Associate Director of University-Industry Research

Associate Director of University-Industry Research

The Associate Director of University-Industry Research leads efforts to develop, manage, and expand collaborative research partnerships between the university and industry partners. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation while working closely with JMU's Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations and the Office of Economic and Community Development, the Associate Director plays a pivotal role in aligning institutional research strengths with industry needs, facilitating joint research activities, and stewarding long-term strategic partnerships that drive innovation and impact. Impact : This position supports the university's mission of innovation, public impact, and economic development by increasing the volume, diversity, and success rate of industry-funded research. The Associate Director will be instrumental in fostering a culture of collaboration, reducing transactional friction, and enabling translational research that addresses real-world challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• Strategic Partnership Development : Identify and cultivate research partnerships with industry stakeholders, including Fortune 500 companies, Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), and innovation-driven startups. Support strategic, long-term engagements by aligning university capabilities with industry goals, considering proximity, research readiness levels, and commercialization potential. Serve as the liaison between academic researchers, corporate partners, and university stakeholders, building trust-based, reciprocal relationships.
• Research Collaboration Management : Oversee the life cycle of industry-sponsored research projects, from proposal development and contract negotiation to execution and impact tracking. Collaborate with sponsored programs, research to impact, and legal teams to streamline agreements and manage IP, using flexible and industry-friendly models where appropriate.
• Communications and Outreach : Lead or support the creation of industry-facing content that articulates the university's research strengths and commercialization potential. Represent the university at external events, industry consortia, and trade shows to promote research collaboration opportunities.
• Data and Program Evaluation : Use bibliometrics, funding analytics, Technology Readiness Level (TRL) mapping, and commercialization metrics to evaluate partnership opportunities and measure impact. Contribute to internal reports and dashboards that assess the health of the university's industry partnership portfolio.

Qualifications :