Director of Business Development

POSITION TITLE:      Director of Business Development

REPORTS TO:           Chief Growth Officer

POSITION SUMMARY:

SURA is seeking a Director of Business Development to lead and execute activities that drive growth in research, scientific, and educational initiatives aligned with SURA’s mission and 501(c)(3) guidelines. You will spearhead efforts to generate new business opportunities, convert prospects into impactful programs, and build SURA’s future trajectory. While focused on business development, this role will provide the opportunity to take on diverse responsibilities as part of a collaborative and dynamic team.

SURA plays a key role in managing and advancing large-scale research programs, particularly in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE). A significant part of SURA’s portfolio involves the management and operation of Jefferson Lab, a DOE National Laboratory, as well as partnerships with other federal agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DoD), and various academic institutions. These partnerships enable groundbreaking research in energy, space science, computational science, and other emerging fields.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, results-oriented, and an effective communicator with a strong ability to foster partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders, including universities, government agencies, and industry partners.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Resource Mobilization Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of SURA’s business development strategy, aligning with organizational goals, bylaws, and strategic priorities.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new program and funding opportunities to expand SURA’s portfolio.
• Collaborate with leadership and program managers to ensure SURA’s competitive positioning for procurement and acquisition opportunities.
• Build organizational and partner capabilities to secure and manage grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.
• Gather and analyze market intelligence to share with relevant teams, ensuring proactive opportunity identification.

Networking and Relationship Building

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with SURA’s consortium universities, government agencies, and industry partners to enhance business development efforts.
• Identify and engage key stakeholders and networks for strategic pre-positioning.
• Develop and implement partner engagement strategies to support priority proposal opportunities.
• Represent SURA’s mission and programs, building alliances, fostering collaboration, and ensuring consistent, strategic communication with partners.

Proposal Development

• Lead proposal development efforts, ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and internal policies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop high-quality proposals, incorporating problem analysis, staffing strategies, and partner roles.
• Ensure proper staffing and cost-recovery measures are included in proposal budgets.
• Maintain and manage a knowledge management system for tracking opportunities, maintaining templates, tools, and pre-award resources.
• Support global business development efforts as needed 

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 10-15 years of experience in proposal development, grants, and federal contracts, with a strong understanding of 2CFR 200 and FAR-based acquisitions.
• Proven experience in business development and grants/contracts management, particularly with agencies such as DOE, DoD, NSF, or similar organizations.
• Strong presentation, public speaking, and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to lead teams in high-pressure environments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and PowerPoint.
• Excellent organizational skills with a detail-oriented, results-driven mindset.
• Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience managing knowledge-sharing databases and tracking business development activities.

SURA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion or sexual orientation. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.