Program Director to SPARK Denmark

The Department for Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (KU), is looking for a visionary and engaged leader to establish a new programme to support the commercialisation of research in the life science area. The position is anchored at the University of Copenhagen in close collaboration with the other Danish Universities and with the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The position is for a time limited period until 31st January 2027.

About SPARK Denmark
SPARK Denmark was launched in January 2022 with a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and is a collaboration across the Danish universities. The programme builds on a model developed at Stanford University, and the aim is to support commercialisation of academic research. The programme will award start-up grants and mentorship from industry experts to projects enrolled in the programme. You will report to a steering committee with representatives from the five involved universities.

Research & Innovation (R&I) consists of three sections; the innovation team, the research support team and the Graduate School administration. It is a well-functioning department with one head of department, two heads of section and 45 employees. We aim to be known as a competent, efficient, and easily accessible administration. This position is placed within the innovation team.

The Programme Director
The Programme Director is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the programme, including coordination with stakeholders, the establishment of a strong mentor network and development and implementation of the educational part of SPARK Denmark.

Your tasks
Your task will be to ensure coordination with the Danish universities that are part of the SPARK programme, and to be responsible for the overall implementation of the programme.

Among other things, your tasks will consist of:

• Personnel management and daily leadership for the programme manager and programme coordinator;
• Stakeholder management and coordination with the different partners in SPARK Denmark, including the remaining Danish universities but also extending to other international SPARK programmes;
• Overall responsibility for the establishment of a mentor network and a selection committee;
• Overall responsibility for the development and implementation of the educational part of SPARK Denmark:
• Overall responsibility for annual summits;
• Overall responsibility for ensuring the development and coordination of calls for proposals, proposal- and evaluation process in close collaboration with the programme manager
• Ad hoc Project support.

Your competences

• You have a health sciences or natural sciences academic background – preferably at PhD level – and you understand and know how to operate in a commercial setting;
• You have a strong network across the Danish life science ecosystem, and you are capable of building and maintaining a (mentor) network. At the same time, you think it's amazing to work in the intersection between universities, hospitals and industry and with building competences and finding funding opportunities for early projects;
• You have good knowledge of the universities' framework conditions in the area of technology transfer and working with industry – and the path from research to business;
• You have knowledge of the process of developing early research projects towards commercialisation – and you have a keen interest in helping others along this path
• You have experience with personnel management, and you are an engaged manager

We offer

• An attractive, developing and versatile position in a well-run institution, with a high level of independence and a great variety of tasks;
• A workplace, where tasks are solved using a team-based approach based on a mutual respects for competences;
• Engaged colleagues, who priorities team play and a set a high standard in an informal, open and respectful manner;
• A work place that emphasises mutual flexibility in terms of task management and working time
• Good development opportunities.

Salary and employment conditions

Employment and salary is in accordance to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC, at the level of Head of Section ("chefkonsulent") with personnel responsibility, with the possibility for the negotiation of supplements based on qualifications and competences. This is a time limited position until 31st January 2027.

Additional information

For more information, please contact Vice Dean Trine Winterø (tlf. +45 2343 1802, [email protected]) or Kamilla Rolsted (tlf. +45 2169 8469, [email protected]).

Your application

Send your application and CV along with relevant documentation electronically via KU's jo portal (click "apply" at the bottom of the add), so that we receive it no later than 20 February 2022.

We wish to reflect the surrounding world and encourage everyone irrelevant of personal background to apply for the position.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.