Program Lead (Contractor) - Osaka, Japan
Osaka, JP
CIC Offices – Platform /
Full-time /
Hybrid
Do you enjoy building and maintaining strong innovation communities? Are you skilled in building strategic partnerships and you wish to do so within a growing company? If so, read on.
CIC Institute is looking for a personable and organized individual to manage and operate CIC Institute's innovation and startup related projects on a fixed term contract. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with at least 3 years of experience in a related role.
Please note that you should have the ability to legally work in Japan. CIC is unable to sponsor visas for this role at this time.
ABOUT CIC & LSIC (Life Science Innovation Campus Operated by Nippon Life & CIC) - TBD
CIC builds and operates a global network of innovation campuses where startups, scale-ups, corporations and public entities connect, work, and grow. Founded in 1999, CIC manages more than 1.5M square meters of innovation-focused workspace, laboratories, and event space across North America, Europe and Asia. Additionally, CIC develops innovation-related programming, builds and enables industry clusters, and provides world-class innovation consulting.
Life Science Innovation Campus operated by Nippon Life & CIC(LSIC) will combine workspace and high-impact programming to become a physical center of gravity for the innovation community and help to connect the region to the global innovation ecosystem, notably featuring a unique medical complex in Japan dedicated to life science related industries. This strategic expansion marks CIC’s third innovation campus in Japan and 11th global location. Furthermore, LSIC will include small-scale offices and incubator spaces for industry-academia-hospital collaboration by occupying the 8F & 9F of the Nakanoshima Qross Building. This location will house approximately 123 private offices, a coworking space with approximately 30 seats, conference rooms, a kitchen/cafe space, a game room, and other amenities shared by tenants.
ABOUT CIC INSTITUTE
CIC Institute, a division of CIC, specializes in building innovation ecosystems and supporting startups by leveraging CIC's extensive knowledge and global network. The Institute spearheads industry-specific communities to foster collaboration and drive practical applications through events, community building, and consulting projects. These initiatives aim to strengthen innovation ecosystems in key industries and geographies, such as deep tech, energy and environment, and life sciences.
YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK
One of your main responsibilities will be assisting our CIC Institute team with supporting individuals, startups, parties, and organizations from biotechnology and lifesciences related sectors and industries to build up new innovative communities at LSIC.
In addition to the above you will:
• Plan and operate seminars, meetups, pitch and other events related to activating CIC Institute and LSIC’s Lifesciences Innovation Community.
• Raise funds in order to properly operate programs to support the community.
• Maintain and manage relationships with internal and external corporate members.
• Manage and involve community members in various activities.
• Support startups in their growth and development inside the organization.
• Work closely with other CIC teams such as Community Teams, Event teams, Sales & Marketing teams, and Venture Cafe teams based in Tokyo and Fukuoka.
• In addition to managing the community, plan and execute innovation and startup related projects by collaborative approach with CIC members and teams across the globe (i.e; Japan Desk based in Boston HQ, Global Innovation Ecosystems Service, VCGI- Venture Cafe Global Institute).
ABOUT YOU
You are a professional with a complementary set of skills and style to represent CIC to prospective partnerships and support current clients at the highest levels of service. You are an articulate and ethical individual who has strong written and verbal communication, organizational skills, and time management skills.
More specifically, as our ideal candidate, you are:
• Incredibly detail-oriented and organized with solid time and project management skills.
• Excellent communicator and listener, both written and verbal, with anyone including colleagues, clients and partners.
• Personable, happy to help others, and naturally drawn to a very busy, ever-evolving environment.
• Comfortable working with everyone, treating everyone as an equal.
• Calm in a fast-paced environment and confident when dealing with uncertainty and last minute changes.
• Creative and excited about trying new things with regards to our marketing and community building.
YOU HAVE
• Strong motivation to lead lifescience related programs and projects.
• Good understanding of the startup ecosystem in the Kansai-area and Japan, especially in the life science related fields.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Japanese.'
• 3+ years of either building communities, supporting startups, and/or starting up your own business.
• Strongly preferred experience with professional partnership and event coordination, community organizing, or the innovation ecosystem.
We welcome you to share a website, portfolio, or other materials that showcase your skills.
If you don't meet all the requirements or qualifications but bring some other unique skills and experience that would be valuable in this role, please apply and highlight those attributes for us in your cover letter.
OUR OFFER
• 6-month to 1-year contractor contract with possibility of contract renewal.
• Laptop and mobile phone as your working tools.
• Access to CIC Tokyo and CIC Fukuoka.
• Commuting / transportation allowance.
Please submit your application in English. Thank you!
CIC welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. If you require an accommodation please let us know. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
