Heersink School of Medicine - Open Rank- Director of Innovation and Academic Programs Director - MHIBI

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Portal•Birmingham, AL

10h

About The Position

The Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation (MHIBI) seeks a collaborative, strategic, and innovative leader to serve as Director of Innovation and Academic Programs. Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Global Health Innovation and Executive Director of MHIBI, the Director provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and programmatic leadership for academic innovation initiatives, entrepreneurship programs, commercialization activities, and interdisciplinary innovation training. The Director partners with faculty, students, institutional leaders, industry collaborators, healthcare partners, and entrepreneurial stakeholders to advance innovation, product development, venture creation, and translational research. The role develops and implements innovation-focused educational programs, supports commercialization efforts, manages strategic partnerships, oversees program operations, and drives continuous improvement across the institutional innovation ecosystem. The position provides academic programming leadership, particularly for the Healthcare Innovation track, and supports curriculum development and Practicum II experiences. It also leads student product development and venture initiatives, establishes commercialization governance, builds external partnerships, advances the Institute’s brand and thought leadership, and develops team science training in collaboration with established Training Academy programs and CCTS leadership programs.

Requirements

M.D./Ph.D., M.D., D.O., Ph.D., or equivalent.
Must qualify for a faculty appointment in the Heersink School of Medicine; rank and tenure status are commensurate with experience.
Demonstrated experience leading complex initiatives and collaborating across stakeholders.
Experience developing and managing strategic programs and partnerships.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated success building external partnerships.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
Commitment to advancing institutional priorities and supporting organizational goals.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for MHIBI academic programming, with particular emphasis on the Healthcare Innovation (HCI) track.
Support the coherence and growth of the HCI curriculum.
Help oversee Practicum II experiences and ensure projects align with real-world innovation, commercialization, and clinical impact.
Lead development of the Institute for Biomedical Innovation Founders Club.
Establish and manage a structured process for student product development from ideation through validation and early commercialization.
Oversee the growth and quality of student-led products and ventures, ensuring alignment with responsible AI principles and institutional standards.
Develop and convene an Advisory Board for Commercialization, engaging industry, clinical, and entrepreneurial leaders to support student and faculty ventures.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to advance venture acceleration, mentorship, and commercialization pathways.
Work with faculty, leadership, and innovation partners to drive and support scale-up initiatives.
Build and advance the Institute’s brand around AI-enabled innovation and commercialization.
Lead development of white papers, frameworks, and applied resources showcasing the Institute’s thought leadership and student and faculty work.
Curate and disseminate innovation resources to students, faculty, and external partners.
Establish governance and oversight mechanisms for student-generated products to ensure ethical, regulatory, and institutional compliance.
Collaborate with Institute leadership on long-term academic strategy, program evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a visible leader and ambassador for the Institute’s academic innovation mission.
Work with established Training Academy programs to integrate team science curriculum into current offerings.
Develop team science training modules for new and emerging leadership programs within CCTS, including the CREATE program and the Clinical Trialist Development Program (CTDP).
Collaborate with training grant directors, particularly pre-doctoral T32 leadership, to design and deliver team science workshops that expand trainees’ knowledge of team science principles.