Innovation Manager

Job Description

CoMotion has an outstanding opportunity for an Innovation Manager to join their team.

Reporting to the Director of Licensing, Life Sciences, the Innovation Manager applies technical expertise and business judgement to advance researchers in their journey to launch ideas into the marketplace, guiding innovators to needed resources, advising on customer discovery activities and start-up formation, making intellectual property protection decisions, and negotiating agreements including intellectual property licenses both to existing companies, and to UW spin-outs.

Innovation Managers also contribute to CoMotion's outreach activities, including presenting to faculty, students, and research groups, and engaging with external parties to assist in promoting understanding of university innovation transfer processes.

This role requires a strong technical background across biology, biochemistry, microbiology and chemistry to manage a life science portfolio, a deep understanding of commercialization pathways, and the ability to build productive professional relationships and mentor researchers.

• Working proactively with entrepreneurs, investors, and investigators to catalyze promising commercialization projects – 40%
• Negotiating and Drafting licenses for UW intellectual property – 25%
• Encouraging and evaluating new projects and innovation disclosures – 20%
• Marketing and Project Development for UW innovations – 10%
• Representing CoMotion in university and broader communities - 5%

• Master’s degree in Life Science, Bioengineering, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or related field and some experience or coursework in business, marketing or law, or a combination of education and experience.
• Two years’ experience in scientific research, university technology transfer, corporate R&D, product or business development.
• Equivalent education and professional experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.

• Strong verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to convey technical and commercial concepts to diverse audiences;
• Strong project management abilities and ability to develop commercialization strategies and coordinate resources to drive projects forward;
• Ability to evaluate, position, and develop promising technologies;
• Good business sense;
• Ability to interact effectively in both the academic and corporate cultures;
• Ability to absorb technical details of new technologies;
• Effective at setting priorities and obtaining closure;
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with other colleagues;
• Ability to generate strategic options and translate them into actionable plans.

• Ph.D. in Life Science discipline
• Commercialization experience in an academic or corporate environment focused on technology licensing.

• CoMotion is an in-person first workplace.
• CoMotion has an open floor plan without permanently assigned desks, and candidates should be comfortable working in an onsite, open-plan environment.
• Must live within commuting distance of UW Seattle Campus.
• May be eligible for a hybrid work schedule under defined conditions.
• CoMotion also hosts events and meetings for which in-person attendance is required.

CoMotion partners with the UW community on their innovation journey, providing tools, connections, and acumen to transform ideas into economic and societal impact. Through an integrated set of services spanning innovation training, intellectual property advising and protection, funding and mentorship, licensing, startups, and incubation, CoMotion seeks to: elevate the global impact and visibility of the UW through research translation; enhance diversity and inclusion in the UW innovation ecosystem;

identify and pursue new opportunities to lower barriers to entrepreneurship and increase spinoff success; create, develop, and nurture internal and external partnerships that are mutually beneficial and harness synergies to bolster our local and regional innovation ecosystem; and meet the evolving needs of the innovation ecosystem through continuous, data-driven…