Director of Licensing - KUCTC

Department:
Executive Vice Chancellor

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KU Center for Technology Commercialization
Position Title:
Director of Licensing - KUCTC
Job Family Group:
Professional Staff
Job Description Summary:
The Director of Licensing is a senior member of the KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) and leads the licensing functions for the entire University of Kansas. The Director and their team are focused on core technology transfer functions including the sourcing, reviewing, protecting, managing, and licensing of KU innovations as well as other tasks relating to commercialization efforts.
Job Description:

The Director of Licensing is a senior member of the KU Center for Technology Commercialization (KUCTC) and leads the licensing functions for the entire University of Kansas. The Director and their team are focused on core technology transfer functions including the sourcing, reviewing, protecting, managing, and licensing of KU innovations as well as other tasks relating to commercialization efforts.

Job Responsibilities

Innovation Management:

• Builds and manages a team of licensing professionals responsible for KUCTC’s efforts to source, evaluate and license KU innovations.

• Establish and maintains relationships with researchers, educates KU faculty about intellectual property and technology transfer.

• Develops and implements strategies to identify inventions arising from KU research.

• Develops licensing-related objectives and associated metrics; provide regular reporting on progress to leadership.

• Oversees KUCTC’s process of evaluating and managing KU innovations.

• Manages a portfolio of IP assets and corresponding relationships with researchers and licensee

Business Development:

• Coordinates with KUCTC marketing staff on marketing strategies for unlicensed KU innovations.

• Laisses with other KU innovations programs, fosters research collaborations, and assists with securing additional resources for translation and development.

• Represent KU at local, regional, and national partnering and business development events

License Technologies to Startups and Existing Companies:

• Develops tools and strategies to facilitate licensing of KU innovations.

• Negotiates complex licenses and other contracts with existing companies, startups, and other partners.

• Assists licensing staff with license and contract negotiations.

Operations & Compliance:

• Data entry and use of technology transfer data management system.

• Coordinate with KUCTC operations staff with regards to federal, financial, and post-license compliance. 

Other:

• Manage the licensing team includes recruiting, training, and coaching to meet the department's goals; responding to issues, building an effect team, performing position review and annual evaluations.

• Advises and supports licensing staff.

• Provides support to KU sponsored research staff regarding industry and non-profit contracts

• Represents KUCTC in seminars and other educational events at KU

• Collaborates with college and departments to support a culture of innovation across KU’s campuses

• Participates in professional development and training opportunities.

• Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

• General office environment

• Travel between University of Kansas locations

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree in life sciences, physical science, engineering or related field or bachelor’s degree in business, life sciences or related field and two plus years’ working in a university technology transfer environment.

Certifications/Licenses:

• None Required

Work Experience:

• 7-10 years of academic technology transfer, business development, commercialization experience

• Experience managing others and developing talent.

• Experience working with intellectual property law, contract law, innovation, relevant technical fields, negotiations, and business principles and practices of the higher education research enterprise and academic technology transfer.

• Experience working in an environment requiring comprehensive working knowledge of principles and federal regulations governing research administration in the conduct of academic research, grants and contracts.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Doctoral degree, with a PhD highly preferred, or a law degree with experience in patent law.

Certifications/Licenses:

• N/A

Work Experience:

• Experience in market research, business development, and licensing

• Experience working in or with startup companies a plus

Skills

• Strong leadership and sound decision-making skills.

• Must be comfortable as a visible leader on campus promoting technology transfer and representing KU within the local innovation ecosystem.

• Strong organizational skills.

• Excellent communication skills.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. It is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, duties, and assignments. Furthermore, job duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

If selected as a final candidate for this position, you may be required to complete the Association of American of Universities Representations and Warranties document and sign a release of records that will allow the University of Kansas Medical Center to conduct a further background check with former employers.  A copy of the Representations and Warranties document can be found here .

Comprehensive Benefits Package:

Coverage begins on day one for health, dental, and vision insurance and includes health expense accounts with generous employer contributions if the employee participates in a qualifying health plan. Employer-paid life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and various additional voluntary insurance plans are available. Paid time off, including vacation and sick, begins accruing upon hire, plus ten paid holidays. One paid discretionary day is available after six months of employment, and paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, military service, and parental leave is available after 12 months of employment. A retirement program with a generous employer contribution and additional voluntary retirement programs (457 or 403b) are available. https://www.kumc.edu/human-resources/benefits.html

Employee Type:
Regular
Time Type:
Full time
Rate Type:
Salary

Compensation Statement:

The pay range listed for this position is determined by our compensation program using market data and salary benchmarking. A combination of factors is considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, education, experience and training, qualifications relative to the requirements of the position, and funding. At the University of Kansas Medical Center, a reasonable estimate for the starting pay range will be the minimum to midpoint of the posted range, taking into account the combination of factors listed above. 

Pay Range:
$96,000.00 - $152,000.00

Minimum

$96,000.00

Midpoint

$124,000.00

Maximum

$152,000.00