Assistant Director, Physical Sciences

Join MSU Technologies as an Assistant Director and play a leadership role in advancing innovative research discoveries into real-world impact. This position oversees and mentors a team of Technology Managers while managing a dynamic portfolio of physical sciences technologies, guiding them from discovery through commercialization. Working closely with faculty, industry partners, and university leadership, you will shape strategy, negotiate agreements, and drive initiatives that strengthen MSU’s innovation ecosystem.

Ideal candidates are collaborative, strategic leaders with expertise in intellectual property, technology transfer, and a passion for translating research into societal benefit.

Summary of Position

The Assistant Director is responsible for supervising the team of Technology Managers in the physical sciences disciplines, including mentoring and advising on daily tech transfer matters. Additional office-wide leadership aspects include agreement management, input on strategies, and being lead on special programs. This position will also serve as a Technology Manager with their own portfolio, which focuses on advancing technologies developed by MSU research activities to commercial use, responsible stewardship and commercialization of MSU intellectual property by supporting researchers, complying with the Bayh-Dole Act, and advancing technologies for societal benefit.

This position requires excellent verbal and written communication, collaboration, organization, working knowledge of intellectual property management procedures, time management, a commitment to intellectual property protection, and an ability to advise and mentor junior and senior level licensing personnel. The level of responsibility in this role is high and requires multi-tasking to manage complex portfolios with many projects, and the ability to work independently and in small to large groups.

This position offers a hybrid schedule, requiring in-office presence a minimum of 3.5 days per week, and requires occasional off-site travel for conferences, stakeholder events, and other related activities. The Assistant Director most frequently interacts with internal stakeholders within MSU Technologies, MSU Business Connect, the Innovation Center, Office of Research and Innovation, faculty members, chairs, and Deans of the relevant Major Administrative Unit (MAU), and service units on campus.

This position frequently communicates with external stakeholders such as the MSU Research Foundation, Spartan Innovations, State of Michigan, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, US federal funding agencies, licensees and professionals from other institutions. This position reports to the Executive Director of MSU Technologies.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervisory – 15%
  Provide mentoring, guidance and direction to physical science Technology Managers in their day-to-day operations and tasks, including faculty engagement, technology assessment and creating marketing and licensing strategies;
  Assist in hiring, being lead on training, mentoring, and advising physical science Technology Managers on questions, challenges, negotiations, draft agreements and draft translational funding proposals
• Leadership – 15%
  Assist and advise Executive Director with management of the physical sciences technology portfolio, including distribution of cases amongst the physical sciences team; managing statuses in the database, patent deadlines and patent expenditures;
  Assist and advise Executive Director and Associate Director on various matters, including agreement templates, office SOPs, translational funding programs and general strategy; review and sign CDAs and MTAs when they are not available;
  Oversee an additional, significant MSUT program, such as the commercialization intern program or a future effort such as a faculty ambassador program.
• Innovation Management – 15%
  Identify areas of campus research of high commercial interest and potential;
  Establish key faculty relationships;
  Mine innovative technology from research and support faculty in submitting invention disclosures;
  Work with faculty to understand and develop research/development plan to…