategic, long-term partnerships.
What will you do?
As Business Developer for Amsterdam Neuroscience (ANS), you will initiate, develop and manage strategic research collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. As part of the Innovation eXchange Amsterdam (IXA), the expertise centre for knowledge transfer, innovation and business development at Amsterdam UMC at Amsterdam UMC, you will work at the interface between Amsterdam Neuroscience and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.You will translate scientific and clinical excellence into collaborative opportunities, using deep market and scientific intelligence to identify emerging trends, unmet medical needs and strategic partnering opportunities across preclinical, translational and clinical neuroscience.
In addition to initiating and managing strategic research collaborations with external partners, you will also identify and support promising research with valorisation potential within your portfolio. Working closely with researchers and fellow IXA Business Developers, you will help translate scientific discoveries into commercial opportunities, including licensing, spin-out creation and new industry partnerships.
Your key responsibilities include:
- Identifying and developing new opportunities for strategic research collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, together with ANS clinicians and researchers.
- Acting as a key contact point for industry partners engaging with Amsterdam Neuroscience, including both investigator-initiated and industry-initiated collaborations.
- Building and maintaining a strong international network within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology neuroscience ecosystems through active engagement and conference participation.
- Monitoring scientific, clinical and commercial developments in neuroscience to identify emerging trends, unmet medical needs and collaboration opportunities.
- Developing research proposals, project plans and budgets in close collaboration with researchers and clinicians.
- Negotiating research collaboration agreements, including intellectual property, publication rights and contractual terms, in collaboration with the Amsterdam UMC legal team.
- Negotiating project budgets and financial structures, including milestone-based arrangements where applicable.
- Managing and expanding existing industry collaborations, ensuring continuity and identifying opportunities for follow-on projects.
- Scouting promising research within Amsterdam Neuroscience for valorisation opportunities, including patents, licensing, spin-off creation and industry partnerships.
- Advising researchers on collaboration strategies, industry engagement and valorisation opportunities throughout the research lifecycle.
- Maintaining accurate and structured documentation of collaborations, agreements, meetings and project progress.
- Contributing to the continuous improvement of business development processes, tools and best practices within the IXA-ANS team.
What you bring
- A PhD in Neuroscience or another relevant Life Sciences discipline.
- Experience in business development, alliance management, technology transfer, pharmaceutical or biotechnology R&D, or a comparable commercial role in the life sciences sector.
- Strong understanding of preclinical, translational and clinical neuroscience research.
- Knowledge of drug discovery and development processes, including biomarkers, diagnostics and clinical development strategies.
- Experience in building and managing collaborations between academia and industry.
- Strong negotiation skills, with experience in research collaborations, licensing agreements or strategic partnerships.
- Knowledge of intellectual property, licensing, research contracts and public-private collaboration frameworks.
- Strong networking and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with scientists, clinicians and industry leaders.
- Strategic, analytical and commercially oriented mindset with the ability to identify and develop long-term opportunities.
- Excellent communication skills in English; proficiency in Dutch is not a strict requirement, but you need at least to be able to follow work discussions in Dutch.
- Strong motivation to contribute to better treatments for brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and psychiatric disorders.
- One-year contract with the prospect of a permanent contract.
- Classification in salary scale 11, 12: € 4.987 to € 7.684 gross for full-time employment (depending on education and experience). In addition to a good basic salary, we offer 8.3% end-of-year bonus. Calculate your net salary here.
- Holiday hours: 194.4 per year based on full-time employment and possibility to save additional hours.
- 100% reimbursement for public transport travel costs. If you travel by foot, bicycle, or car, a mileage allowance of €0.21 per km applies (up to a maximum of 40 km one way by car).
- Do you prefer walking or cycling? Take advantage of our good bike scheme.
- Pension accrual with the ABP, of which we pay 70% of the premium.
- Free and unlimited access to our online learning environment GoodHabitz.
- Opportunities for professional development through international business development and technology transfer training (e.g. ASTP, BIO-Europe and other partnering programmes).
- An active staff association and Jong Amsterdam UMC association, both of which organize fun (sports) activities and events.
As a Business Developer, you will join the IXA-ANS team within IXA Office Amsterdam UMC, the expertise centre for knowledge transfer, innovation and business development at Amsterdam UMC.
Within Amsterdam Neuroscience, you will work closely with fellow Business Developers, legal and financial support specialists, and leading researchers and clinicians across the institute.
You will also be part of the broader IXA community of approximately 20 Business Developers, each supporting different research institutes or departments. While every Business Developer has their own portfolio, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the IXA team are central to the way we work, providing ample opportunities to exchange expertise and act as sparring partners.
We offer an open, collaborative and inclusive working environment where teamwork, professional development and continuous learning are actively encouraged. We are committed to equal opportunities and value the diversity of our colleagues, creating a workplace where different backgrounds, perspectives and ideas are welcomed and appreciated.
Amsterdam UMC has an open culture. This means that we hope that everyone feels welcome in our organization and that we strive to offer equal opportunities to everyone. We therefore cordially invite all interested parties to respond to this vacancy. Check out our approach to diversity and inclusion.
Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis while the vacancy remains open. Due to the holiday period, it may take a little longer than usual before candidates are invited for an interview. We will carefully review all applications and keep candidates informed about the progress of the recruitment process.
If you have any questions about this position, please feel free to contact Pieter van Bokhoven, Team lead en CSO ANS, via p.vanbokhoven@amsterdamumc.nl or Prisca Leferink, Business Developer,via p.leferink@amsterdamumc.nl, or, Joris Heus, Head of IXA Office Amsterdam UMC, via j.heus@amsterdamumc.nl.
A reference check, screening and hiring assessment may be part of the procedure. Read here whether that applies to you. If you join us, we ask you for a VOG (Certificate of Good Conduct).
Internal candidates will be given priority over external candidates in case of equal suitability.
Acquisition in response to this vacancy will not be considered.
