Education Director - NCTI

University of Central Florida • Orlando, FL

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) is seeking an accomplished industry practitioner and educator to serve as its Founding Education Director. This role will shape and deliver commercialization education for a national cohort of deep-technology companies, helping founders and executive teams develop the skills, strategies, and insights needed to move groundbreaking innovations from the laboratory to the marketplace. The successful candidate will combine real-world entrepreneurial or commercialization experience with a passion for teaching and mentoring others. Collaborating with industry experts, investors, founders, and thought leaders, the Education Director will create engaging educational experiences that strengthen the nation's innovation ecosystem while helping establish NCTI as a premier resource for NSF-funded startups and emerging technology companies. This is a Contracts & Grants (C&G) funded position, approved for the first 18 months of the 24-month grant period. Employment is subject to funding availability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree and 8+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).
• All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.

Nice To Haves

• Experience launching, leading, advising, or supporting startup or technology-based companies through commercialization, market validation, or business growth.
• Experience designing and delivering practitioner-led education, executive learning, accelerator programming, or commercialization training for founders and company leaders.
• Experience translating complex business or technical concepts into engaging workshops, learning modules, digital resources, or short-form educational content.
• Experience facilitating cohort-based learning, peer roundtables, workshops, or executive-level discussions in virtual or in-person settings.
• Demonstrated knowledge of startup assessment, commercial viability, business model development, market strategy, and growth planning.
• Experience producing professional educational videos, webinars, or other digital learning content, including coordination with production partners or vendors.
• Experience developing learning assessments, measuring educational outcomes, or supporting program evaluation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the EDUCATE curriculum for deep-technology commercialization, including learning objectives, module sequence, session formats, and materials tailored to NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II/IIB company teams, informed by cohort triage results and founder competency and behavioral assessment findings.
• Deliver cohort education by facilitating live virtual cohort sessions, workshops, and structured educational peer roundtables, adapting delivery to cohort needs.
• Recruit, onboard, and coordinate practitioner instructors and subject-matter experts, drawing on the institute’s Partner Council, the Edward Lowe Foundation, the GrowFL/CEO Nexus practitioner community, and the national network.
• Lead the ORIENT portfolio by planning, producing, and disseminating the national video and webinar series extending commercialization orientation to the broader NSF SBIR/STTR community, managing production vendors and distribution channels, and tracking national reach metrics.
• Administer pre/post learning assessments and deliver organized, research-grade education data to the Project Manager and independent external evaluator.
• Support the evaluator’s implementation-fidelity documentation for education activities.
• Stand up and manage the virtual delivery platform and curriculum content library, including platform selection support, configuration, session logistics, recordings, and content governance.
• Document the education model for the pilot’s transferable playbook and incorporate evaluator formative findings into curriculum revisions.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
• Retirement savings options
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
• Education assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Director