Associate Director of Technology Commercialization
Technology Entrepreneur Center
The Grainger College of Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

EXTENDED

The Technology Entrepreneur Center at The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for the position of Associate Director of Technology Commercialization.   The Associate Director of Technology Commercialization is a key member of the Illinois I-Corps team, which designs and delivers commercialization and entrepreneurship education and coaching to innovators at all levels (student, faculty, and staff) across the UIUC ecosystem and the NSF I-Corps Great Lakes Hub. The individual in this position will report to the Director of the Illinois I-Corps Programs and will actively seek out opportunities across UIUC’s research enterprise to identify highly translational research projects that could be candidates for participating in the Grainger Engineering Technology Entrepreneur Center’s (TEC) and EnterpriseWork’s commercialization programs, identify innovators who would be candidates for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Teams program, and facilitate teams through the commercialization pipeline.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Specific duties and responsibilities include: 

• Collaborate with and provide expert counsel to innovation and entrepreneurship centers such as TEC, EnterpriseWorks, Illinois Ventures, and the Office of Technology Management to identify promising technologies developed across the UIUC research enterprise by faculty, researchers, and Ph.D. students interested in commercialization of their research.
• Design and implement processes to gather and organize information from across UIUC’s research enterprise. Engage with UIUC faculty, graduate researchers, postdoctoral fellows, in the research space and conduct onsite observation and interviews. Review, interpret, analyze, and evaluate technical research information to identify technologies that satisfy threshold criteria for participation in UIUC commercialization programs. Document and translate findings, prepare recommendations, invite, and recruit teams for participation into programs, such as I-Corps. Ensure that UIUC meets the relevant metrics for their National Science Foundation I- Corps programs.
• Work collaboratively with counterparts at the NSF I-Corps Hub, Great Lakes Region to support commercialization of research at current and potential affiliate institutions, ensuring that the Hub and affiliates meet the relevant metrics.
• Conduct outreach to researchers from underrepresented groups to build a robust, diverse pipeline of innovators primed for technology commercialization/entrepreneurship.
• Coach innovators to build readiness for the I-Corps Teams program, including meeting educational and customer discovery prerequisites, assembling a team that includes an industry mentor, drafting the initial application, and prepping for the applicant screening process.
• Build innovator awareness of technology and research commercialization and entrepreneurship opportunities through email marketing, informational seminars, the Illinois I-Corps website, and social media.
• Assist with the development, collection, and analysis of the TEC/EnterpriseWorks ecosystem metrics.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in a STEM discipline.
• Minimum of two years of work experience in technology development, entrepreneurship, or technology commercialization.
• Experience in customer-focused functions, managing engagement with multiple clients/customers to develop relationships. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or Ph.D., preferably in a STEM discipline.
• Four or more years of work experience in technology development, entrepreneurship, or technology commercialization. 

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• Knowledge of technology commercialization pathways, entrepreneurship, startup company formation and value proposition development.
• Knowledge of the Lean Launchpad methodologies.
• Excellent communication, writing, and presentation skills.

The Associate Director of Technology Commercialization position is a full-time, benefits-eligible academic professional position appointed on a 12-month service basis.  The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date.  Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date.  Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

To apply for this position, please create your candidate profile at http://jobs.illinois.edu and upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references by July 6, 2022.  Full consideration will be given to complete applications received by the closing date.  For further information regarding application procedures, contact Thurman Etchison at tetchis2@illinois.edu.

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.  Convictions are not a bar to employment.  The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment.  For more information, visit “Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.”

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants.

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.