Innovation Scouts Scientific Transfer

Job advertisement

Vacancy /2025. Closing date: .

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena is a dynamic and innovation‑driven university centrally located in Germany. With a broad range of disciplines, it shapes the future through excellent research and teaching. Its scientific excellence is reflected in the profile areas Light – Life – Liberty, which provide pioneering insights and sustainable solutions for the society of tomorrow. Through close collaborations with leading research institutions, innovative companies, and renowned cultural organizations, it advances interdisciplinary developments.

With around 17,000 students and approximately 10,000 employees, it defines Jena as a vibrant, internationally connected city of science and innovation.

Within the JENAiNNOVATION project, the Office of the Vice‑President for Research and Innovation is offering four key positions to start as soon as possible.

We offer 4 full‑time positions (40 hours per week) offered as a fixed‑term position until 30.09.2028.

Technological innovation is a key driver of sustainable growth and economic resilience. The Friedrich Schiller University Jena has outstanding potential to play a pioneering role in this area. Therefore, a Jena‑based scientific consortium, represented by the coordinating Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the University of Applied Sciences Jena (EAH), and the University Hospital Jena (UKJ) and more than 50 associated partners, is launching the new Transfer Center JENAiNNOVATION
. It will focus on innovation and transfer originating from the partners’ most excellent research domains and is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation (). The main objective is to create a powerful innovation ecosystem that accelerates the translation of excellent research into impactful real‑world applications, fosters groundbreaking Deep Tech spin‑offs and startups, strengthens collaborations between academia, industry and society, and contributes cutting‑edge technology to address critical future challenges.

Within this framework, the four Innovation Scouts will bring strong scientific expertise in one of the Center’s key focus areas:

• Photonics and medical diagnostics
• Innovative materials and resource efficiency
• Inflammation and microbiome technology
• Digital technology and artificial intelligence

As an Innovation Scout, your core mission is to (1) identify promising research (“Scouting”), (2) shape and drive early innovation projects (“Project Shaping”), and (3) connect key actors across academia, industry and society (“Ecosystem Interfaces”).

• Identify, assess, and activate high‑potential research results directly from ongoing cutting‑edge research for transfer, innovation, and commercialization.
• Initiate and coordinate innovation projects, including validation, prototyping, and financing activities.
• Connect researchers with industry partners, investors, and other stakeholders to advance innovation pathways and strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange.
• Develop and implement strategies for intellectual property, business models, and spin‑off formation.
• Design and implement innovation formats, workshops, and events that foster an entrepreneurial culture.
• Advise and support the university’s leadership in shaping strategic innovation and transfer initiatives.

• University degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in natural sciences, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven expertise in one of the four focus areas: photonics and medical diagnostics, innovative materials and resource efficiency, inflammation and microbiome technology, or digital technology and artificial intelligence.
• A doctoral degree (PhD) is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated interest and initial experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, including the identification and evaluation of innovation potential, the use of entrepreneurial methodologies (e.g., Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Business Model Development), and a basic understanding of IP strategies, intellectual property rights, and business model development.
• Basic awareness of national and international funding schemes…