Department: Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $150,000 - $175,000 per year; commensurate with experience
Compensation Band: OS-OA12-Fiscal Year 2024-2025
FTE: 1.0

Application Review Begins

January 7, 2025 ; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a complete application. This includes an online application, a resume, and a cover letter that addresses how you meet the posted minimum requirements, professional competencies, and any preferred qualifications. Additionally, you will need to provide the names and contact information of three professional references. Candidates will be notified before any references are contacted.
This full-time position is based in Eugene, Oregon, with some flexible work arrangements, including the possibility of working from home.

Department Summary

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) serves as an advocate and catalyst within the University of Oregon (UO) for expanding the range and impact of UO's research, scholarship, and creative endeavors. The OVPRI oversees sponsored programs, research compliance, technology transfer, economic development, industry engagement, research-based ventures, and research development and administrative responsibility for numerous high-profile research centers and institutes and core research facilities, which provide opportunities for faculty across the university to collaborate on research efforts that are inherently interdisciplinary, and of significant societal importance. As a university that holds the distinction of a “very high research activity” ranking (R1) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the UO is also one of only two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities (AAU).

OVPRI, including centers and institutes, has over 700 employees across faculty, classified and unclassified staff, postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, with a $45m annual budget.

Industry, Innovation and Translation (IIT) within OVPRI supports innovation and translation based on UO’s research enterprise to maximize both economic and societal impact. IIT manages the university’s intellectual property, corporate engagement, corporate-sponsored research, and support for entrepreneurs and startups advancing UO intellectual property.

The OVPRI is committed to a respectful work environment. We value the cultural, educational, and life experiences of each employee. We believe that a diverse workforce enables us to deliver culturally responsive services to all members of our community. As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we welcome, respect, and strive to foster a sense of belonging for a wide range of identities and experiences in our workforce. We strongly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and/or LGBTQIA+ community members.

Position Summary

The Director of Commercialization and New Ventures will lead the Translational Opportunity Program (TOP), which serves as a bridge to demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility of academic innovations and accelerates the process to either attract a commercial partner through licensing or validate the case for establishing a startup. The TOP exclusively supports projects with a compelling commercial opportunity. The initial program under the TOP is the TOP Award, which provides up to $250,000 in funding to UO researchers to advance innovations to commercially relevant milestones within the academic environment and resolve both technical and business questions that are key to determining the most efficient path to the market.

Duties include leading UO’s product development and startup support efforts, serving as a member of the IIT leadership team to execute strategic initiatives and planning, and ensuring effective communication to foster and evaluate opportunities for new approaches to maximize transparency with stakeholders.

The Director’s objectives are to:
• Drive optimization of outcomes for research impact through innovation development and startup success.
• Accelerate development of products and services that address a market need, ultimately driving toward the market through licensing or startup formation.
•Ensure a continuum of startup support from early-stage interest in the entrepreneurial mindset, to companies attracting non-dilutive funding and raising capital.
• Expand the university’s capacity to generate use-inspired, market-driven innovations
• Launch startups that have a clear strategy for raising capital (both dilutive and non-dilutive) to advance innovations to the market, and have the skills, network, and team required for success.
• Elevate UO as a premier and preferred source of investment opportunities for federal funding (SBIR/STTR), angel, seed, and venture investor funding.
• Increase the quality and quantity of startups generating from UO research.
• Establish UO as a thought leader for research commercialization and impact.

This position has broad latitude and authority to accomplish goals and objectives. The successful candidate must have strong communication and management skills, the ability to plan both strategically and tactically, high-functioning organizational skills, attention to detail, and discretion.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Associate Vice President for Industry, Innovation & Translation (IIT). The Director will collaborate closely with the AVP and other units in IIT (Innovation Partners and Business Development/Corporate Engagement) for the overall strategic direction, management, and administration of the University of Oregon’s technology commercialization operations and investor engagement programs. This position requires work on site in Eugene, but hybrid options with two days per week of work from home may be considered.

Minimum Requirements

• Seven (7) years of relevant work experience in deep tech or social science/ed tech startups, or experience professionally investing in such startups. Coaching deep tech or social science/ed teach startups (e.g. Entrepreneur in Residence) may count for up to four (4) years of the seven (7) years of experience. Note: Experience in business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies will not be considered relevant.
• A master's degree(s) in a research-driven field (including social sciences) OR an undergraduate degree in a research-driven field with an MBA OR a total of fifteen (15) or more years' experience successfully driving early-stage innovations to market in multiple sectors, including both startup formation and partnering.
• Experience determining the most efficient path to market (licensing versus startup formation) for innovations that are protected by patents, copyrights, and trademarks.
• A track record of success in either coaching startups or being in startups that have brought products to the market and/or had successful exits.
• Basic knowledge of intellectual property and licensing.

Professional Competencies

• Ability to coach academic researchers and graduate students on developing products, services, partnerships, and startups.
• Demonstrated relationship-building skills with internal and with external partners, and strong drive for collaboration to achieve organizational objectives.
• Business acumen, judgment and discretion to set priorities and make difficult decisions.
• Ability to engage potential collaborators in the ecosystem (incubators, accelerators, economic development groups) to develop innovation and entrepreneurship programming to benefit both UO and the community.
• Ability to effectively enable strong collaboration and teamwork among a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Substantial capability in serving on a leadership team and driving towards operational excellence.
• Ability to manage a portfolio of projects independently, including ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects at different stages in execution.
• Proficiency in licensing and intellectual property. This position does not manage IP protection and licensing, but a solid understanding of licensing and IP is required to be successful in this position.
• Capacity for thinking both strategically and tactically to balance short and long term objectives.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific concepts clearly and concisely to audiences with and without technical expertise.

Preferred Qualifications

• A degree in business.
• Experience commercializing social science innovations, particularly education tech.
• Experience commercializing innovations in the physical sciences or computer sciences.
• Experience raising capital (both dilutive and non-dilutive) for innovation-based startups.
• Experience with developing and sustaining working relationships with investors.
• Has a strong existing network of potential mentors and investors that can be leveraged in support of UO commercialization efforts.
• Experience engaging with academic startups.
• Demonstrated experience in monetizing software or copyright-based intellectual property.
• 3 or more years of management experience.
• Extensive track record of success in developing startups that lead to exits or product launch.
• Extensive experience in more than one of the following sectors: physical sciences, computer sciences/electrical engineering or life sciences.
• Advanced knowledge of intellectual property (particularly patents and copyrights) and licensing.

FLSA Exempt: Yes

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report.