Union: Non-Union
Number of vacancies: 1
New or Replacement Position: New
Site: MaRS
Department: UHN Research Institute
Reports to: Head, UHN RI
Salary Range: $59.35 to $89.03
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Shifts: Days
Status: Temporary Full-Time (12 month contract)
Closing Date: May 31, 2026
Position Summary:
Research at UHN is comprised of two major institutes: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and UHN Research Institute.
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is where cutting edge oncology research is moved forward every day towards our mission of impacting patients globally. The UHN Research Institute is internationally recognized for its multidisciplinary biomedical research which encompasses activity across the UHN sites (other than Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) and drives the convergence of care, research, and education across a broad scope of disease fields and disciplines; as such it is a cornerstone of UHN’s innovation ecosystem. These areas include Krembil Brain Institute, Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, KITE Research Institute, McEwen Stem Cell Institute, Ajmera Transplant Centre, and The Institute for Education Research, as well as research in respiratory health, metabolism and organ function, and health systems and policy.
UHN’s commercialization successes include the Medly cardiac digital health platform, EVLP lung transplant system, Adela Bio Inc., and more. These companies, first incubated within UHN, are among many others that have collectively injected more than $5 billion into the economy. among others, which have reshaped patient care and global standards in their respective fields.
The Business Development and Commercialization Principal plays a key role in advancing UHN’s research commercialization objectives including driving efficient execution and timely turnaround of licensing, sponsored research, and other research‑related agreements across his or her assigned portfolio under one or both of UHN's two research institutes.
This role requires a dynamic, commercially minded professional with strong academic credentials, demonstrated contract negotiation expertise, and the ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships in fast‑paced research and industry environments.
The Principal is responsible for maximizing the commercial success of research conducted within their assigned portfolio. In close collaboration with the Heads of Business Development & Commercialization, Principal Investigators, Institute Directors, and research teams, the Principal also supports end‑to‑end revenue generation activities, including opportunity evaluation, IP protection, marketing, licensing, and company formation.
Depending on the stage of each asset within the portfolio, the Principal assesses market potential, develops IP and marketing strategies, engages pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners, and leads the negotiation and execution of sponsored research agreements, licensing agreements, and related term sheets, with a strong emphasis on efficient deal structuring and timely contract closure.
A key focus of this role is improving the efficiency and turnaround time of sponsored research agreements and industry licensing, balancing institutional risk management with the need to rapidly enable industry‑academic collaborations.
Duties