Director of Technology Development (Innovation & Commercialization Leader)

Department

INNOVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATI (UA-ICO-IUINA)

Department Information

The Innovation and Commercialization Office (ICO) is responsible for fostering connections between IU inventors and external collaborators and facilitating the transfer of university discoveries to the market.

ICO works to establish partnerships between research and industry, provide connections to resources, commercialization guidance, and business engagement.

Indiana University is one of the top research universities in the world, with $732 million in sponsored research annually.

Growing transformative research and creativity, innovation, industry engagement, and commercialization are key goals in IU 2030 : The Indiana University Strategic Plan.

Innovation commercialization is one of the many ways that Indiana University's research enterprise benefits society. ICO works closely with faculty, industry, and the entrepreneurial community in Indiana to take IU innovations to market.

Supporting ICO to achieve these goals and objectives, the successful candidate will support IU intellectual property and technology transfer activities, including faculty outreach and development to increase the intellectual property pipeline and acceleration of the commercialization of IU intellectual property.

The incumbent will work across ICO teams and IU Research Offices to support a continuity of workflow.

The technology development team is responsible for outreach to faculty and inventors from across all university campuses.

The technology development team works closely with inventors to disclose new inventions, provide feedback to inventors on gaps required for commercial interest or viable patenting, works closely with inventors to draft provisional applications, works closely with inventors to develop market assessments, draft technology marketing materials, draft commercialization plans, guide inventor responses in patent preparation and prosecution, and provide domain expertise in specific areas of scientific research.

The technology development team manages targeted IP development grant programs and outreach activities related to increasing faculty engagement and technology disclosure.

The technology development team works to provide support to the operations team, industry partnerships team, and directors.

Job Summary

The Director of Technology Development is a critical role within the Innovation and Commercialization Office (ICO), which is responsible for fostering connections between IU inventors and external collaborators and facilitating the transfer of university discoveries to the market.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Manages day to day activities and processes related to faculty engagement for technology development, patenting, and research commercialization strategy development.
• Oversees technology transfer processes, including but not limited to increasing invention disclosures, provisional patent drafting, patenting, faculty outreach, technology market evaluation, and stage gate evaluation of technologies.
• Drafts provisional patents.
• Evaluates technology commercialization potential.
• Evaluates industry technology markets, early-stage technologies, drafts technology marketing materials, and has a firm understanding of intellectual property processes and timelines.
• Ensures that the ICO technology development activities are integrated and coordinated so that researchers are supported by service-oriented employees responsible for promoting innovation and commercialization.
• Supports faculty innovation by developing and maintaining simpleand clear processes that support inventors.
• Ensures a responsive and engaging process that links faculty researchers with opportunities and the needs of potential partners in government, industry, national labs and academic sectors.
• Serves diverse stakeholders in developing and commercializing transformational science.
• Collaborates across the university with stakeholders, including academic departments, research centers, and institutes, to identify areas to create effective learning opportunities for faculty around technology development.
• Engages with deans and chairs to establish firm relationships to engage and promote an understanding among faculty innovators of university resources and programs.
• Attends departmental meetings to ensure alignment with broader strategic goals and initiatives.
• Facilitates a clear understanding of intellectual property among the university faculty on how inventions and technologies are protected and commercialized.
• Develops and implements educational programs and initiatives for faculty, research scientists, and graduate students on topics related to technology commercialization and innovation planning.
• Represents the University at state and national level meetings concerning technology transfer, commercialization, and intellectual property.

General Responsibilities

Provides highest level of operational leadership and coordination of assigned staff members to define innovation and commercialization methodologies and standards;

provides direction and guidance on innovation and commercialization.

• Establishes short-term business plans and long-term operational objectives, including managing timelines / deliverables and developing.
• Conducts a variety of personnel actions to include, but not limited to hiring, promotion, performance management, and dismissal.
• Manages high level assignments and allocation of resources, including negotiating and coordinating initiatives that involve staff in other departments / areas / teams;

may coordinate large-scale programs with a wide audiences in support of academic initiatives.

• Works collaboratively across the university with stakeholders, including academic departments, research centers, and institutes, to identify areas to create effective learning opportunities for faculty around technology development.
• Supports educational programs and initiatives for faculty, research scientists, and graduate students on topics related to technology commercialization and innovation planning.
• Supports faculty innovation by developing and maintaining simple and clear processes that support inventors.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience.

Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

Bachelor's degree in a science related field (life sciences, engineering, biomedical science, or related technical field highly desired).

Preferred

Ph.D. or Terminal Degree in a science related field (mathematics, biology, chemistry, or physical sciences highly desired).

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

7 years of relevant experience.

Preferred

• 10 years of experience leading or managing intellectual property development, technology transfer, and technology commercialization research.
• Experience in stewarding intellectual property with industry, non-profits, and universities.
• Technology transfer experience in an academic setting.
• Research administration experience.
• Experience as an entrepreneur in a technology-based startup.
• Experience in successful commercialization of university-based discoveries.
• Experience in developing technology transfer approaches and processes in a university setting.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Preferred

Registered patent agent upon date of hire.

SKILLS

Required

• Instills commitment to organizational goals.
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills.
• Effective conflict management skills.
• Builds and manages effective teams.
• Demonstrates problem solving skills.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills.
• Proficient in English written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills.
• Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback.
• Instills commitment to organizational goals.
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills.
• Effective conflict management skills.
• Builds and manages effective teams.
• Demonstrates problem solving skills.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills.

Preferred

• Demonstrates understanding of federal and state laws regarding intellectual property and technology transfer.
• Demonstrates experience in academic scientific research and innovation.
• Demonstrates experience of the patenting process, timelines, strategies, and costs.
• Demonstrates understanding of the stage gate process.
• Team-oriented strategist.
• Ability to effectively manage complex situations involving numerous and sometimes competing constituencies.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, which includes encouraging faculty to disclose IU-generated intellectual property and to participate in aspects of the commercialization process.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks at the same time and under time constraints.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and tact while maintaining confidentiality.
• Strong data management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal / communication skills.
• Ability to work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, university administrators, patent law firms, and potential industrial partners.
• Demonstrates competence in driving consensus and building effective teams and mentoring junior staff.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment.

The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Due to the broad responsibilities and abundant opportunities, the incumbent will be expected to work across both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.

Work Location

Indianapolis, Indiana or Bloomington, Indiana

This position is eligible to work a hybrid schedule (mix between remote and in-person work), subject to change in the future based on university policy and business needs.

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including :

• Multiple plan options for medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health Savings Account with generous IU contribution
• Life insurance, LTD, and AD&D options
• Base retirement plan contribution from IU, subject to vesting
• Additional supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition benefit for IU classes
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing our online Benefits Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level : Sr. Operational

FLSA : Exempt

Job Function : Research

Job Family : Innovation & Commercialization

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Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11 : 59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days.

To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications.

Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.

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Questions or complaints regarding Title IX may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or the university Title IX Coordinator.

See Indiana University's Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

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