Director of Venture Development

Job Summary

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is competitively recruiting talented venture development professionals to join our growing Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) team.

TCS supports breakthrough research and cutting‑edge innovation that benefits society and fuels economic development through a coordinated approach between tech transfer, licensing and startup teams, and enables success for faculty, business, Connecticut, and beyond, resulting in:

• $1.4 Billion total funds raised by UConn incubator companies.
• $620 Million in Economic impact of UConn research.
• 771 Patents granted based on UConn innovations.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a top-ranked public research university and land grant institution, rurally situated in the “Quiet Corner” of Northeast Connecticut.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, the Director of Venture Development will be committed to advancing technology-based entrepreneurship and innovation as part of its role in promoting economic growth and development for the state of Connecticut, the region, and the nation. Technology Commercialization Services (TCS) aims to support faculty with venture development and startup formation at UConn.

The Director of Venture Development will have the following responsibilities:

• Identifying, developing, and expanding entrepreneurial opportunities for UConn faculty, students, and companies in UConn’s Technology Incubation Program.
• Working directly with entrepreneurs on all UConn campuses, including UConn Health, to form new ventures and support existing startups in all disciplines.
• Having a portfolio of inventions responsible for marketing and licensing.
• Recruiting new startups to join TIP, and helping raise risk capital for UConn startups.
• Working closely with the Technology Transfer group within TCS to support and educate faculty and students on entrepreneurship, including commercialization strategies and business and financial models.
• In conjunction with other UConn innovation and entrepreneurship programs and faculty leaders, providing educational and advising services prior to company formation, researching market opportunities, developing and delivering educational programming and curriculum addressing various business topics.
• Working with new venture teams to identify and meet specific business and scientific milestones critical to commercial success; helping them de‑risk technologies and acquire funding through seed and Series A stages.
• Continuously evaluating and identifying funding options for a portfolio of startups and preparing companies to attract public investment programs such as Connecticut Innovations, CT Department of Economic and Community Development, federal SBIR/STTR programs, angel and venture capital organisations.
• Partnering within UConn and beyond to develop substantial sources of capital for university startups, cultivating relationships within the CT, NY, and MA investment communities, leading events such as an annual symposium to align investors with faculty/student entrepreneurs.
• Developing a dedicated pool of subject matter experts to mentor, advise, and/or manage teams on technical, regulatory, legal and business topics.
• Co‑ordinating with the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) to transition ventures into TIP as they develop from virtual to physical operations.
• Working closely with the licensing team to review technologies disclosed to TCS and determine the optimum pathway for commercialization; promoting startup opportunities among entrepreneurial communities at UConn and throughout Connecticut.
• Allocating approximately twenty‑five percent of responsibilities to licensing, managing a portfolio of inventions and negotiating technology licenses with industry and startups alongside the TCS Licensing team.
• Managing and leading projects and programs important to TCS mission and the Office of the Vice President of Research.
• Overseeing the Entrepreneur‑in‑Residence and TCS internship program and ensuring its programmatic success.

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least three years of…