The Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) at Stanford was established in 1970 to manage the intellectual property assets of Stanford University. OTL evaluates, markets, and licenses technology owned by the University. OTL’s mission is to encourage effective technology transfer for the public benefit as well as generating royalty income for Stanford to benefit research and education. OTL is one of the country’s most active offices in the field of technology transfer from the university to industry. Their staff, most of whom are professionals engaged directly in licensing, manages over 3,000 active dockets.

Senior Technology Licensing and Strategic Alliances Manager, Life Science Job Duties

The Office of Technology Licensing at Stanford University seeks to fill a Senior Technology Licensing and Strategic Alliances Manager position, which will be focused primarily on alliances and related inventions in the life sciences space. You will be a key contributor to the OTL Strategic Alliance team, working with faculty and other stakeholders in developing and maintaining alliances at Stanford, including intellectual property (IP) in- and out-licensing as well as negotiation and management of research collaborations with other non-profit and for-profit entities. The Senior Technology Licensing and Strategic Alliances Manager will collaborate closely with OTL leadership, internal teams, and both internal and external stakeholders on contracts and agreements to maintain transparent communication and build consensus amongst all stakeholders. Your responsibilities will include closely monitoring Stanford’s contractual IP and other obligations to ensure Stanford’s alliances are productive and successful. You will also be involved in traditional technology transfer-related activities by managing inventions that result from alliances, including evaluating new inventions, developing licensing opportunities and strategies, negotiating the terms and conditions of agreements, and administering patent-related activities. This position requires significant knowledge of negotiation strategies, technology market assessment, intellectual property protection and licensing, as well as thorough knowledge of contracts and grants relating to alliances.

CORE DUTIES:

• Evaluate and analyze complex new invention disclosures, where agreements tend to be licensing potential in the millions of dollars, including initial review, meeting with inventor(s), identifying industry reviewers, making contact, and sending material.
• Follow-up, collect and evaluate information, make decisions that have significant impact, and provide necessary notifications.
• Develop licensing strategy for significant cases, identifying potential licensees, negotiating terms, preparing draft agreements, and closing the deal.
• Manage patent-related activities including selection of attorney, determination of when and where to file patent applications, and management of an inventory of unlicensed cases from a financial perspective.
• Monitor license agreements, ensure compliance with diligence terms, prepare and execute amendments, process terminations, and participate in decisions on whether to pursue litigation.
• Maintain and develop relations with licensees; monitor progress in licensed product(s) development.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Negotiate complex multi-functional agreements involving any combination of research funding, IP and/or licensing terms, procurement terms or possibly other business elements.
• Monitor alliance and license agreements for compliance with financial, diligent performance and other contractual terms and conditions.
• Conduct IP due diligence on alliance project proposals, oversight and management over complex IP portfolios resulting from alliance-sponsored research.

Senior Technology Licensing and Strategic Alliances Manager, Life Science Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a life sciences discipline and ten years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.

Preferred Education & Experience:

• Degree in life sciences and ten or more years of experience working in an academic, health science, or biotechnology organization strongly preferred. MA/MS degree or PhD in Biological Sciences preferred.
• Demonstrated record of substantial achievement in technology transfer and the application of intellectual property principles as they impact institutions of higher education.
• Demonstrated expertise and advanced knowledge of contract and IP laws, University policies, life science industry trends and regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in business development and alliance management
• Negotiation of IP clauses in large scale alliance agreements
• Demonstrated experience working within the research environment at a major university or institute or private industry; and ability to work with a variety of public institutions and the capacity to produce creative and innovative solutions and approaches to common problems especially as they related to intellectual property and licensing.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, written, and presentation skills.
• Strong customer relationship skills, consensus building skills and the ability to cultivate and maintain professional business partnerships.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate with internal constituencies and external business partners.
• Advanced ability to establish priorities, take ownership and leadership of time-sensitive and complex projects from inception to completion, including developing strategy, implementation and execution of tasks.
• Advanced ability to independently exercise sound judgment and decision making, creativity, problem solving and critical analysis.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize a variety of tasks and demands.
• Strong computer skills with ability to work with a variety of database systems; spreadsheets; reporting systems and electronic document management systems.

About Palo Alto, California

Known as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley,” Palo Alto is home to 69,700 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs and offers robust community amenities including 36 parks, 39 playgrounds, five community and youth centers, 41 miles of walking/biking trails, and five libraries. As the global center of technology and innovation, Palo Alto is the corporate headquarters for many world-class companies and research facilities such as VMWare, Hewlett-Packard, and Tesla. Home to Stanford University and a top-ranked public school system, Palo Alto also features beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods, vibrant shopping, and retail districts. Palo Alto has a highly educated and culturally sophisticated citizenry that is actively engaged in making a difference both locally and globally.

Stanford has put together a guide to living in the area, with information about each of the different neighborhoods in and around Palo Alto.

Senior Technology Licensing and Strategic Alliances Manager, Life Science Applicants

Interested in Applying?

Stanford University has exclusively retained Gardner Innovation Search Partners 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.

Interested applicants should send their resume along with any questions to:

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

Glen Gardner, Recruiter
glen@gardnerisp.com
(614) 354-8400

Tom Sweetman, Recruiter
tom@gardnerisp.com
(614) 563-2389

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