Director of Venture Development

Director of Venture Development

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.

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.

• Work closely with the Technology Transfer group within TCS to support and educate faculty and students on entrepreneurship, including successful commercialization strategies and business and financial models necessary to attract partners and investment.
• In conjunction with other UConn innovation and entrepreneurship programs and faculty leaders, provide educational and advising services prior to company formation to help startup teams research market opportunities across a broad range of industries; develop and deliver educational programming and curriculum addressing a variety of business topics to inform and support new and existing venture development and growth.
• Collaborate with entrepreneurial programs university‑wide to establish, operate, and support a portfolio of UConn programs that are well‑coordinated and highly effective.
• Work with new venture teams to identify and meet specific business and scientific milestones critical to commercial success; help them utilize strategies to de‑risk technologies and acquire funding throughout the innovation continuum, at least during seed stage and Series A.
• 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, the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, federal SBIR/STTR programs, and 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 to align investors with faculty/student entrepreneurs.
• 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.
• Work closely with the licensing team for review of technologies disclosed to TCS to determine the optimum pathway for commercialization; promote those that are startup opportunities among entrepreneurial communities at UConn and throughout Connecticut.
• Approximately twenty‑five percent of job responsibility will be licensing; manage a portfolio of inventions and work closely with the TCS Licensing team on tech transfer and negotiation of technology licenses with industry and startups.
• Manage and lead projects and programs important to the mission of Technology Commercialization Services and the Office of the Vice President of Research.
• Oversee the Entrepreneur‑in‑Residence and TCS internship program and its programmatic success.

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least three years of experience working in a leadership position related…