Business Development Manager

About ventureLAB

ventureLAB is a not-for-profit leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Our organization is led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders with decades of industry experience in building IP-rich start-ups, scale-ups, and global multinationals to help businesses scale. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Since 2011, ventureLAB has enabled over 4,000 tech ventures to create over 6,800 jobs and raise more than $420 million in investment capital through our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, technology and IP commercialization, and customer acquisition. Together with our community of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and partners, we enable technology startups to accelerate the commercialization of transformational products on a global scale. ventureLAB is home to the Hardware Catalyst Initiative — Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor-focused companies.

Our Mission

Powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada's knowledge-based economy.

Our Vision

Born Global. Built to Scale. Inclusive by Design. Inspire a new generation of global founders who choose Canada to scale IP-rich tech titans creating innovative hardware and scale-ready enterprise software solutions that transform communities and establish a blueprint for a more sustainable, inclusive tech ecosystem.

Our Values — Team RIVIR

• Relentless: We are tenacious and resilient. We follow through and remove roadblocks so together we succeed and go further.
• Inclusive: We are empathetic, open-minded and collaborate respectfully so that we build trust with each other and value diverse opinions, ideas and perspectives to learn and make better decisions.
• Visionary: We inspire bold futures with our founders, team, partners and community by challenging each other respectfully and thinking differently.
• Innovative: We celebrate ingenuity and empower the team to create new ideas, processes and strategies. We are curious and resourceful by asking questions for clarity.
• Results: We are proactive and plan. We are accountable and focused. We are direct and transparent through fact-based discussions.

ventureLAB is made up of passionate, driven individuals, and is growing quickly. It is a fast-paced, flexible environment where individual contributors make a big difference and work collaboratively to achieve shared goals. We are proud to be one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures and a Great Place to Work.

Position Profile

The Business Development Manager is a high-impact, results-driven role focused on accelerating the revenue growth and ecosystem expansion of ventureLAB’s specialized innovation hubs (Hardware, AI, and MedTech).

Reporting to the Director of Marketing & Business Development, you will be the core driver of our lab subscription business. You will own the entire sales funnel—taking new member acquisitions from “zero to one”—and manage ongoing account relationships to ensure high retention. This is an individual contributor role (no direct reports) perfect for a proactive builder who loves tech ecosystems and thrives on closing deals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lab Subscription Acquisition & Pipeline Growth

• Lead Generation & Prospecting: Proactively identify, map, and prospect high-growth startups and scale-ups within the Hardware, AI, and MedTech/Life Sciences sectors.
• End-to-End Sales Execution: Own the full sales cycle, including cold outreach, introductory discovery calls, lab tours, and negotiating and closing lab subscription agreements.
• Value Proposition Translation: Articulate complex, technical lab capabilities into clear, strategic business advantages for technical founders, CTOs, and CEOs.

2. Account Management & Subscription Retention

• Strategic Retention: Develop and execute renewal strategies to protect and grow Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) across the lab portfolio.
• Account Expansion: Actively identify upsell opportunities, encouraging existing members to scale their usage or deepen engagement across multiple lab facilities.
• Onboarding & Success: Ensure a seamless onboarding experience for new subscribers and maintain regular touchpoints to foster long-term loyalty and high satisfaction.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Ecosystem Integration

• Alignment with Marketing: Work closely with the Director and the marketing team to align outbound sales efforts with inbound lead-generation campaigns and events.
• Ecosystem Connection: Help integrate lab subscribers into the broader ventureLAB community, connecting them to relevant programs, partners, and funding opportunities where applicable.

4. Market Intelligence & Brand Advocacy

• Market Insights: Keep a pulse on industry trends, founder needs, and competitive landscapes to ensure our lab subscription models remain highly compelling.
• Community Presence: Represent ventureLAB at key industry events, tech meetups, and conferences to build a robust top-of-funnel network of prospective subscribers.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 5–7 years of B2B business development, technical sales, or account management experience, ideally within a tech hub, incubator, accelerator, advanced manufacturing, or hardware facility environment.
• Technical & Lab Acumen: Strong background in technical sales with the ability to understand lab operations, specialized equipment, and the unique infrastructure needs of hardware, AI, and MedTech companies.
• Industry Familiarity: Deep interest in or familiarity with the Hardware/Semiconductor, AI, or MedTech/Life Sciences industries. Ability to confidently speak the language of tech founders and engineers.
• Proven Sales Track Record: Demonstrated success in managing sales pipelines, hitting revenue/subscription targets, and managing end-to-end sales cycles.
• Relationship Builder: Exceptional interpersonal skills with a knack for building trust quickly with diverse stakeholders, from early-stage founders to corporate partners.
• Autonomy & Hustle: A self-starter who thrives in an individual contributor role, comfortable building their own pipeline and navigating ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $70,000 – $80,000 per annum (commensurate with experience). Eligible for a robust, uncapped sales commission plan paid on top of the base salary.
• Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and insurance benefits package included.

Why join ventureLAB? 

• Opportunity to be part of a dynamic innovation ecosystem.
• Collaborative and inclusive work culture.
• Impactful role in supporting startups and technology leaders.

Vacancy Status: This is a posting for an existing vacancy. On-site 3 days a week.

How to Apply

Send your resume to ***email_hidden*** quoting “ Business Development Manager ” in the subject line. Include your resume and a brief note telling us why you’d be a great addition to the ventureLAB team. Early submissions are encouraged as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

AI Disclosure Statement

In compliance with the Ontario ESA, please be advised that we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position. All applications are reviewed by our recruitment team.

At ventureLAB, we value diversity, inclusion, and respect. Diverse experience, perspectives, and backgrounds bring great ideas and create stronger teams. We embrace it, because we know that by including everyone, we all thrive. Accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in the recruitment process. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only qualified candidates will be contacted. Note: All applicants who are interviewed will be notified of the hiring decision within 45 days of their final interview.