Special Instructions to Applicants
This is a one-year contract position.
Position Summary
The Director of the NSF I-Corps Program at UCLA, a designated I-Corps Hub institution, serves as the senior leader responsible for advancing the university’s innovation, entrepreneurship, and research commercialization mission through the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. This position oversees the strategic direction, management, and execution of all I-Corps Hub activities at the university, including cross-institutional collaborations, curriculum development, team support, stakeholder engagement, and federal reporting. As the primary campus liaison to the broader I-Corps Hub network, the Director works in close coordination with NSF program officers, Lead institution of the Hub, University of Southern California, partner institutions, faculty, student teams, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and regional economic development organizations. The Director plays a critical role in cultivating a thriving innovation ecosystem that supports the translation of federally funded academic research into impactful commercial and societal outcomes. The role requires a dynamic leader with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders across academia, government, and industry. The Director champions the principles of Lean Startup and customer discovery, fostering an inclusive and entrepreneurial culture that prepares teams for national I-Corps Teams participation, SBIR/STTR funding, and early-stage venture development.
Salary & Compensation
*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.
Qualifications
3+ Years of experience with entrepreneurial training programs, including deep knowledge of structure, deliverables and reporting expectations. (Preferred) And
3+ Years of demonstrated contract and project management experience, preferably in a research/university environment. (Preferred) And
5+ Years of demonstrated teaching an entrepreneurial training program, and customer discovery to university based researchers. (Preferred) And
3-5 Years of experience in teaching Engineering or applied science curricula curricula at a college and post graduate level. (Required) And
3+ Years of demonstrated experience with program structure, development of educational programs and activities for students. (Required) And
3+ Demonstrated history of research and academic achievement, e.g., has numerous peer-reviewed publications, has patents, etc. (Preferred) And
Deep understanding of the goals, structure, and processes of entrepreneurial training programs, expertise in Lean Startup principles, Customer Discovery, and evidence-based entrepreneurship. (Preferred)
Awareness of the culture and operations of research universities, and knowledge of the regional and national startup landscape, including incubators, accelerators, investors, and industry engagement models. (Required)
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse, multicultural environment interacting frequently with faculty, staff, students, and research community representatives, as well as corporate scientists and business executives (Required)
Ability for building interdisciplinary innovation teams and mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs and research teams in navigating commercialization pathways. (Required)
Ability to adjust program components based on evolving NSF guidance, innovation trends, or regional economic needs. (Required)
Experience fostering institutional collaboration across diverse academic, research, and industry stakeholders. (Required)
Skill in working as part of a team and collaborating with colleagues. (Required)
Ability to develop and manage performance metrics, impact dashboards, and reporting tools for project outcomes. (Required)
Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communications skills, especially in the area of technical writing. (Required)
Demonstrated course curricula development experience. (Required)
Demonstrated ability to disseminate research data, e.g., talks, publications, classroom. (Required)
Knowledge of general UCLA policies that may play a role in intricate program operations. (Preferred)
Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations
Master’s Degree in related area and/or equivalent combination of education and experience/training (Required) Or
PhD (Preferred)
Special Conditions for Employment
Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
Schedule
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Union/Policy Covered
99-Policy Covered
Complete Position Description
https://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&JDName=Industry%20Alliance%20Specialist%204%20(40042500)
