Director of Industry Partnerships

About the Role

The Director of Industry Partnerships serves as a member of the Office of Economic Development and plays a leading role in driving industry and stakeholder engagement at the University of Kansas. Reporting to the Managing Director, Corporate and Stakeholder Engagements, the Director is responsible for identifying, developing, and executing mutually beneficial research partnerships with corporate, federal, state, and other entities.

The Director will work closely with leadership and faculty in the School of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Life Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, and associated research centers to translate KU expertise, innovation, and research capabilities into impactful collaborations. This individual will serve as a conduit between KU research expertise and industry, cultivating relationships that lead to sponsored research, workforce development, technology engagement, and strategic partnerships that advance KU’s mission and industry needs.

The Director will collaborate with colleagues across complementary disciplines to ensure cohesive-facing strategies across KU, identify and advance a robust portfolio of corporate partners, and stimulate engagement strategies and collaborations across a complex academic environment to support KU’s institutional goals.

Position Goals

• Increase the number of new corporate partners and relevant stakeholders engaging in research or research-related activities.
• Develop new, and support existing, research partnerships by engaging faculty, research staff, and centers.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of faculty research expertise and research capabilities to promote mutually beneficial partnerships and increase industry-sponsored research.
• Develop and manage corporate relationships while coordinating with campus units to broaden and deepen engagement within KU.
• Develop an understanding of federal opportunities and identify appropriate applications that stimulate industry-academic-federal collaborations.
• Collaborate with KU Innovation Park, the KU Center for Technology Commercialization, KU Endowment, Career Services, Jayhawk Community Partners, and others to identify new partnership opportunities and leverage ongoing activity.

Responsibilities

Industry Partnership Engagement (65%)

• Identify, engage, build, and advance corporate relationships that integrate research, technology engagement, and workforce development.
• Identify and facilitate engagement with emerging industry partnership opportunities by gathering market intelligence and leveraging faculty expertise, capitalizing on federal funding opportunities and roadmap intelligence.
• Initiate, coordinate, and facilitate corporate interactions both on campus and at corporate sites.
• In collaboration with KU faculty, leverage federal programs and opportunities (e.g., DOE, DOD, NSF, NIH) that involve industry-academic partnerships.
• Represent the industry partners’ needs and interests to KU offices and departments that facilitate execution of collaborations while ensuring alignment with KU’s engagement strategies.
• Develop and implement marketing tools and materials that highlight KU’s research expertise and capabilities.
• Identify and engage non-commercial stakeholder partners when their interests align with an area of interest or need.

Collaboration (20%)

• Strengthen and expand collaborative relationships with schools, departments, centers, and faculty to promote KU’s breadth of expertise.
• Coordinate with the Managing Director to identify collaborative opportunities across KU campuses that leverage expertise in key thematic areas.
• Work collaboratively with the Managing Director and Deans to develop and manage high-level strategic partnerships.
• Partner with KU Endowment, the Center for Technology Commercialization, KU Innovation Park, Jayhawk Community Partners, Career Services, and others to broaden and deepen industry engagement.
• Work closely with KU’s contracting departments to represent the voice of the partner and their interests as may be beneficial.

Strategic Development (10%)

• Support faculty and research staff through training and one-on-one guidance to help them develop and maintain industry relationships.
• Stay abreast of and incorporate best practices in academic-industry partnerships and actively participate in national organizations such as AUTM and UIDP.
• In partnership with KU Innovation Park, develop programming and engagement strategies that support the retention, recruitment, and growth of industry presence at KU.

Other Duties (5%)

• Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director or Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree plus five (5) years of related experience OR Bachelor’s Degree and seven (7) years of related experience.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in technical business development, research partnerships, commercialization, or relevant roles.
• Demonstrated experience developing collaborative relationships in a large, complex environment.
• Effective written communication skills.
• Strong people skills and demonstrated customer service experience supporting engagement with internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working in a technical or scientific field.
• Experience working with federal and/or state agencies in partnership with industry.
• Proven experience bridging academic and industry cultures.
• Experience that required awareness of intellectual property (IP) considerations and ability to support development of work statements aligned with company IP needs.

Pay

Advertised Salary Range: $115,000 - $130,000