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Business Development Manager (32–40 hours)

Are you a creative, communicative and strategic connector who knows how to identify opportunities and turn them into new partnerships and projects? We are looking for a Business Development Manager who can help build a sustainable pipeline of projects and assignments that contribute to Lygature's mission.

About this role

As part of our Business Development (BD) team, you will help build a sustainable pipeline of projects and assignments for Lygature that are aligned with our mission. You will collaborate with colleagues in business development, partnership management, ﬁnance and communications to identify and develop new opportunities.

You will engage with new and existing partners to explore opportunities for collaboration, projects and funding. Your primary responsibility is to identify and develop opportunities for Lygature and its partners that contribute to our mission: stimulating and realizing new medical solutions through multi-stakeholder partnerships. In addition, and when speciﬁc assignments are a match with your expertise, you may participate in execution of selected projects.

Responsibilities

As Business Development Manager, you identify and develop opportunities that can grow into new projects and partnerships for Lygature. You understand the Life Sciences & Health landscape, recognize where Lygature can add value, bring the right partners together and help turn an initial opportunity into a viable, funded collaboration.

Working closely with the Strategy Director and in collaboration with your BD colleagues, you will:

Contribute to strategic Business Development planning and work closely with Partnership Managers to develop and reﬁne partnership strategies that align with Lygature’s objectives;
Actively engage in lead generation activities and contribute to building a sustainable project pipeline for Lygature;
support cross-Lygature collaboration and communication to ensure alignment with Lygature’s strategic goals;
Help maintain an overview of new business leads and monitor the status of active opportunities;
Work with Partnership Management to deﬁne Lygature’s role in partnerships and secure
the necessary budget;
Contribute to grant and other funding acquisition activities for Lygature and its partnerships;
Maintain and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders and partners;
Maintain a good overview of external project funding opportunities, such as calls for proposals and funding schemes.

Together with the Business Development Director, you will explore new funding routes for partnerships and actively engage with potential funders.

What we expect from you

We encourage you to apply if you:

Have a PhD, or a master’s degree in a relevant discipline combined with at least three years of relevant Business Development experience;
Have experience securing grants within the Dutch and European funding landscape, for example through NWO, ZonMw, IHI or Horizon Europe;
Are able to turn opportunities into contracted and funded assignments and projects;
Have excellent communication skills and are ﬂuent in spoken and written Dutch and English;
Have strong negotiation skills and are comfortable navigating complex discussions to achieve successful outcomes;
Are able to build and maintain trust-based relationships with stakeholders and partners;
Have the business insight needed to recognize, assess and develop relevant opportunities;
Enjoy being part of a project team and bring in your expertise for the beneﬁt of Lygature
and its partners
Are persistent and able to maintain focus when developing opportunities takes time or encounters challenges;
Have an affinity with contract management or are willing to further develop your skills in
this area.

What you can expect from us

You will join a small, knowledge-intensive organization where collaboration, personal development, responsibility and a healthy work-life balance are important.

A challenging position for 32–40 hours per week
A gross monthly salary between €5,110 and €6,786 based on full-time employment, depending on your relevant knowledge and experience
A 13th month, a good pension scheme and other secondary employment beneﬁts
30 days of annual leave based on full-time employment
An office within walking distance of Utrecht Central Station, with the possibility to work
part of your time from home
Opportunities for personal and professional development

How to apply

Our recruitment process consists of two rounds. In the ﬁrst round, we focus on your experience, motivation and the mutual ﬁt. In the second round, we take a closer look at your professional skills and experience and you will meet colleagues you would work with in this role.

Please send your CV and motivation letter before 26 November to careers@lygature.org. Your motivation letter gives us a ﬁrst impression of who you are, what motivates you and what appeals to you about Lygature and this role.

For questions about the position, please contact Jon de Vlieger, Strategy Director and Business Development Team Lead via jon.devlieger@lygature.org.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

About Lygature

Lygature is a not-for-proﬁt foundation that accelerates the development of medical solutions by bringing together partners from science, society, government and industry. We form, strengthen and facilitate collaborations that bring together knowledge and expertise from different organizations. Over the past 20 years, we have contributed to more than 100 projects ranging from €1 million to €200 million, inclusing IDERHA, Health-RI, IMI Bigpicture and the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium.