"Alerted.org

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior Executive Director of OCIO Business Development (SED)

Job Profile Title

Director F, Business and Finance, Innovation

Job Description Summary

Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO), the Senior Executive Director of OCIO Business Development (SED) will support the CIO in overseeing the activities and initiatives of the Office of the Chief Innovation Officer (OCIO), with a focus on the business development, fund management and technology acceleration efforts being led on behalf of the University by the OCIO. In this role, the SED will work towards strengthening the interactions between Penn (and its twelve schools) and external partners in the areas of research and development, technology translation, new business creation, incubation and funding initiatives, and commercialization. By helping to facilitate these types of strategic partnerships in close alignment with the many interdisciplinary programs, resources and faculty across the University, the SED's coordinated efforts will lead to an increased cadence of valuable new technologies and business opportunities.

A major emphasis of the role focuses on identifying, attracting and supporting opportunities to build large, multi-faceted R&D partnerships between Penn and the private sector that advance the translation of Penn ideas and intellectual property and attract substantial amounts of funding into the institution and/or lead to co-location of strategic resources (e.g. GMP manufacturing in combination with Penn Medicine's extensive clinical development capabilities). Working with the CIO, the Managing Director of the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) and other key stakeholders at Penn, the SED will help to define and implement a strategic outreach plan to connect programs and research projects across the University with third party sponsors. This will require the development of productive connections between Penn's faculty and external corporate interests to jointly pursue areas of common interest through formal business relationships. It will also require the development of a deep understanding of faculty and programmatic research interests across Penn to productively bridge to potential areas of interest expressed by the private sector. The SED will conduct these types of business development activities in close partnership with PCI through well-defined connections with PCI's business development professionals and programs to ensure seamless strategic coordination between OCIO and PCI. The SED will be expected to work collaboratively and smoothly with PCI to connect potential partnership opportunities with the appropriate personnel and resources required for a given business development relationship, which may include licenses to Penn owned IP, corporate sponsored research agreements, R&D alliances, or the launch of new ventures. In this regard, the SED will also be directly responsive to the needs and guidance of PCI's Managing Director and its Executive Leadership Team.

In addition to the business development duties summarized above, the SED will support the CIO in the development of funding and technology acceleration initiatives being led by the OCIO, including (but not limited to) the Penn Seed Fund and the NextTech Accelerator Program. The SED will help to translate gaps and opportunities in Penn's innovation ecosystem identified by the CIO into programmatic concepts and potential solutions to be further vetted with relevant Penn stakeholders and sponsors. Once formally launched, the SED will bear primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of OCIO-led fund and accelerator programs, will be expected to actively coordinate and partner with other complementary programs and initiatives across Penn, and will be an active participant in the strategic planning process for other related activities and programs emanating from OCIO.

Across all of their activities, the SED will be expected to exhibit the highest professional standards, provide world-class service to both internal and external clients, and make well-founded business decisions and recommendations that are consistent with Penn's policies and practices. The SED will also deputize for activities of the CIO in their absence and serve as a proxy/delegate for the CIO at their direction and discretion.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

+ Identifying and supporting opportunities to build large R&D relationships between Penn and the private sector that advance the translation of Penn ideas and intellectual property and attract substantial amounts of funding into the institution and/or lead to co-location of strategic resources. Conduct these activities in close partnership and coordination with the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) and be directly responsive to the needs and guidance of PCI's Managing Director and Executive team.

+ Support the CIO in the development of funding and technology acceleration initiatives being led by the OCIO, including (but not limited to) the Penn Seed Fund and the NextTech Accelerator programs. Help to translate gaps and opportunities in Penn's innovation ecosystem into additional programmatic concepts and potential solutions.

+ Day-to-day management of OCIO-led fund and accelerator programs and an active participant in the strategic planning process for other related activities and programs emanating from OCIO.

+ Develop key metrics of success and maintain data on all business development activities being led by OCIO to ensure continued productivity and identify areas for improvement or additional opportunity.

+ Deputize for activities of the CIO in their absence and serve as a proxy/delegate for the CIO at their direction and discretion.

Qualifications

+ An advanced degree and over 10 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

+ Identify and support opportunities to build large R&D relationships between Penn and the private sector that advance the translation of Penn ideas and intellectual property, and attract substantial amounts of funding into the institution and/or lead to co-location of strategic resources. Conduct these activities in close partnership and coordination with the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) and be directly responsive to the needs and guidance of PCI's Managing Director and Executive team.

+ Fulfill the day-to-day management of OCIO-led fund and accelerator programs, and be an active participant in the strategic planning process for other related activities and programs emanating from OCIO.

+ Deputize for activities of the CIO in their absence and serve as a proxy/delegate for the CIO at their direction and discretion.

+ Support the CIO in the development of funding and technology acceleration initiatives being led by the OCIO, including (but not limited to) the Penn Seed Fund and the NextTech Accelerator programs. Help to translate gaps and opportunities in Penn's innovation ecosystem into additional programmatic concepts and potential solutions.

+ Develop key metrics of success and maintain data on all business development activities being led by OCIO to ensure continued productivity and identify areas for improvement or additional opportunity.

Application Requirement

+ A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV ; multiple documents are allowed.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Provost's Center

Pay Range

$129,695.00 - $290,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

​

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

The University of Pennsylvania’s special character is reflected in the wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community and help create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.