Industry Engagement, Marketing & Communications Manager

About the Office

The Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) was established in 1970 to manage the intellectual property assets of Stanford University. OTL evaluates, markets, and licenses technology owned by the University. Its mission is to encourage effective technology transfer for the public benefit as well as generating royalty income for Stanford to benefit research and education. OTL is one of the country's most active offices in the field of technology transfer from the university to industry, with staff managing over 3,000 active dockets.

About the Role

The Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) is seeking an Industry Engagement, Marketing & Communications Manager. In this role, you will independently lead complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives to enhance industry engagement, strengthen commercialization pathways, and elevate the visibility of university technologies. You will oversee the full project management lifecycle and direct initiatives requiring high levels of integration across licensing, marketing, faculty engagement, and corporate partnership development. This position serves as a senior subject matter expert in technology commercialization and industry partnership strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute OTL’s annual marketing and business development strategy and communications strategies.
• Lead targeted industry engagement initiatives and advance strategic partnerships.
• Manage project scope, resources, and timelines, including initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing projects.
• Direct development of action plans, estimating requirements for resources such as management, labor, materials, and time.
• Facilitate discussions and negotiations to drive recommendation consensus.
• Develop and execute comprehensive change management strategies and communication plans relative to project scope and stakeholders.
• Orchestrate and lead change management methodologies to ensure project success.
• Facilitate outreach and stakeholder alignment across university impact and external constituents.
• Risk-manage, control, and report on risks associated with complex projects affecting division or program portfolios.
• Synthesize complex technical data to drive decisions at the senior associate/administrative dean, faculty, and director levels.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related field and five years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the management of projects with extensive size, complexity, multiple stakeholders, and moderate performance risk, including project planning, scheduling, tracking, and budgeting.
• Relevant experience in strategic marketing/communications, industry engagement/business development, and/or technology commercialization support requiring translation of technical concepts for external audiences (companies and investors/VCs).

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific and commercial concepts to diverse audiences (Stanford researchers, licensing professionals, university leadership, companies, and investors/VCs).
• Demonstrated leadership and project management skills, including the ability to independently initiate, develop, and execute strategic initiatives from concept through completion (e.g., marketing campaigns, industry showcases, and communications programs).
• Strong relationship management, influencing, and negotiation skills, with experience engaging with faculty, senior university leadership, corporate executives, and venture partners.
• Advanced analytical and strategic thinking skills, including the ability to conduct market assessments, identify industry trends, and develop outreach approaches that support technology commercialization objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, make data-informed decisions, and solve complex problems in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Working knowledge of technology commercialization processes, intellectual property fundamentals, licensing processes, and relevant contract, patent, and regulatory considerations.
• Ability to synthesize complex technical, market, and strategic information to guide prioritization and drive consensus across cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-impact projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic marketing and industry engagement plans, including digital outreach, conference strategy, and partnership cultivation to increase engagement with companies and investors.
• Proficiency with business systems and analytics tools, including CRM platforms, marketing analytics tools, and Microsoft Office Suite, with the ability to learn and implement new enterprise technologies and reporting dashboards.

Schedule

This is a 100% FTE, benefits-eligible position. The preference is for this position to be based at the Stanford work location with the option of a hybrid work arrangement, subject to operational need. Hybrid work arrangements require a regular presence at the Stanford work location, typically two, three, or four days per week or an equivalent amount of time monthly.

Pay

The expected pay range for this position is $157,651 to $180,377 per annum. Pay is determined based on factors such as geographic location, knowledge, skills, relevant education, depth and breadth of experience, performance, and business needs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive retirement plans.
• Generous time-off and family care resources.
• Health care benefits and access to world-class exercise facilities, including fitness classes and a rock wall.
• Career development programs, tuition reimbursement, and the ability to audit courses.
• Free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, and discounts.
• Access to cultural and educational events, including TEDTalks, film screenings, and lectures by renowned authors or global leaders.

Physical Requirements

• Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks and seated work, and use light/fine grasping.
• Occasionally stand, walk, use a telephone, lift, carry, push, and pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.
• Rarely write by hand.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

Working Conditions

• Occasional work on evenings and weekends.
• Occasional travel may be required (less than 10% time).