Associate Director - Commercialization

About the Opportunity

JOB SUMMARY

The Center for Research Innovation (CRI) at Northeastern University is seeking a self-motivated individual with experience in technology transfer and demonstrated success in technology licensing/commercialization to join its team as a Associate Director - Commercialization. As part of the commercialization team, this position will report to the Director of Commercialization and coordinate closely with CRI team members to maximize the impact and value derived from the university’s technology portfolio.

The Associate Director - Commercialization will leverage their specific industry expertise with a focus on life sciences research and inventions to manage a portfolio of faculty, researchers and research centers.  A key responsibility will be to foster and deepen key relationships with university researchers within its global network and work to advance the development and commercialization of ground-breaking technologies. This includes supporting spinouts and start-ups and fostering strategic relationships with industry partners. As a liaison to both the research community and industry, the Associate Director - Commercialization will have a high-service mentality, continually developing and effectively communicating a working knowledge of Northeastern’s capabilities.

Responsibilities include managing a growing intellectual property portfolio; assessing/evaluating the commercialization potential of new technologies; developing and implementing strategies for the marketing and licensing of technologies to start-ups and other commercialization partners; negotiating options, licenses, amendments, and other relevant agreements; and supporting post-license activity. This position requires a highly motivated and professional individual. A combined strategic and execution-oriented mindset will be most successful in this role.

The University is unable to work sponsor for this role, now or in the future.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Required:  A Graduate Degree in a technical field within life sciences and at least 8+ years experience in academic technology transfer or equivalent, business development or research alliance experience with a life sciences research lab or company; MBA preferred
• Proven record of accomplishment in key functional areas supporting the commercialization of early-stage technologies including assessment, marketing, licensing, and deal structuring. 
• Demonstrated expertise in negotiating, drafting, and executing high value deals.
• Network of industry relationships in the life sciences and/or involvement with industry associations and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Capacity for thinking both strategically and tactically with a high drive for execution.
• Ability to communicate complex scientific concepts clearly and concisely to audiences with and without technical expertise
• Demonstrated ability to effectively enable strong collaboration and teamwork among a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with MS Office/Teams, Salesforce and online database tools.  
• Exceptionally capable of simultaneously managing multiple projects at various stages in execution
• Given the nature and responsibilities of the position, only U.S. persons (any individual who is a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident alien of the United States, or a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C.1324b(a)(3)) will be considered for this position

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

1) Technology Evaluation and Management – Manage technology portfolio to optimize commercialization outcomes. Promote increased impact of life science research conducted at the university by developing and deepening relationships within the research community for purposes of identifying Intellectual Property (IP) and evaluating its patentability and commercial/licensing potential. Identify and foster spinout opportunities in coordination with the Director – Technology Ventures. Work with Legal Team to continually evaluate the technology portfolio and provide recommendations to improve the portfolio for greatest commercial return. (30%)

2) Strategic Outreach and Engagement – Develop industry relationships focused on creating impact from Northeastern’s patent portfolio and research capabilities. Nurture and manage relationships within industry for potential collaboration or licensing deals. Establish professional network with external companies and advisers through ongoing participation in conferences and other industry events. Capture industry business challenges to help guide commercialization efforts, and to inform research conducted at the university. (30%)

3) Deal Negotiation – Be an effective ambassador for CRI and Northeastern during deal negotiation. Structure and negotiate business terms for licenses with industry partners and Northeastern spinouts, working closely with CRI legal and finance units. Liaise with researchers, NU-Res and legal team on efforts to secure industry sponsored research. (30%)

4) Strategic Program Development - Develop, execute, and manage commercialization strategies. Influence design and scope of marketing initiatives and programs. In collaboration with the CRI marketing team, create programs to scale up external relationships as well as tangible commercialization outcomes, including events, marketing outreach campaigns, seminars, training programs, etc.  Contribute to the continuous improvement of the Center for Research Innovation, including process improvement, software and systems evaluations, best practices benchmarking and monitoring. (10%)

Position Type

Research

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

113S

Expected Hiring Range:

$113,865.00 - $165,105.00

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.