Open Innovation Director

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Open Innovation Strategy & External Disruption Focus
• Drive China Open Innovation activities aligned with future disruptive revenue opportunities, China strategy, and global technology vectors
• Identify which external technologies, platforms, or partnership models could provide Cytiva with step‑change or non‑linear advantage
• Monitor and analyze technology, ecosystem, and business model trends relevant to AI+ for bioprocess hardware and consumables
• Determine when and how Open Innovation pathways (vs. internal development) should be applied, in close alignment with China and Global stakeholders
• External Technology Scouting & Ecosystem Development
• Proactively search, screen, and evaluate external technologies and partners in China earlier than competitors
• Build and maintain a robust external innovation ecosystem, including:
• Startups and scale‑ups
• Academic and research institutions
• Bioparks and innovation hubs
• Local and regional technology providers

Lead partner assessments, including

• Technology maturity and differentiation
• Strategic fit with Cytiva capabilities
• Preliminary IP landscape and risk (with Legal / IP)
• Potential scalability and integration pathways
• Act as the primary Cytiva interface for external innovation partners during OI phases
• Partnership Model Design & Deal Enablement
• Design and evaluate collaboration and deal models, including:
• License‑in
• Joint Development
• Hybrid or staged partnership structures

Lead or coordinate

• o MTA and term sheet discussions
• Alignment on collaboration scope, governance, and milestones
• Work closely with Legal, Finance, IP, Sourcing, and Business Units to ensure partnership structures are executable and risk‑aware
• Governance, Portfolio Prioritization & RACI Clarity
• Drive Open Innovation initiatives through internal governance gates (TG0–TG2+)
• Support portfolio‑level prioritization across China OI, Global teams, OpCos, and Danaher China
• Ensure clear RACI, decision rights, and handoffs between:
• Open Innovation
• Upstream PM o R&D o Business Units
• Deploy and reinforce DBS Open Innovation tools and processes to enable transparency and leadership visibility
• Partner Engagement & Transition to Productization
• Manage ongoing partner engagement through feasibility and early collaboration phases

Ensure

• Clear milestones and deliverables
• Risk identification and mitigation
• Alignment across internal and external stakeholders

Enable smooth transition of validated opportunities into

• Formal R&D programs
• Product Management ownership
• Manufacturing and Supply Chain systems
• Thought Leadership & Innovation Culture
• Act as a technology and ecosystem bridge between China and Global teams
• Build relationships with KOLs, academic leaders, and innovation communities
• Represent Cytiva in innovation forums, conferences, and bioparks
• Contribute to forward‑looking strategic discussions on technology and external innovation

Qualifications Required

• Master’s degree or above in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biotechnology, or related fields
• 5–10+ years of experience in one or more of:
• Open Innovation / external technology sourcing
• Technology transfer or partnerships
• Early‑stage technology or platform incubation
• Bioprocess hardware and consumables ecosystem
• Deep understanding and experiences of building complex business case
• Proven ability to operate in high‑ambiguity, high‑influence roles
• Strong understanding of the China biotech and bioprocess innovation ecosystem
• Good knowledge of automation, mechanistic modeling, and data driven/machine learning
• Fluency in English and Chinese Preferred
• Hands‑on experience with licensing, joint development, or strategic partnerships
• Familiarity with IP risk management and global governance processes
• Strong ability to integrate technology insight with organizational execution

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life. For more information, visit www.danaher.com .