Yale Ventures helps grow the Yale and New Haven entrepreneurship ecosystem by supporting faculty, students and community partners in developing their ideas and innovations to impact the world’s greatest challenges.  We do this by providing services that: Connect, support and promote our community of entrepreneurs, innovators and partners to attract and retain talent and drive inclusive growth. Provide streamlined access of Yale-developed intellectual property to new startups and corporate partners. Train and support entrepreneurs to help them develop their ideas and research, access mentorship, attract investment, and build new ventures. Establish and enhance private sector partnerships that provide resources and collaborations that accelerate and expand Yale research and scholarship.

The Executive Director, IP & Licensing Services leads the technology transfer responsibilities of Yale Ventures, serving as Yale’s central resource to assist the community in protection, commercialization, and dissemination of intellectual property (IP). These activities enable commercial investment in and licensing of inventions and discoveries flowing from Yale’s research. These activities foster the economic development and new products that allow Yale’s technology to benefit the common good by aligning IP protection and licensing opportunities with Yale’s wider mission of research, education, and dissemination of knowledge. Responsibilities include working extensively with Yale’s Office of Sponsored Programs in the negotiation of the intellectual property rights granted to non-federal research sponsors and in checking for conflicts with background IP.t. Yale seeks an Executive Director with the experience and vision to provide strategic leadership in the area of technology transfer in support of the institutional mission. The Executive Director will act as an ambassador for technology transfer within Yale as well as externally. The Executive Director manages 15 staff, with 9 in the area of business development and another 6 in operations. To succeed in this challenging role, the Executive Director must possess a demonstrated record of visionary leadership, creative deal-making, insights and understanding of technology transfer in a complex organizational context, management and processes excellence, customer service orientation, knowledge of evolving issues related to patent and other intellectual property, as well as the ability to provide leadership to the University community by engaging in public events on campus and nationally.

Essential Duties

1. Develops and manages a high-performing Business Development and Intellectual Property Operations team focused on serving as trusted partners to Yale innovators. 2. Develops long-range strategic plans for the commercialization, translation, dissemination, and management of the university’s intellectual property in collaboration with other university stakeholders. Maintains close collaboration with leadership in the Provost’s Office, the Deans’ Offices, the Office of Development, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Research Compliance and the Office of Sponsored Projects. 3. Directs the marketing of the university’s research-based intellectual property. Identifies and cultivates relationships with industry partners, negotiates new agreements, supports startup formation and new venture investments and research collaborations. Executes agreements within scope of delegated authority. 4. Uses data to manage and understand office and team performance. Establishes and improves processes and systems that enable timely and effective management of department operations.5. Directs invention disclosure, patent application, prosecution and licensing activity for the university. Directs the management of invention disclosures, patent portfolios, and patent license agreements. Collaborates with other offices as appropriate to manage other agreements associated with the commercial application of university intellectual property. 6. Create, improve, and administer processes within the IP & Licensing Services Division of Yale Ventures in order to promote productivity, efficiency, and customer service. 7. Participates in the development of university-wide policy related to intellectual property and licensing activity. 8. Collaborates with other university leaders as appropriate to negotiate contractual agreements such as patent licenses, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements to commercial partners, corporate sponsored research agreements, and other agreements related to the commercial development of university intellectual property. Executes agreements within scope of delegated authority. 9. Interprets university, federal, and industry policy for application in activities associated with university intellectual property. Ensures compliance with governmental mandates pertaining to inventions created with governmental funding.10. Directs licensing and royalty income and distribution activity as well as manages the patent budget and associated patent reimbursements. 11. Reviews potential sponsored agreements for compliance with university policy. Collaborates with academic and other leadership to ensure compliance with contractual provisions in funding and research support agreements pertaining to resulting technology. 12. Interacts with external contacts such as corporate executives, venture investors, researchers, representatives of private companies and industry, patent attorneys, administrators from other universities, community organizations, government agencies, and various patent and management organizations. Works to initiate and establish exchange of information on technology transfer and intellectual property agreements, discusses patent filings, shares information regarding jointly owned property licenses, and negotiates contract agreements and language. Executes agreements within the scope of delegated authority. 13. Works with faculty desiring to form new ventures around Yale intellectual property. This may include assisting faculty in a number of activities, including assessing the market opportunity, preparing business plans and investor presentations, assessing competition, identifying and securing venture financing, identifying entrepreneurial and business talent and other relevant activities required to launch a new venture.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelors Degree and advanced degree in a scientific or technology area, business, or law. 10+ years of university technology transfer experience or equivalent combination of education and experience including negotiating complex agreements.

Required Skill/Ability 1:

Demonstrated interpersonal and collaborative skills, including the ability to work closely on teams of senior stakeholders within the university and to interface with numerous internal and external stakeholders. A strong customer-service orientation toward the needs of faculty inventors and entrepreneurs.

Required Skill/Ability 2:

Comprehensive knowledge of patent prosecution and technology transfer practices, intellectual property law, industrial and research licensing agreements, grant and contract policies and administration, and regulations regarding government-funded interventions.

Required Skill/Ability 3:

Comprehensive knowledge of patent prosecution and technology transfer practices, intellectual property law, industrial and research licensing agreements, grant and contract policies and administration, and regulations regarding government-funded interventions.

Required Skill/Ability 4:

Excellent supervisory, negotiating, organizational, analytical, research, presentation, and oral and written communication skills. Excellent recruiting and managerial skills, in particular, the ability to build and maintain a vibrant team dynamic among talented, driven professionals.

Required Skill/Ability 5:

Appreciation and respect for principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ability to engage with diverse audiences (age, gender, nationality, race/ethnicity, profession, sexual orientation, etc.)

Drug Screen

No

Health Screening

No

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Thank you for your interest in employment at Yale University. Please also note that the university has a COVID-19 vaccination and booster requirement for all students, staff & faculty which is described in the COVID-19 Vaccine Program. As you search our open positions, you will see that all postings list their on-site addresses which gives more detail on the on-campus work location of the role.

Posting Disclaimer

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.

EEO Statement:

University policy is committed to affirmative action under law in employment of women, minority group members, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans. Additionally, in accordance with Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment, and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

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Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus