Technology Transfer Officer
What this job does:
Bridges the gap between academic research labs and the commercial world by reviewing invention disclosures from university scientists, evaluating the commercial potential of new discoveries, and managing IP portfolios. Negotiates and drafts licensing agreements with companies, conducts market research to identify potential industry partners, coordinates with patent attorneys on prosecution strategy, and educates faculty about IP policies and the path from lab to market.
This job is similar to these lab/research tasks:
Critically evaluating papers to assess novelty and significance, synthesizing literature across disciplines, writing grants that make a case for research value, collaborating with researchers across departments
Typical starting salary range
$70k to $125k
Salary estimate represented as 25th to 75th percentile. Gathered from recent job postings, Glassdoor.com, and Salary.com
Daily task breakdown
- Evaluating invention disclosures and assessing commercial potential (reading literature, patent searches, inventor meetings) (25%)
- Negotiating and drafting agreements (licenses, options, MTAs, NDAs, CRADAs) (25%)
- Marketing technologies and building industry relationships (technology summaries, market research) (20%)
- Managing the IP/patent portfolio (coordinating with attorneys, tracking deadlines, Bayh-Dole compliance) (15%)
- Faculty outreach, education, and internal reporting (15%)
Skills you'll use in this job:
Intellectual-property law and patent processes; licensing-agreement drafting and negotiation; technology and market assessment; scientific literature analysis and synthesis; patent-database searching; Bayh-Dole Act compliance; contract management; financial/deal structuring; technical writing; negotiation; relationship building and networking; stakeholder management; analytical thinking; project and portfolio management; ability to translate complex science for diverse audiences; entrepreneurial mindset
Talk about these PhD skills in your resume and interview:
Talk about reading and critically evaluating papers to assess novelty and significance (maps directly to evaluating invention disclosures), synthesizing literature across disciplines (parallels writing technology summaries and competitive assessments), writing grants that make a case for the value of your research (mirrors building the business case for IP protection), and collaborating with researchers across departments.
Alternative job titles to search:
Technology Licensing Officer; Licensing Associate; Technology Licensing Associate; Technology Transfer Specialist; Technology Transfer Associate; Technology Commercialization Specialist; Technology Commercialization Manager; Business Development and Licensing Associate; Technology Portfolio Manager; Senior Licensing Associate
*Note:
-Job titles are inconsistent between companies. Try various keywords.
-PhDs tend to undershoot seniority level. Target higher than you think.
