Director, Life Sciences

Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Posted March 17, 2026

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) is seeking an experienced industry or economic development professional to manage industry growth as part of the Manufacturing Sector Team with an emphasis on ecosystem-building, sector expertise, and business development within targeted high-growth sectors. Life sciences represents one of the Commonwealth’s largest potential job growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Generation

• Develop a comprehensive lead generation strategy that utilizes corporate intelligence, research, and data analytics to target corporate prospects for assigned industries
• Be knowledgeable about the communities and regions of Virginia to support VEDP’s lead generation strategy specifically through engagement and community visits with local and regional economic development organizations to learn their unique assets and value propositions
• Design and execute VEDP’s Fiscal Year lead generation calendar by recommending lead generation and outreach activities with clear goals and objectives for assigned industries as part of the fiscal year planning process, typically due by March 31
• In collaboration with Economic Competitiveness, Business Investment, Research, Marketing & Communications, and others, develop tailored value propositions for target accounts and all lead generation activities

Sector Expertise

• Develop deep sector insights to enhance economic development activities and anticipate trends to inform project response and to identify growth opportunities
• Understand the business drivers, key players and needs related to VEDP’s Manufacturing industries
• Lead research and intelligence gathering efforts across industry sector, engaging in routine check-ins, briefings, and information-sharing with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Economic Competitiveness, Business Investment, Research, Marketing and Communications, and other divisions to share industry trends, generate new ideas, support policy and programmatic decisions that impact sector ecosystems, and enhance Virginia’s value proposition for assigned industries
• Develop industry insights feedback loop to inform sector strategy, pipeline development, and after-care to aid in identifying opportunities for additional lead generation activities, projects, or ecosystem development activities
• Promote continuous improvement, develop new skills, generate new ideas, and adapt to changing trends, engaging as a team player to achieve organizational and team goals.

Ecosystem Initiatives

• Coordinate efforts to build a thriving ecosystem capable of attracting new talent and spurring business growth by cultivating long-term relationships with appropriate stakeholders to gain buy-in for, and execution of, ecosystem and sector strategies
• Cultivate relationships with government stakeholders and routinely check-in and share relevant information
• Routinely convene key stakeholders and partners across the industry network to drive growth in sector priority areas
• Support strategic initiatives, working closely with stakeholders across all of government and helping to ensure metrics are met

Experience and Qualifications

Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to operate in a team environment and leverage partners in public and private sectors, including higher education partners, and local and regional economic development partners, among others
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Excellent strategic analysis and problem-solving skills
• Excellent computer proficiency, particularly with spreadsheet (Excel) and presentation (PowerPoint) development
• Support of organization-wide efforts as facilitator
• Strong organizational skills and ability to plan and successfully manage multiple tasks
• Ability to work under time pressure

Experience required:

• At least seven years of relevant experience in positions of progressive responsibility
• Participation and experience with government agencies, industry organizations, and manufacturing-related research and development partnerships
• Experience in manufacturing innovation centers and/or developing university and industry partnerships
• Ideally experience in the life sciences manufacturing sector (i.e., biopharma, medical devices, etc.) or in a manufacturing sector professional services firm (e.g., economic development, site selection, strategy consulting), including in-depth understanding of location decision factors for manufacturing sector companies

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