Associate Vice President for Commercialization
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
Full-time
Management
Posted on March 3, 2023
The Associate Vice President for Commercialization (AVPC) is a member of the Tulane University Innovation Institute (TUII) leadership team. TUII is designed to bridge the gap between university research and industry catalyzing the real-world impact of Tulane’s world-class research into technologies and products. The AVPC will serve as a strategic advisor and chief of staff reporting to the CIEO managing operations and internal and external communications of the TUII vision. This position actively supports TUII strategic planning and goal setting across the entire innovation portfolio and helps manage the university’s involvement in strategic innovation, economic development, and prioritized TUII initiatives. The AVPC will lead a team and work with sponsored research and other key partners to cultivate the innovation pipeline from basic and applied research while developing a DEIA culture that supports and rewards research and innovation across disciplines. The AVPC will actively engage with local, regional, national, and international partners to elevate translational research and entrepreneurship at Tulane. The AVPC will work with peer institutions, industry, and economic development organizations to attract external funding to grow commercialization initiatives and expand Tulane’s reputation as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship at the direction of the CIEO.
TUII will optimize the university’s ability to translate research findings into commercialized innovations and startups that benefit Tulane and society. The AVPC will co-develop strategies with CIEO and VPR/Office of Tech Transfer to modernize and evolve Tulane’s traditional technology transfer operations and create a “new model” for commercialization that will serve as a best practice for universities. The TUII commercialization operation will establish a single point of entry into Tulane’s innovation ecosystem for internal and external stakeholders. The AVPC’s team will consolidate disparate commercialization-related functions and be hyperactive in the identification and support of translational research, the development of fundable commercialization teams, identification of public/private funding opportunities, support/negotiate license/equity and nurture/market university spinouts. The Director of Commercialization Intelligence & Assessments and Startup/Proof of Concept Fund Manager report to the AVPC and will provide faculty, staff, and student customer-centric service while also supporting the Energize and Vitalize TUII functions offering a complete and integrated suite of high impact programs and services to encourage and ignite Tulane’s innovation ecosystem.
The AVPC will build, lead, manage and develop a high-performance team of professionals to scout for and seek innovation, assist in the support of the traditional IP evaluation and protection process, build relationships with potential licensees to maximize deal flow and value, and contract specialists to quickly finalize all commercialization-related agreements. This team will source and promote innovation from non-traditional, unconventional areas; encourage interdisciplinary innovation and engagement with external partners; and dispel notions of ‘black box evaluation’ by embracing transparency in operational processes while meeting innovators where they work partnering closely with the Director of Intellectual Property and Licensing to maximize value creation for Tulane University. This position will support TUII business development and industry/investor outreach efforts, working in strategic partnership with the Chief Business Officer in the School of Medicine and National Primate Research Center. Through these efforts, the AVPC will avoid overlap and redundancy that ensures an optimal use of the TUII resources focused on increasing the number and impact of commercial and investment partnerships, as well as the capital, knowledge, and professional networks that accompany such activities.
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