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# Business Development Lead - MI Fellows Program, University of Michigan

- **Company:** University of Michigan
- **Location:** United States (Remote available)
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $36,000.0 - $90,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Computer-Aided Design, Artificial Intelligence, Delivery Pipeline, Apache Spark
- **Published:** August 6, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6c2a8ceea785dda6

## About the Role

* 5-10+ years in industrial sales, technical consulting, or account management targeting manufacturers (especially SMMs)
 * Strong existing network in Southeast Michigan manufacturing ecosystem
 * Demonstrated ability in consultative selling and translating technical needs into solutions
 * Familiarity with manufacturing technologies (e.g., automation, additive manufacturing, AI, simulation, process optimization)
 * Experience delivering client-facing presentations, workshops, or demos
 * Proficiency with CRM tools and pipeline management

Mindset & Profile

 * Hunter + Farmer: capable of both cold outreach and long-term relationship building
 * Comfortable positioning the program as a low-cost, high-impact problem-solving resource (not a traditional consulting service)
 * Highly results-oriented, with a focus on converting conversations into projects
 * Able to operate at the intersection of technical and business conversations, * industrial sales, marketing or technical consulting: 5 years (Preferred)

## Description

The University of Michigan Advanced Manufacturing Institute (UMAMI) is seeking a Business Development Lead to drive industry engagement and project sourcing for the Manufacturing Innovation (MI) Fellows Program. This program connects top U-M students with small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to deliver practical, high-impact solutions in areas such as automation, AI, product development, and process improvement (or other manufacturing-related needs as identified by SMMs). You can find out more about the MI Fellows Program using this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wfgFYs88JlTkPQDrqvsTivot6qWApTYD/view

This role focuses on identifying and developing industry partnerships that lead to well-scoped, high-value projects. The ideal candidate brings deep experience working with manufacturers and can translate real operational challenges into actionable opportunities for innovation., * Identify, engage, and develop relationships with small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in Southeast Michigan (engagements outside of SE Michigan are also possible, if work can be done remotely, e.g., computer-aided design)

 * Build and manage a pipeline of industry-sponsored projects aligned with MI Fellows' capabilities
 * Conduct consultative outreach to diagnose manufacturing pain points (e.g., process inefficiencies, labor shortages, quality challenges)
 * Work with companies to scope and define projects suitable for 12-week execution cycles
 * Deliver workshops, demos, and presentations to communicate program value and generate leads
 * Leverage and expand networks across organizations such as Ann Arbor SPARK, MMTC, Detroit Regional Chamber, and manufacturing/automation groups
 * Serve as the primary interface between industry partners and UMAMI leadership
 * Track engagement and pipeline activity using CRM tools, Success Metrics
 * Number and quality of projects sourced and converted
 * Growth and strength of industry partner network
 * Repeat engagement and long-term partnerships
 * Alignment of projects with program impact and feasibility

Engagement Structure

· This role is structured as a project-based engagement with an initial 3-month contract, focused on clearly defined business development deliverables (e.g., pipeline creation, qualified leads, and secured projects).


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