Director of Technology Incubation and 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 economic impact of UConn research.
• 771 patents granted based on UConn innovations.

• Efficiently run the TIP establishments at Storrs and Farmington and provide startups with support, guidance and advice to help them move through the startup life cycle.
• Supervise TIP professional staff members.
• Educate, recruit and support faculty and student entrepreneurs to launch new technology‑based ventures; facilitate creation of business planning, commercialization pathway, market assessment, development, and connections; coach to develop investable business plans and identify funding opportunities.
• Work closely with the TCS staff and various deans and department heads across UConn to educate faculty and students on entrepreneurship. Conduct efforts to instruct faculty on the alignment of NIH and other federal agency goals with commercialization, and to understand business and financial models necessary to attract partners and investments.
• In conjunction with UConn’s other student and faculty innovation and entrepreneurial programs, provide educational and advising services prior to company formation to help startup teams research market opportunities among a broad range of industries; develop educational programming and curriculum addressing a variety of business topics to inform and support new and existing venture development and growth; establish, operate, and support a portfolio of UConn programs such that they are well‑coordinated and highly effective.
• Work with startups to identify and meet specific business milestones critical to commercial success; help them utilize strategies to de‑risk technologies and help in acquiring funding throughout the innovation continuum – from proof of concept to initial public offering or sale, and including funds able to support lead optimization, pre‑clinical proof of concept and investigational new drug (IND) approvals.
• Continuously evaluate and identify funding options for a portfolio of startups and prepare companies to attract funds from public investment programs such as those offered by Connecticut Innovations, CT Department of Economic and Community Development, and federal SBIR/STTR programs, as well as angel and venture capital organizations.
• Partner within UConn and beyond to develop substantial sources of capital for university startups. Cultivate strong relationships within the CT, NY, and MA investment communities, including leading VCs, angel investors, and corporate funding partners. Lead efforts to develop and execute investor and partnering forums at UConn including a signature event such as an annual symposium with the expressed purpose of aligning investors with faculty/student entrepreneurs.
• Identify and attract experienced entrepreneurs to lead, advise, mentor, and potentially invest in startups.
• Develop a dedicated pool of subject‑matter experts to mentor, advise, and/or manage teams on technical, regulatory, legal, and business topics.
• Coordinate with the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) to transition ventures into TIP as they develop from virtual to physical operations.
• Review technologies disclosed to Technology Commercialization Services to determine the optimum pathway for commercialization; and promote those that are startup opportunities among entrepreneurial communities at UConn and throughout Connecticut.
• Work closely with the TCS staff to facilitate tech transfer for new UConn technology companies.

• Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of experience working in technology commercialization or innovation.
• Demonstrated experience…