Senior Associate Vice President, Innovation and Strategic Ventures

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Job Title:

Senior Associate Vice President, Innovation and Strategic Ventures

Department:

ERIK | Administration

Job Profile Summary:

The Senior Associate Vice President for Innovation and Strategic Ventures provides university-wide leadership for translating Ohio State’s research and creative activity into transformative ventures, strategic partnerships, and economic impact. Reporting to the Vice President for Research within ERIK, this role is responsible for aligning licensing, venture development and innovation investments into a unified innovation enterprise.

These responsibilities include the oversight and expansion of translational funding programs that de-risk innovations and accelerate their progression from discovery to market readiness, as well as innovation investment for a university involves strategically deploying resources—capital, talent, and infrastructure—to translate academic research into commercial products, startups, and societal impact. The position partners closely with faculty, researchers, colleges, corporate partners, investors, and regional and national ecosystems to accelerate the translation of discoveries into societal impact, economic value, and public benefit. This leader advances Ohio State’s land-grant mission by fostering an entrepreneurial culture and strengthening the university’s innovation pipeline.

The role is accountable for ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the university’s innovation enterprise by designing and aligning diversified internal and external funding streams, including royalty-derived revenues, institutional investment returns, translational funding programs, and state and federal funding sources.

Job Description Details:

The Senior Associate Vice President for Innovation and Strategic Ventures leads Ohio State’s integrated innovation enterprise, ensuring that university discoveries are translated into high-impact ventures, partnerships, and scalable outcomes. The SAVP oversees an integrated portfolio spanning Licensing & Operations, Translation & Venture Development, and Innovation Investments, aligning these functions into a unified system that accelerates venture creation, improves capital efficiency, and strengthens market engagement. This position collaborates closely with ERIK leadership, the Wexner Medical Center, colleges, Office of Legal Affairs, Office of Business and Finance, and external stakeholders.

The position will champion and support faculty and clinicians throughout their entrepreneurial journey, empowering them as scholars, innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs.

The SAVP leads the development and execution of a sustainable innovation funding model that integrates multiple capital sources, including both internal and external funding, into a cohesive system. This includes aligning royalty flows, institutional investment vehicles (including OSIF and related entities), translational funding programs, and external funding sources to create a self-reinforcing, evergreen innovation funding model.

The role ensures effective positioning and alignment with external funding sources, including federal programs (e.g., SBIR/STTR) and state-supported non-dilutive funding mechanisms, to maximize access to capital and reduce funding gaps across the innovation lifecycle.

The SAVP plays a central role in designing, managing, and scaling internal and external funding programs that enable proof-of-concept development, technology maturation, and market validation. The SAVP will also build and manage processes, partnerships, and evaluation frameworks that ensure innovation investments effectively advance commercialization outcomes and strengthen the university’s innovation ecosystem.

The SAVP is appointed as an officer of the Ohio State Innovation Foundation (OSIF). In this capacity, the SAVP ensures that proceeds from licensing and equity participation are strategically reinvested to strengthen the innovation pipeline and support long-term institutional sustainability

The SAVP will collaborate with a cohort of Faculty Innovation Fellows, who serve as strategic advisors and liaisons within colleges and departments, to identify opportunities and support the commercialization of faculty research.

The position reports to the Vice President for Research and serves as a core member of the ERIK senior leadership team.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in science, engineering, business, law, or a related field, or equivalent combination of 15+ years in education and experience.

• Significant senior-level experience in innovation management, capital strategy, innovation investment, capital management, licensing, and research commercialization within higher education, industry, or a related environment.

• Experience aligning capital across multiple stages, including early-stage funding, institutional capital, and external financing pathways

• Record of leading research groups through successful extramural funding and tangible research products

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing professional teams and complex portfolios.

• Understanding of intellectual property law, licensing practices, startup formation and patent portfolio management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a large, research-intensive public university or academic health center.

• Track record of successful startup formation, capital strategy, innovation investment, capital management, and industry partnerships.

Core Skills and Competencies

• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into executable plans.

• Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders.

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to engage faculty, senior leaders, and external partners.

• Sound judgment, integrity, and commitment to public mission and academic values.

• Financial and business acumen related to innovation investment, licensing, and portfolio management.

Additional Information:

Location:

Energy Advancement and Innovation Center (1044)

Position Type:

Regular

Scheduled Hours:

36

Shift:

First Shift

The Ohio State University believes in diversity in people and ideas. What Ohio State does matters. And how we do it matters. When we are at our best, we make a real difference to people. Our size, breadth, geography, history and standard of excellence position us to drive the future of higher education. We believe that the university should be a place where people can work and learn together in a safe environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. As such, finalists for any faculty position that carries tenure must sign an authorization and disclosure form, which will allow current or prior employer(s) to share information to the University regarding any findings of employment-related misconduct or disciplinary proceedings against a candidate and/or any pending investigations related to alleged misconduct. Such information shall include findings and pending investigations with respect to sexual harassment, violence, or harassment; research misconduct; financial fraud or misconduct; foreign influence violations, grant misuse or misconduct; and/or any other type of finding or pending investigation relating to a candidate’s employer’s policies and rules governing faculty conduct that may reasonably be expected to affect a candidate’s appointment. If the University becomes aware of any past finding of misconduct or pending investigations that were not disclosed, Ohio State will treat that as a serious omission and reserves the right to rescind an offer or terminate employment.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check.  A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

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