Hudsonalpha - Economic Development Associate

Position: Economic Development Associate
Position Type: Full-Time, on-site
Pay: $73,000 - $79,000 INSTITUTE OVERVIEW HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a non-profit institute dedicated to innovative genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological problems. Its mission is to use biotechnology to spark scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; to foster biotech entrepreneurship and life science economic development, and to encourage the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. Located in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama, the nation's second-largest research park, the 152-acre HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus is home to more than 45 resident life science companies. Designed to be a catalyst for biotechnology economic development, HudsonAlpha's state-of-the-art facilities co-locate scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators.
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW The members of HudsonAlpha's Economic Development Department strive to advance the collaborative spirit of the Institute's founders and their passion to speed the transition of discoveries made in the research labs to the marketplace. The Department's mission is driven by the overarching goals of growing the biotech presence on the Institute's campus and throughout North Alabama; promoting an environment conducive for start-up businesses to succeed; and generating economic impact for local, state, regional and national stakeholders.
The Department contributes to the long-term success of HudsonAlpha by recruiting and relocating start-up, early-stage and established bioscience companies. Additionally, the Department provides the resident associate companies support and mentorship to enable business growth and expansion.
HudsonAlpha's 152-acre campus, which includes over 500,000 square feet of laboratory and office space and McMillian Park, with the signature Double Helix pathway, are operated and managed through this Department. Lastly, the Economic Development Department is responsible for the local, state and national relationships with the Institute's governmental and community leaders.
POSITION SUMMARY The objective of the Economic Development Associate will work closely with the Economic Development team to advance the development of the Biotech Campus through working with new and current associate companies to ensure economic growth for the campus. As a part of this continued campus expansion, the associate may also coordinate the start-up and implementation of a "shared lab."
The selected applicant will report to the Vice President for Economic Development but work closely with the Director of Entrepreneurship and Senior Director of Operations.
The purpose of this position as with all positions in the department is to advance the Economic Development Mission and HudsonAlpha as a whole.
JOB-SPECIFIC TASKS The Economic Development Associate will work to:
Serve as the first point of contact for inbound economic development opportunities. Collaborate with the Economic Development team for interaction with prospective associate companies and related opportunities. Coordinate and track campus space utilization to maximize benefit for the Institute. Identify recruitment prospects through research, relationship building, networking, attending trade shows and conferences, participating in prospecting trips and site location consultant events. Track prospect identification, engagement and progress using the Institute's CRM platform. Generate weekly and/or monthly reports to measure progress and success of the recruitment efforts. Monitor regional and national competitive activity relating to biosciences' economic development. Serve as a liaison and engage with local, state and federal governmental agencies on subjects relating to economic development, including but not limited to recruitment, incentives, planning and zoning. Identify and develop a shared lab on campus and manage the daily operations of the shared lab. Coordinate with and support other Department efforts relating to start-up and expansion efforts by the others in the Department and Institute. EDUCATION AND REQUIRED EXPERIENCE Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Public Administration, Real Estate, Urban Planning or closely related fields. At least five years experience in a position relating to economic development or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Relevant areas of experience include but are not limited to technology-based economic development, economic development financing, public financing programs, marketing, real estate development, urban and regional planning. Experience within and/or working with municipal, state, and county governments on economic development projects. Experience in the biosciences industry is greatly preferred. QUALITIES AND SKILLS The successful candidate:
Possesses personal and professional characteristics, including but not limited to integrity, creativity, confidence, self-motivation, passion, drive and optimism. Projects a courteous demeanor to each person he or she encounters. Approaches economic development endeavors through interdisciplinary and team efforts, creative solutions, and developing long-term relationships and partnerships. Ability to interact professionally with economic development leaders, life science industry representatives, governmental officials and the general public. Manages numerous priorities simultaneously and is dedicated to generating quality results for each priority. Is committed to the protection of confidential information and discretion with information flow. Is diligent and meticulous in his or her attention to detail. Demonstrates exceptional communication skills, including the ability to translate ideas into written form and the ability to present with a polished, engaging speaking style. Is proficient with Mac, Google Suite (e.g., Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Gmail), Microsoft Products (e.g., Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Slack, Trello and Salesforce. Physical Demands/Environmental Factors/Mental Functions ADA Requirements - The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Disclaimer - All job requirements are subject to possible revision to reflect changes in the position requirements or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a threat or risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with Federal and State Laws). Continued employment remains on an "at-will" basis.
Physical Demands Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sit or stand) for prolonged periods (50% of the time). Constant moving during hosted events. Frequently position self (e.g. stoop, crouch, crawl, bend) and pull and push to maintain computers and audio/visual equipment in the classroom/laboratory. Must be able to transport materials required for various experiences. This includes lifting and moving up to 25 pounds of materials (e.g. small stacks of textbooks, media equipment, desks, and other classroom equipment) between classrooms/laboratories and to and from parking lots and buildings. Frequent operation of common office equipment (e.g. computers, mobile devices, calculators, copiers, scanners). Occasional air/car travel for meetings, conferences, or other activities which may require overnight stay(s). Vision abilities - close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust/focus. Evening and extended hours may periodically be required as projects dictate. Environmental Factors Moderate noise level (i.e. business office with computers, phone, and printers, light traffic). Workspace is generally an indoor office setting and in other common and education spaces throughout HudsonAlpha with controlled temperature conditions. Occasional exposure to outdoor environment during portions of the workday including extreme cold or hot temperatures, or inclement weather conditions. Prolonged and irregular working hours, which include early morning and/or evening hours, as business dictates. Mental Functions Maintain emotional control under stress. Ability to understand complex problems and to collaborate and explore alternative solutions. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in the English language. Convey genomic science information in a clear, concise, and easily understandable manner. Use interpersonal skills to foster a stimulating, accepting learning environment. It is the policy of HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, in accordance with all applicable laws, to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
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