Director, UCeed Health & Life Science Funds, Innovate Calgary

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

Position Description

Innovate Calgary
CALGARY, ALBERTA

Innovate Calgary is the technology transfer and business incubator center for the University of Calgary. As part of the Office of the Vice-President (Research) portfolio, we work with UCalgary researchers, students, and other members, to bridge the gap between discovery and creating economic and societal impact.

We provide a unique experience for employees, combining a flexible working environment with
significant exposure to the breadth of UCalgary’s growing innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

About UCeed

Since its inception in 2020, UCeed has become one of Alberta’s most active early-stage investors. UCeed is the University of Calgary’s group of startup investment funds managed by a small team of professionals at Innovate Calgary. In addition, the UCeed group is responsible for managing Innovate Calgary’s portfolio of equity and royalty holdings and overseeing the development, selection, and divestment of investments. Where applicable, the UCeed team also takes an active role in coaching and mentorship to assist UCeed investees.

Director, UCeed Health & Life Science Funds

Reporting to the Executive Director, Seed Funds, the Director will work closely with the UCeed and Innovate Calgary teams and startup clients, including those in Fellowship programs and all UCeed investees. This position is responsible for the two active funds and two more in preparation. As Director, you will conduct a number of entrepreneurial-based tasks requiring creativity, sound judgment, and strong relationship-building skills while collaborating within a high-energy environment to help drive UCeed and Innovate Calgary’s client and portfolio successes.

Key Accountabilities

Fund Management & Development 

• Fund manager for the ‘General Health’ & ‘Child Health’ Funds 
• Source, screen, and manage relationships with high-quality start-up companies and maintain a healthy deal flow pipeline
• Work with a small team of individuals, partners, and consultants to identify, evaluate and select investments
• Lead the investment and due diligence processes for assigned funds 
• Lead Investment Advisory Meetings for assigned funds  
• Negotiate shareholder and investment agreement terms with portfolio companies on behalf of Innovate Calgary/UCalgary/UCeed
• Manage stakeholders, donors & partnerships related to your roles
• Monitor and track UCeed milestone-based investment commitments
• Provide support and mentorship to portfolio companies
• Support the establishment of new funds within Health & Life Science as required

Other Duties:

• Management and mentorship of UCeed staff as assigned 
• Develop and maintain relationships with other investors, including, but not limited to, Venture Capital funds, Angel Investors, and Angel Syndicates
• Attend workshops and networking events to develop relationships with community-based technology and innovation-based organizations
• CRM tracking of all potential investees and portfolio companies 

Personal Characteristics: 

The Director, UCeed Health & Life Science Funds, is passionate about deep technology startups and is committed to helping them to advance into established companies. Accordingly, the position requires an individual with:

• Exceptional analytical abilities with an entrepreneurial mindset
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in an evolving environment with multiple stakeholders
• Excellent oral and written skills, specifically in communicating key metrics and data sets 
• Proactive business relationship management skills with a commitment to the completion of projects
• Keen attitude and willingness to explore outside of the Senior Director’s area of expertise
• Ability to work with and organize large volumes of data and manage concurrent projects
• Outstanding time management skills and great attention to detail

Required and Preferred Skills and Qualifications: 

• Experienced life sciences Ph.D. or equivalent with directly applicable experience in financial or business analyst role with incubator, accelerator, investment, consulting, startup, or related experience 
• Experience with early-stage company agreements and contracts
• Deep life science industry experience and expertise.
• Experience and expertise in intellectual property (IP) protection and transactions.
• Ability to manage multiple projects successfully according to objectives, quality standards, and costs
• Ability to develop business knowledge to leverage best technologies and practices
• Ability to interact with a variety of cross-functional teams at all levels of the organization
• Knowledge of results-based accountability and metrics
• Ability to create high-level documents and reports
• Experience with university innovation processes and systems 

To Apply: Interested applicants should forward their cover letter and resume to[email protected] .

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, we will only contact those we need further information from or who are being considered for an interview.

Application closing date: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Innovate Calgary is an equal opportunity organization committed to building and fostering a fair and inclusive community that values diversity and encourages respect for all. We welcome applicants across any race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, Indigenous status, or any other legally-protected factors. We recognize the value of identifying and removing barriers for any applicants interested in participating in our programs.