Licensing Associate

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

1d•$79,622 - $101,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Innovations Licensing Associates are an integral part of the CU Anschutz Campus innovation ecosystem as they work to bring new technologies to patients. Licensing Associates will work with the licensing team to evaluate, advance, partner and commercialize a portfolio of the University’s most promising intellectual property in the life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. Licensing Associates will work with the licensing team and Fellows to develop marketing strategies, identify potential licensees, and foster relationships with companies in order to partner and commercialize University assets. Licensing Associates will work closely with more senior members of the licensing team as they develop their skills in working with inventors to understand technologies, communicating with outside counsel to assess patentability, and collaborating with colleagues in industry during partnering discussions. Licensing Associates will work with senior members of the licensing team to build portfolio commercialization skills. This includes understanding & assessing the intellectual assets developed in a faculty member's lab and encouraging disclosure of new ideas, inventions & other intellectual assets to Innovations. With the support of senior licensing team members, Licensing Associates will assess new inventions for technical merit, patentability, and commercial feasibility, while overseeing the filing & prosecution of patent applications where appropriate and identifying & communicating with potential licensees. The Licensing Associate, with mentoring from senior licensing team members, will learn how to market technologies to industry, negotiate, draft, and enforce options, licenses, IIAs, CDAs and other agreements. Licensing Associates, together with senior members of the licensing team, will learn to confer with campus administrative staff & investigators on intellectual property protection, licensing, and to coordinate procedures to ensure compliance with rules, regulations, laws, university policies, and business contracts. The position requires the use of a variety of communications and computer database tools to track, convey issues, and decisions about invention disclosures, patent applications, patent prosecution, patent issuance and maintenance. This includes all contractual and financial arrangements related to a particular technology.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in life sciences, health, engineering, or physical sciences, or in law or business with relevant knowledge of biological/life sciences. Substitution: A bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field with a master’s degree or PhD in life sciences, health, engineering, or physical sciences, or in law or business with relevant knowledge of biological/life sciences.
3+ years of project management, process/business development, engineering, research, licensing/patent management, health care administration, or related experience. Substitution: advanced degree (Doctorate) may be substituted for experience on a year-for-year basis if the degree is in a field of study directly related to the work assignment (life sciences, health, engineering, or related field).
Exposure to understanding healthcare related inventions, in areas such as therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health.
Demonstrated proficiency in understanding healthcare related inventions, in areas such as therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health.
Confidence and interpersonal skills necessary to communicate with very senior, high-level faculty and licensing staff at other institutions and in the business community
Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment; to work under pressure with tight deadlines.
Team player and builder; works well in group environments; shares knowledge, expertise; provides assistance and accepts additional responsibility when necessary.
Commitment to values and strong business ethics.
Outstanding customer service skills.
Ability to grasp complex scientific concepts and effectively promote them.

Nice To Haves

A graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education in life, health, engineering, physical sciences, law or business.
1+ years professional experience including the development, preparation, negotiation, review, and execution of a wide range of licenses.
Pharmaceutical, medical device, and/or health IT commercialization experience including technology review, patent protection (as appropriate), FDA approval process, reimbursement, and negotiation.
Knowledge of and experience working with intellectual property protection methods, licensing practices, contract law, as well as government laws/regulations relating to technology transfer within industry and/or academia.

Responsibilities

Understand and assess the intellectual assets in a faculty member's lab, whether patentable or not, encouraging disclosure of new ideas, inventions and other intellectual assets to TTO.
Evaluate and analyze new invention disclosures for technical merit, meet with inventor(s), assess patentability, marketability, commercial feasibility and identify relevant industry contacts.
Encourage the commercialization of innovation through multiple channels including industry collaborations, licensing or the formation of start-up companies.
Develop commercialization strategies including product development and funding plans, identify critical path experiments, and source cross-functional teams.
Develop licensing strategies, identify potential licensees, negotiate terms, draft agreements, and close deals.
Manage patent-related activities, including the filing and prosecution of patent applications.