HSC Next: Director of Ideation & Commercialization

Required Qualifications
Graduate degree in life science, business, law or some other field related to innovation commercialization or entrepreneurship.
7 years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications
Terminal graduate degree in a life science field
Experience working in a small university technology commercialization office
Experience managing ideation or proof-of-concept activities
Private sector experience as an inventor

Gardner Innovation Search Partners has been exclusively retained to recruit the position of Director of Ideation Commercialization for The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth/HSC Next Team.

This strategic leader, Director of Ideation Commercialization, will build and manage commercialization partnerships for HSC. The leader will also design and implement ideation initiatives that will lead to engagement with innovators at the earliest stages – when all they have are ideas. Ideation initiatives are a novel approach to stimulating innovation on the HSC campus. This role will lead the Ideation and IP team at HSC Next and will be crucial to supporting innovators and building a culture of innovation at HSC. Additionally, this person will direct all commercialization activities related to HSC innovations, including identification, evaluation, protection, marketing and licensing.

Organization: HSC Next/The University of North Texas Health Science Center
Title: Director of Ideation Commercialization
Target Salary: Commensurate with experience
Work environment: On site Forth Worth, TX
Visa Sponsorship: Will be considered

Job Duties
Following are the key responsibilities of the position:

Develop and manage programs for engaging with campus stakeholders at the ideation stage, helping stakeholders evaluate their ideas and supporting early-stage, proof-of-concept testing of the most promising ideas. (25%)
Execute and manage across the full lifecycle, commercialization partnerships with private sector parties; Direct all commercialization activities related to HSC innovations, including identification, evaluation, protection, marketing and licensing. (25%)
Develop and implement strategies for growing the HSC portfolio of commercializable innovations and advance them along the innovation pipeline. (10%)
Develop and maintain a trusting rapport with campus stakeholders (colleges, departments, faculty, staff and students) (10%)
Manage, mentor and support the professional development of direct reports. (10%)
Develop and manage budget for Ideation and IP unit; Interpret and apply applicable policies, such as the HSC Intellectual Property Policy, to unit operation (10%)
Other duties as assigned (10%)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Ability to develop specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work.
Ability to work collaboratively and building strategic relations with colleagues, coworkers, constituents and volunteers.
Ability to problem-solve a variety of situations.
Ability to manage a budget and work within the constraints of that budget.
Knowledge of legal contracts and business law.

The mission of HSC Next is to guide the growth of innovators and their ideas into solutions for a healthier community. HSC Next does this by supporting HSC faculty, students, and staff, as well as regional entrepreneurs and startups through a variety of programs. These include managing the HSC IP portfolio, running ideation activities, incubating startup companies on the HSC campus and educating students to develop an innovative mindset.