Director, Peoria Bio-Made
Peoria Bio-Made seeks to hire a contract employee (1099) to work 30 hours per week, generally between October 2021 and March 2022. The schedule is flexible to accommodate other work commitments. The position can be accomplished remotely but there is an expectation that the Director of Peoria Bio-Made would connect with the GPEDC at least one time a week and collaborate closely with the region’s Economic Development and Business Attraction Strategy. This is a 6 month, grant-funded position to kick off the Peoria Bio-Made initiative. There are no benefits associated with the position.
Description of the person:
A dynamic connector who will lead the Peoria Bio-Made efforts over the next 6 months. Activities will include compiling resources to explain the Peoria Bio-Made story, complete the pitch materials and position the entire project for long-term funding and success.
Responsibilities will include:
- Identify funding for the infrastructure and structural reforms needed to repurpose a building in the warehouse district for lab space.
- Identify and show due diligence for lab space location options (existing or greenfield). As Jake puts it: “We need to lower the bar in making the space attractive – meaning take a building and refit to laboratory shell conditions. Potential companies need to see a building that is ready to have a lab inside so it won’t encounter future hurdles such as HVAC. This lowers the overall risk and shortens timelines. We don’t need to build a full lab, but ready to have a lab built.”
- Work with Bio-Made stakeholders to develop the strategy, value proposition, funding, business and staffing plan for Peoria Bio-Made’s long-term strategy and programming.
- Identify and pursue funding to sustain the initiative.
- Create the financial package to attract biotech companies to set up manufacturing in Peoria. This includes modeling the costs of leasing, or purchasing, and how to repay build-out costs, etc. The Director will develop this tool in collaboration with the GPEDC to leverage all local economic, state, and federal incentives for the project. This template will serve as the model for attracting other businesses to Peoria in the future.
- Support legislative initiatives to create incentives for biotech initiatives.
- Research the skills needed for a Bio-Medical Manufacturing Certification program and provide suggestions for educational Institutions.
- Weekly meetings with the Director of Business Attraction at the GPEDC and monthly activity reports to a small advisory committee and the Gillmore Foundation.
- Other duties to ensure that the Peoria Bio-Made project is set up for success, is sustainable for the foreseeable future, and serves as a replicable model for attracting businesses in other industries as well.
6 Month Project Deliverables:
- A document benchmarking Peoria’s assets against competitor regions to further define and market Peoria’s unique value proposition.
- A financial model that shows the short and long term costs for moving a business to the various lab ready shell properties in Peoria.
- Complete lab ready shell resources for each property (resources would include but not be limited to a virtual spec building and complete development plan for a lab ready shell) to use for business attraction purposes.
- A contact list of pharmaceutical company leaders to approach with the Peoria Bio-Made pitch.
- A compiled list of global networking events to attend in 2022 and the coming years.
- A list of financial resources (grants, foundations, funds, etc) to pursue for funding the Peoria Bio-Made vision, with local contacts that can help prepare the region’s incentives.
- A list of suggested course requirements for our local educational institutions.
- A minimum of 1 grant application prepared and submitted for funding the project.
- Other suggestions for realizing the Peoria BioMade vision.
Location:
Remote with complimentary access to the Nest.
Reporting to:
Peoria Bio-Made Advisory Committee
Desired Knowledge/Attributes include:
- A collaborative approach to working inter-organizationally and aligning community efforts.
- Excellent communication and time management skills.
- Familiarity with the Medical Industry in Peoria and the global biotech industry more generally.
- A deep love for and connection to the Peoria community.
- Familiarity with and appreciation for the work of the GPEDC.
- An understanding of commercial real estate and the players in the Peoria community.
- A positive working relationship with community stakeholders
- Grant Winning experience
- Project Management experience
- Financial planning experience.
- Familiarity with the legislative process and calendar.
How to apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume, and professional references to lfisher@greaterpeoriaedc.org. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The position is open immediately and the Peoria BioMade advisory committee is seeking to fill this important position just as soon as possible.
Timeline: September 27 is the desired start date. Applications will be received until the position is filled.
About Peoria Bio-Made
The Peoria Bio-Made project is a 501c3 working to establish Peoria as a global biotech hub. The project was launched by Peoria area alum and CEO of Strand Therapeutics, Jake Becraft in partnership with the GP Economic Development Council and local stakeholders. Peoria Bio-Made’s mission is to build incentives from local, state, and federal leaders to help attract high growth biomedical business to the area; create education opportunities to train the workforce of Peoria’s next innovation; and contact global biomanufacturing leaders to build the case for Peoria’s economic value within the biomanufacturing industry. Peoria Bio-Made is an effort to advance the Greater Peoria region’s economic development strategy with a narrow focus on building connections and opportunities for companies in the biomedical manufacturing industry.