Business & Commercial Development

Use analytical skills and technical knowledge to inform business and commercial operations, including sales, marketing, finance, new product acquisition/development/support, corporate consulting/strategy

Example job titles

Application scientist | Business/corporate development analyst/manager/associate/director | Business development specialist | Chief executive officer (CEO) | Chief financial officer (CFO) | Chief information officer (CIO) | Chief scientific officer (CSO)* | Chief technical officer (CTO)* | Consulting scientist/engineer* | Development officer/manager* | Division/research program head/director* | Enterpreneur | Field application specialist | Investment analyst/banker | Investor Relations Officer |  Life science specialist | Market researcher | Marketing specialist | Management consultant | Medical science liaison* | President | Product development scientist/engineer | Technical sales representative | Technical support representative/specialist | Technology commercialization agent* | Technology licensing agent/specialist/associate/manager* | Technology specialist | Technology transfer agent/officer/specialist/manager* | Venture capitalist

*These job titles appear in other career pathways

Additional keywords for more information or job postings

Business | Finance | Management consulting | Sales | Marketing | Development | Commercialization

Get up-to-speed & stay current

• Access resources in the "Read About Careers" section of myIDP, including curated articles, lists of professional societies, etc.

Look for the corresponding myIDP categories: Sales & marketing of science-related products | Support of science-related products | Business of science | Entrepreneurship

• Follow trade magazines and e-newsletters (e.g. Endpoints News, MassBio news page, BioSpace news subscriptions and career resources, BioWorld, Biotechnology Industry Organization, etc.) to get a better sense of current industry news and trends.
• Build your knowledge of business and commercial development lingo by reading books and articles, and attending workshops and seminars featuring business leaders, particularly if they are Ph.D.-trained scientists who successfully navigated this career transition
• Learn about the basics of entrepreneurship and commercialization through the Entrepreneurship Educators Forum
• Read within your scientific field and broadly. Make connections between your research and other areas.

Build your network

• Participate in UMass Chan Consulting Club or MassTERi eClub events to learn about entrepreneurship and build connections with colleagues and faculty who share your interests
• Check for local events on the Boston Business Journal listing
• For investor relations, connect with the Boston chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute
• Create a LinkedIn profile and use it strategically to expand your network.
  • Use these tips to create an effective profile that will attract desired attention.
  • Join the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences LinkedIn group and search for alumni connections by job titles, locations, and other keywords.
  • Once you've built your primary connections, search secondary connections for interesting new contacts.

Get training & experience

• Attend an M2D2 (Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center) training or informational event
• Attend skill-building events and workshops focused on business development, leadership, and management, such as those hosted by organizations like MassBio, MASS AWIS, WEST, etc.
• Apply for Stay in MA funding to attend events of technology and business organizations in the region to further your professional development

Deeper training opportunities & experiences

• Enter the M2D2 New Venture Competition or another business plan competition
• Apply for a Fellowship Program for a full-time, 12-week, stipended experience in entrepreneurship at Flagship Ventures
• Ready to develop a new technology? Check-out specialized equipment and training available through the Worcester-based non-profit, Technocopia
• Search for biomedical business, leadership, and management training offered through research institutes and professional societies; for example:
  • Keck Graduate Institute Summer Intensive Program in bioscience management for advanced graduate students & postdocs

Gearing up for a career transition?

• Read about making the transition from academia into business.
• Use the Greater Boston Network of Interview Practice Partners to prepare for interviews in consulting, finance, and business roles.
• All transitions (even those that are positive, desired, and successful) involve some amount of stress. This article on "Understanding the Impact of Change" from the NIH OITE blog offers a practical approach for considering an upcoming transition and doing a brief self-assessment to navigate change effectively.

Have a suggestion? Know of a great local opportunity? Let us know.