New Venture Specialist

Job Details

General Notes

Mission of Discovery to Impact :

Discovery to Impact stands at the heart of transforming academic research into real-world solutions, serving as the pivotal bridge between campus innovators and the industry. Our mission is to harness the power of over 130 campus programs dedicated to entrepreneurship and intellectual property, guiding groundbreaking research from concept to commercial success. Through fostering strategic partnerships with corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs, we ensure that the University's innovations transition from labs and studios into services, solutions, and products that profoundly benefit society. Join us in our quest to change the world, one innovation at a time.

What benefits do I receive with UT? The university offers an impressive benefits package including, but not limited to :

Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)

Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options

Generous paid vacation (8 hours / month), paid holidays (10+ / year), sick time (8 hours / month), and longevity pay

Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 8.25% employer matching funds

Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs : Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)

Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses

Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities

Tuition assistance

Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets

Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card

Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

For more details on benefits, please see : and .

Purpose

This position will be responsible for generating a pipeline of potential new startups based on University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s intellectual property. This position will support the growth, development, and launch of new, deep-tech-based companies that will license Intellectual Property from the University. The objectives of this position are to provide the service and support necessary to allow faculty, graduate students, and entrepreneurs to launch new ventures with confidence and to be better positioned for success after launch. These new ventures should be adequately prepared for angel, seed, and venture funding.

Responsibilities

• Operational Management at the Texas Innovation Center : Manage the administrative needs of the Texas Innovation Center, including facilities, scheduling, and resources. Serve as HR manager and primary point of contact for student workers, overseeing work schedules and responsibilities. Support the Innovation Ambassador Program in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Longhorn Ventures.
• Event Coordination : Manage and support the utilization of the Texas Innovation Center as a hub for entrepreneurial activities. This includes supporting meetings, events, courses, and programming that aligns with the core mission of strategically supporting entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, and students to position them for the best success in their new ventures.
• Entrepreneurial Grant Support : Follow-through support for new ventures participating in local, state, and federal grant programs such as the SBIR / STTR programs and the NSF TTP to ensure UT-based new ventures are well-positioned for success in participating in federal solicitations focused on commercialization activities. Develop repeatable, scalable curriculum and training for faculty, graduate students, and entrepreneurs to prepare for applications. Engage third-party contractors and vendors to provide coaching, training, and feedback. Guide, direct, and manage applications and awards for the UT SBIR Bridge to Phase II program.
• Data Management : Develop and implement a data management tool to track, monitor, and report on UT-based new ventures. Use appropriate tools and services such as Pitchbook to gather data and report on Longhorn Ventures program outcomes.
• Other New Venture Activities : Collaborate with teams across Discovery to Impact - including Intellectual Property Development, Business Development, Licensing, and Collaborative Research - to support new venture creation and launch. Focus on establishing the agreements and processes necessary for new venture success throughout the development lifecycle.
• Other Duties : Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Assistant Director of Longhorn Ventures

Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications (candidates need not have all of these qualifications to apply)

Salary Range

$90,000+ depending on qualifications

Required Materials

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers : You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers : As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find Jobs. Before you apply though, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will need to click the Upload button multiple times in order to attach your Resume, References and any additional Required Materials noted above.

Employment Eligibility :

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion / transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility :

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks :

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.