The Executive Director/Associate Vice President of Technology Transfer and New Business Development will be a key player in advancing the university’s research goals. This position will provide national and regional leadership and direction for establishing Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University as a lead organization for technology transfer and economic development, and will provide dynamic national and regional leadership for elevating CWRU’s role in the regional and national technology transfer ecosystem.

• Title: Executive Director or Associate Vice President
• Salary range: $245,000-$260,000
• Work environment: On site, must reside locally
• Visa Sponsorship: Yes

The main objectives of the position shall include the following:

• Develop and champion a shared vision, establish organizational goals, create strategic plans, and set long range direction for the organization to society and thereby to assist economic development for Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland metropolitan area.
• Overall responsibility for the strategic, programmatic, and financial leadership.
• Leading and managing the licensing function for all Case Western Reserve University.
• Partner with campus wide translational research programs.
• Identifying, guiding, and developing start-up opportunities at the university to enable them to attract follow on funding, including fostering an entrepreneurial culture at the university.
• Advancing knowledge and respect for CWRU’s technology transfer goals and objectives by the university and business communities in Cleveland, the State of Ohio, and nationally.
• Building bridges between or among the university, its affiliated institutions, its collaborators in innovation and business communities.
• Identify, lead, write, and collaborate on competitive extramural research grants/contracts for tech transfer.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provide leadership and direction to foster successful strategic alliance outcomes. Propose and manage the implementation of complex and significant programmatic initiatives that broadly support Case Western Reserve University innovation enterprise. (20%)
• Manage technology transfer office processes, staff, and budget. Manage and supervise the technology transfer function and the office, including general management functions such as strategic and annual planning, budgeting, organizing, and staffing, management and supervision of direct reports, and general leadership of the office. Develop a well-functioning, well-respected and highly responsive office that fosters customer-oriented relationships, without excessive backlogs. Utilize effective communications within the office, within Case Western Reserve University, within the Cleveland community, and with the other constituents of the office. Establish and manage the annual budget and forecast. Develop a well-functioning, well-respected licensing staff within the university community by assuring prompt and competent responses to inquiries, customer-oriented relationships focused on positive outcomes, project follow-up, and timely completion of responsibilities. Ensure prompt and competent analysis, evaluation, handling, disposition of invention disclosures by faculty, staff, and students, including licensing of intellectual property rights, development of joint projects and ventures and/or start-up (spin-off) companies. (20%)
• Promote and manage external relations between or among other organizations and technology transfer activities. Build strategic relationships with industry partners, current and potential participants in start-ups, members of the Cleveland community–particularly organizations and persons supporting economic development and new company formation in the Cleveland region, and other universities and professional organizations. (15%)
• Foster start-ups. Work with university personnel interested in new company formation (start-ups, spin-offs) and with potential investors, managers, partners, consultants to assist and facilitate start-ups based on university-created technologies. (10%)
• Identify and lead/co-lead grant applications for technology transfer and associated activities (10%)
• Promote and support translational research programs. Manage and organize translational research initiatives that are important to the office and the university, such as serving as the office representative for the oversight committee for the Case Coulter Translational Research Partnership, or the State of Ohio translational grant fund managed by the office known as Case TVSF Program and other translational program initiatives. (10%)
• Directly oversee a select portfolio of cases that are strategically important to Case Western Reserve University. (10%)
• Develop and manage education and promotion programs to advance the knowledge and understanding of the university technology transfer mission, to promote invention disclosures by university personnel, and participate in technology transfer matters by the members of the university community, including faculty, faculty leadership, administrators, and students. (5%)
• Perform other duties as assigned. (<1%)

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct supervises department staff (Director Sr/Licensing Manager/Associates, Faculty Liaison Manager, paralegal and other clerical positions).

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience

• 10 years or more of demonstrated experience in technology transfer, business development, intellectual property management, and related activities.

Education

• Master’s Degree in science, engineering, and/or business economics is required.
• Advanced degree (Ph.D.) in a scientific field, with focus and experience in technology transfer preferred.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated leadership and management capabilities and experience working with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, marketing, selling, organizational, communications, negotiating, and planning skills; ability to successfully “meet and match wits” with senior people in business and academia.
• Ability to concurrently manage multiple diverse projects.
• High integrity and proven ability to interact on a professional level with faculty, staff, representatives from industry, government, and the community.
• Personal dedication to and fascination with the “endless frontier” of evolving science and technology.
• Creativity and problem-solving capabilities; perseverance to get things done to high standards.
• High energy and stamina – to remain effective under stress and in long-drawn-out projects.
• Working knowledge of technology licensing process, new company formation process, patent and copyright laws and other methods of intellectual property protection, and the processes of achieving such protection, government laws and regulations as related to technology transfer, contract law, and effective management of information systems, including databases, in an office that handles a great deal of information.
• Demonstrated experience and achievements with strategic planning and goal achievement.

Qualified for this Position?

We welcome your interest, referrals, and nominations for this position. Please include a detailed resume and a cover letter highlighting your motivation and the aspects of your experience that align with the job criteria.

Interested applicants should send their resume and any questions to:

Lisa Rooney, Recruiter
lisa@gardnerisp.com
(740) 251-7390

Gardner Innovation Search Partners has been retained to manage this search. Gardner Innovation Search Partners is the top technology transfer recruiter in the world, and is committed to presenting a diverse slate of candidates who possess the skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to thrive in this role.

Gardner Innovation Search Partners is committed to diversity in both people and ideas. Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Case Western Reserve University’s Diversity Statement: Case Western Reserve University aspires to be an inclusive environment, believing that the creative energy and variety of insights that result from diversity are a vital component of the intellectual rigor and social fabric of the university.

As a scholarly community, Case Western Reserve is inclusive of people of all racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, national and international backgrounds, welcoming diversity of thought, pedagogy, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, political affiliation and disability.

We believe in a culture of inclusion that encourages relationships and interactions among people of different backgrounds, a culture that enhances human dignity, actively diminishes prejudice and discrimination and improves the quality of life for everyone in our community.

– End of Full Position Description