Senior Director, Value Chain and Commercial Business Development

As the Senior Director, Value Chain and Commercial Business Development, you will lead efforts to gain value chain confidence and client buy-in for new products. Our focus is on corn, soybean, and wheat, prioritizing seeds designed to meet stakeholder expectations in the value chain. This role collaborates across commercial, corporate affairs, legal, and regulatory functions, utilizing collaboration skills, market knowledge, strategic thinking, and analytical aptitude to impact Inari's success with a focus on the value chain. 

This position can be based in Cambridge, MA, West Lafayette, IN or remotely, reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer.  

Key Responsibilities: 

• Create immediate opportunities for Inari's technology by creating and / or assuring freedom to operate with downstream value chains, including building and executing stewardship of seed production and grain and/or grain processing agreements 

• Persuade C-suite leaders in the value chain to support Inari technology and the flow of commodities in the value chain 

• Identify and successfully execute on new business development opportunities aligned with Inari's goals, including the development of business plans and forecasts for strategic growth, examples could be increasing % oil or % protein in soybeans 

• Collaborate with and support the corporate and commercial strategy team to identify trends and opportunities in the commodity grain market. Then execute business plans to secure the value of those opportunities 

• Support and own parts of the North America License to Operate (LTO) strategies by establishing relationships with key commodity stakeholders, such as grain processors and traders working closely with the LTO team and Corporate Affairs. 

• Draft and implement outreach strategies and stakeholder maps for industry partnerships beyond ISBs and breeding collaborators in the value chain 

• Track value chain events and educate industry executives and grower leaders for better alignment. 

• Advocate for Inari’s mission and values within the grain/commodity industry. 

You Bring: 

• 15+ years of experience in the agricultural grain value chain, business development and complex industry relationship management 

• Minimum Bachelor of Science and/or Bachelor of Arts 

• Direct experience persuading C-suite executives to take action to support your business plans 

• Demonstrated ability to connect downstream partners to technology value and to organize stewardship and identity preserved processes and agreements 

• Demonstrated ability to persuade value chain partners to embrace new technology and business development opportunities 

• Experience developing industry consensus and working in a matrixed organization. 

• Strong skills in influencing across functions and teams. 

• Excellent time management and organizational skills. 

• A drive to develop unique, high-impact solutions. 

• Adaptability, curiosity, and a passion for learning and unlearning, meaning to take one’s experiences but apply them in the context of the new technology of gene editing. 

• Creative and strategic thinking, willingness to take risks, and ability to learn from failure. 

• A collaborative team-oriented mindset open to ideas and feedback to support a highly cross functional company environment. 

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively. 

• Effective communication with diverse individuals and audiences. 

• Ability to travel up to 50%, mostly domestic, with occasional international travel.