The client is building advanced scientific data and simulation capabilities to help R&D teams understand how materials behave under demanding real-world operating conditions. As the organization transitions from technical development to commercial adoption, it seeks a senior Director of Business Development focused on materials and semiconductor opportunities, with the goal of turning differentiated research assets into strategic customer programs. This role will shape early commercial strategy, work closely with scientific and technical leadership, and build relationships with semiconductor and advanced-materials organizations.
Responsibilities include building and converting a senior-level pipeline across semiconductor R&D, computational materials, simulation, and AI-for-science groups; leading the commercialization of research-grade datasets, model evaluation capabilities, simulation environments, and customized scientific programs. The role will manage complex opportunities from discovery and technical validation through commercial scoping, negotiation, and contract execution, including structuring agreements with program milestones, intellectual property, data usage rights, and defined exclusivity periods. The director will also partner with scientific teams to translate capabilities into customer-specific applications and guide prospects through internal benchmarking and technical evaluation processes while addressing both scientific and commercial requirements.
Key qualifications include demonstrated success personally closing commercial agreements for technical datasets, recurring data access, model evaluation, reinforcement-learning or comparable data products with R&D or simulation teams across at least two relevant enterprise accounts, along with active relationships with senior R&D or computational materials stakeholders across at least two industry segments capable of generating substantive customer conversations quickly. Experience is expected in selling sponsored research or co-development programs where milestones, intellectual property, data-use rights, and exclusivity were negotiated, as well as the ability to move technical simulation or modeling assets through internal customer evaluation into commercial agreements. A practical understanding of computational materials concepts (including density functional theory, molecular dynamics, and machine-learning interatomic potentials) is required, and strong semiconductor commercial experience is preferred; candidates should also be able to substantiate relevant closed business during screening. The role supports remote flexibility for a professional in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the expectation to meet customers and industry contacts regionally.