Director, DSAI Industry & External Partnerships (Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures)

Johns Hopkins University•Baltimore, MD

2d•$119,515 - $209,100•Onsite

About The Position

Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures (JHTV) is seeking a Director, DSAI Industry & External Partnerships to build the external pipeline supporting the translation of Data Science and AI (DSAI) research into real-world impact. This role acts as a liaison between DSAI's faculty and companies, foundations, and public sector entities for commercial, financial, and societal impact. The Director will broker high-impact public-good partnerships, identify opportunities for sponsored research, corporate affiliate programs, and enterprise licenses. This is a strategic role requiring deep understanding of AI and data science to build trust with faculty and industry. The Director reports to JHTV leadership and works closely with DSAI leadership, JHTV's Corporate Partnerships team, and the Technology Transfer team. This is the first corporate engagement hire for DSAI, requiring creativity and entrepreneurial skills to shape the function and potentially a future team.

Requirements

Advanced Degree in a technical field (computer science, data science, engineering, or related), or an MBA with a strong technical undergraduate background.
Eight or more years’ experience in corporate partnerships, business development, or technology licensing in an industry, research institution, or government/foundation setting, with a track record of initiating and closing complex research or technology agreements.
Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Nice To Haves

U.S. Citizen or legal permanent resident required due to Federal Export Controls.
Demonstrated ability to build and manage senior-level external relationships — with corporate R&D leaders, foundation program officers, or government agency contacts — in a technical or research-intensive context.
Sufficient fluency in AI and data science to hold credible conversations with DSAI faculty and their industry counterparts without requiring deep technical translation from others.
Direct experience structuring sponsored research agreements, co-development agreements, or enterprise licensing deals for software or AI technologies.
Existing relationships with corporate AI/data science R&D organizations, health-sector technology buyers, or federal agency program officers relevant to DSAI’s research areas.
Experience building new models of corporate engagement, consortiums or partnership structures is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with the full DSAI translation spectrum — from equity-backed spinouts to foundation-funded public-good projects — and comfort working across both.
Experience working in or closely with a startup studio, accelerator, or venture-building function is a plus.
Proficiency with CRM tools and relationship management systems preferred.
Familiarity with AI/ML research workflows, data licensing norms, and the academic research commercialization ecosystem is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Map the industry, foundation, and government landscape tied to DSAI’s research strengths, identifying high-potential partners across sectors.
Build and steward a portfolio of active relationships with corporate R&D leaders, foundation program officers, federal agency contacts (NIH, NSF, DARPA, ARPA-H, and others), and other strategic investors.
Cultivate durable partnerships — not one-off transactions — by maintaining consistent engagement with decision-makers before, after, and between deals.
Serve as DSAI’s primary external-facing relationship professional, enabling faculty to engage at the research level while the Director manages the commercial and institutional relationship.
Represent JHTV and DSAI at industry convenings, conferences, and ecosystem events relevant to AI, data science, and the sector verticals where DSAI has strength.
Identify and advance opportunities for sponsored research, co-development agreements, enterprise licensing, and strategic partnerships that match DSAI’s capabilities to external demand.
Identify and advance opportunities for foundation- and government-backed translation partnerships on high-impact public-good projects where the translation outcome is societal rather than commercial.
Work with DSAI’s translation team and FastForward Venture Builders to align external relationship activity with the Studio pipeline — surfacing industry partners for Studio Projects and Studio Companies at the right stage.
Track relationships and pipeline systematically; report on deal activity, partner engagement, and translation outcomes to JHTV and DSAI leadership.
Work in close coordination with JHTV’s Corporate Partnerships team to ensure DSAI-sourced relationships connect to the full JHTV deal infrastructure.
Uncover new models of industry engagement, navigating institutional stakeholders to establish new models structurally and contractually.
Leverage established teams to move deals forward expeditiously where opportunities fit into current corporate sponsored research or licensing frameworks.
Maintain active involvement through and after deal close to ensure that the translation outcome — not just the agreement — is realized.
Surface patterns in external demand, industry interest, and partner feedback to DSAI and JHTV leadership to inform hiring, portfolio prioritization, and strategy.
Build strong, trusted relationships with DSAI faculty — particularly those with industry-facing research — so that the Director becomes a natural first call when faculty see commercial or partnership potential.
Work with the DSAI translation team to identify which faculty projects have near-term external partnership potential and prioritize relationship-building accordingly.
Help faculty understand what external partners need — in terms of proof points, timelines, and IP clarity — and coach them through the early stages of external engagement.
Other duties as assigned.