Assistant Director, Technology Licensing

University of Pennsylvania•Philadelphia, PA

1d•$92,592 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Executive Director of Licensing for Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM), this position leads the identification, evaluation, protection, marketing, and licensing of PSOM technologies that have commercial potential. The individual proactively develops and strengthens relationships with PSOM investigators and industry partners, facilitates research collaborations with companies, and negotiates option, license, and related agreements for intellectual property and tangible research materials with both established and start up entities. The role also supports post agreement relationship management with company partners and serves as a key, highly collaborative member of the PSOM licensing team, providing excellent service to investigators and external partners while advancing PCI’s mission to translate Penn Medicine innovations into real world impact.

Requirements

Ph.D. required in a life science field, or equivalent doctoral degree, plus either 2-5 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience
Understanding of research environment, preferably in higher education
Excellent customer service skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills

Responsibilities

Proactively develop, lead, and sustain strong working relationships with faculty and researchers in targeted PSOM departments.
Meet regularly with investigators to discuss ongoing research and identify technologies with commercial potential, serving as the primary PCI point of contact for assigned investigators and/or departments.
Evaluate assigned technology disclosures to determine their commercial potential and to develop and recommend well‑articulated, diligently justified “go/no‑go” decisions regarding whether to pursue patent protection.
Present and support these recommendations, along with proposed IP and commercialization strategies, at weekly Patent Investment Meetings (PIM).
Identify and actively engage with potential industry partners and investors; perform due diligence on prospective commercial partners and conduct technology valuation to inform deal strategy and structure.
Initiate and lead the negotiation of licensing and option agreements, and assist with sponsored research and other research‑related agreements with commercial entities, as required.
Be responsive to the needs of key internal and external PCI clients and help manage relationships with company partners following agreement execution.
Develop commercialization strategies for assigned technologies and technology portfolios, including assessment of market need, commercial potential, competitive landscape, and appropriate commercialization pathways.
Perform market analysis to identify commercial opportunities, including identification of and outreach to targeted commercial partners and investors.
Prepare non‑confidential marketing materials for assigned technologies, with the assistance of PCI’s Marketing, Communications and Programs (MCP) team, as appropriate.
Participate in outreach activities to engage and educate PSOM faculty, researchers, and trainees about technology commercialization pathways and PCI resources.
Help plan and deliver seminars, workshops, and events, and support programs designed to promote engagement with corporate partners and increase awareness of opportunities to work more closely with Penn and PCI.

Benefits

excellent healthcare
tuition benefits for employees and their families
generous retirement benefits
a wide variety of professional development opportunities
supportive work and family benefits
a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources
Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts
comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars
exceptional tuition benefits for employees, spouses, and dependent children
tuition assistance at other institutions for dependent children
generous retirement plans
pre-tax or Roth basis retirement savings
wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard
substantial amount of time away from work
long-term care insurance
wellness and work-life resources
Professional and Personal Development resources
access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities
Discounts and Special Services
Flexible Work Hours
Penn Home Ownership Services
Adoption Assistance