University Dean of Innovation

University Dean of Innovation

The City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking a University Dean of Innovation for the Office of Research (OR). The University Dean serves as CUNY's chief strategic leader for innovation and entrepreneurship and is responsible for advancing University-wide commercialization, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and industry engagement priorities across all 26 colleges and schools. The incumbent is accountable for integrating innovation initiatives across the University to achieve measurable institutional outcomes.

The University Dean provides executive oversight of the OR's Innovation and Entrepreneurship division, which consists of the Industrial & Applied Research (IAR) and Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) teams. The incumbent will align TCO, IAR, and college-based innovation hubs, accelerators, incubators, and bootcamps to deliver scalable, high-impact programs and services. In this capacity, the University Dean establishes strategic priorities, promotes system-wide collaboration, and drives innovation initiatives that support the University's academic, research, and economic development goals.

In a single integrated system of 26 colleges and schools, the CUNY Office of Research is responsible for leading University initiatives that build research capacity across CUNY. Research, scholarly, and creative pursuits are supported through three OR divisions:
Research Development and Programs, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Research Integrity and Compliance. Collectively, these divisions foster collaborative and transdisciplinary research, support startup formation, technology commercialization, and industry engagement, and ensure adherence to the standards governing research ethics and sponsored program administration.

Reporting directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor and University Vice Provost for Research, the University Dean plays a central role in the OR by serving as the University's senior advisor on innovation and entrepreneurship. The incumbent partners with Chancellery leadership, college leadership, external stakeholders, and industry to expand commercialization opportunities, strengthen innovation infrastructure, and accelerate the translation of CUNY discoveries into economic and societal impact for New York City, New York State, and beyond.

Key responsibilities include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Establish and direct the University-wide innovation and entrepreneurship strategy — setting priorities, aligning initiatives with the Office of Research Strategic Plan and Chancellor's priorities, and deploying resources to achieve measurable outcomes.

• Own performance management for the innovation ecosystem: define and monitor KPIs, hold organizational units accountable for goals and milestones, and advise University leadership on resource allocation and institutional investment.

• Develop, recommend, and implement University-wide policies, frameworks, and operating standards governing innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and industry engagement.

• Partner with individual staff to leverage their talents and realize both individual and team objectives.

• Scale faculty engagement with commercialization pipelines; broaden and accelerate faculty invention disclosures, licenses, patents, royalties, and private equity investments.

• Establish faculty mentorship initiatives that elevate and retain diverse, next-generation entrepreneurship talent.

• Partner with OR and University communications teams to shape and strengthen the CUNY innovation brand and messaging.

• Serve as CUNY's public-facing ambassador for innovation and entrepreneurship at national and international higher education and industry convenings

• Serve as a thought partner with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, broader Chancellery, college leaderships, and Board of Trustees to fully articulate the role of innovation and entrepreneurship at CUNY and its complement to the University’s education and career missions.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research.

Until further notice, this position is…