Assistant Director of Ventures

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Ventures is a strategic, entrepreneurial leader responsible for driving the creation, development, and commercialization of high impact health technologies across the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. This role unifies leadership of the Healthcare Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative (HIE) with oversight of Innovations Ventures, integrating accelerator operations, venture development, faculty support, and commercialization pathways into one cohesive portfolio. The Assistant Director will lead the ongoing execution of both the HIE and Ventures programs, both of which are designed to advance pharmaceutical, digital health solutions, diagnostics, medical devices, AI enabled tools, and other innovations addressing urgent clinical, research, and public health needs. They will oversee the commercialization support activities, coordinate advisory and mentorship networks, and guide promising faculty driven innovations from early concepts toward market readiness. Responsibilities include managing day-to-day operations such as proposal solicitation and evaluation, advisory committee coordination, engagement of external expert networks, project funding oversight, and hands on mentorship of CU Anschutz innovators. In this role, the Assistant Director of Ventures will guide early-stage academic discoveries from concept to market, cultivate a robust venture pipeline, support spinout formation, oversee the SPARK program, and build partnerships with industry, investors, and clinical collaborators. They will manage complex stakeholder relationships and collaborate closely with faculty innovators, clinical partners across UCHealth, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the VA, as well as entrepreneurial programs across the campus and throughout Colorado’s vibrant health innovation ecosystem. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in health technology innovation, startup formation, commercialization strategy, and partnership development; combining technical fluency with the ability to mentor faculty, build cross campus collaborations, and accelerate CU Anschutz Innovations toward advanced development and early piloting. Above all, the Assistant Director of Ventures will be driven by a passion for translating scientific discoveries into real world healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes and public health.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in chemistry, pharmacology, biochemistry, biology, genetics, biomedical engineering or related field.
8+ years of professional experience working in similar roles, including experience in product development in biotechnology, venture development, working with academic investigators, and/or developing and implementing project plans.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire
Strong conceptual thinker with the ability to grasp and navigate abstract concepts, relate them to one another, and translate those concepts into strategies and practical actions.
Confident in leading and executing a portfolio of interconnected projects with high attention to detail across multiple stakeholders.
Ability to independently recognize learning opportunities, design and conduct research, gather data, structure quantitative and qualitative analyses, and draw and apply actionable recommendations.
Excellent skills in creating original public content and delivering verbal presentations in multiple settings.
Proactive in identifying problems and opportunities, developing recommendations, and acting on those recommendations.
Thrives in an ambiguous environment with the autonomy to drive work.
Desires continuous improvement; has an innate sense of curiosity and is grounded by self-awareness that provides space for learning and growth.
Driven by the desire to contribute to societal change, making the economy work for all people, and interested in system integration and social change theories.
Recognizes the value of a well-prepared and supported community, can bring together thought leaders, facilitate conversations, and remove barriers to collaboration.
Possesses a mix of vision and tactics, manages multiple teams on various projects, and is willing to engage directly in tasks.
Comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change, possesses a positive attitude, and identifies creative solutions to obstacles while managing multiple responsibilities.
Consistently considers diverse perspectives, has experience working with diverse teams, and values creating a supportive workplace.
Willing to support both small projects and large strategic goals, earning influence without authority, and always ready to lend a hand.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in chemistry, pharmacology, biochemistry, biology, genetics, biomedical engineering or related field.
9+ years of professional experience working in similar roles, including experience in product development in biotechnology, venture development, working with academic investigators, and developing and implementing project plans.
MBA.
Post-doctoral fellowship or instructor experience.
Product development experience in large biotechnology corporations.
Previous experience running an academic incubator program advancing faculty ventures.

Responsibilities

Execute the strategic vision for the Healthcare Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative and Innovations Ventures.
Expand organizational infrastructure to support venture creation, accelerator programming, and commercialization pathways.
Lead annual accelerator cycles, including proposal solicitation, evaluation, cohort selection, milestone planning, and progress tracking.
Oversee delivery of commercialization services such as business model development, regulatory strategy, clinical validation planning, and go to market strategy.
Evaluate early-stage discoveries and guide faculty through venture formation, SBIR/STTR readiness, licensing pathways, and capital strategy.
Build project plans and milestones for selected teams in collaboration with mentors and external experts.
Build long-term relationships with industry partners to accelerate early-stage scientific discoveries into products.
Collaborate with innovation focused programs across CU Anschutz (CCTSI I Corps, SPARK, Startup Toolbox, Inworks) to create a unified venture development pipeline.
Pursue partnerships, funding opportunities, and strategic collaborations that expand the reach and impact of CU Innovations.