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Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 26158

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Tricia Cook

[email protected]

406-994-7748

Classification Title Managing Director

Working Title Senior Technology Manager

Brief Position Overview

The Senior Technology Manager will report to the Director and collaborate with other Technology Managers, internal operations and finance teams, technology companies, MSU researchers, and others as directed. The projects that this position undertakes or oversees vary widely in scope, complexity, and subject. The Senior Technology Manager will conduct patent and market research including using appropriate databases, online research tools, and advanced technology assessment platforms—including AI-enabled systems—for patent, market, and competitive analysis. Reporting will include identifying relevant patents to the technologies being managed by the TTO , developing patent landscape maps to identify sources of patented technology and writing reports summarizing the patent landscape. Market research will include identifying companies and contacts that have relevant technologies to the patent landscape and what companies may want to pursue development or licensing of such technologies. The Senior Technology Manager will also be enlisted to write technology descriptions and provide them to relevant companies. This role will also be responsible for reviewing, negotiating, editing, and maintaining various types of legal agreements with external entities including other universities, companies, government agencies, and non-profit entities.

Position Number 4C0039

Department MSU Technology Transfer Office

Division Office of Research and Economic Development

Appointment Type Professional

Contract Term Fiscal Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

FLSA Exempt

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE 1.0

Benefits Eligible Eligible

Salary $105,000 to $125,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type LOA

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

The Montana State University Technology Transfer Office ( TTO ) has a need for a Senior Technology Manager. The TTO pursues three primary goals:

+ Establishing collaborations and working relationships between industry and the research and creative areas of MSU . This includes pursuing industry sponsored research and collaborating on commercial opportunities.

+ Licensing the inventions of MSU faculty and researchers to industry and managing the relationship between the University and its licensee partners.

+ Serving the economic development arm of the University and working with Montana companies and entrepreneurs to leverage the resources of MSU to the benefit of Montana’s economy.

The person in this position will be responsible for assisting with technology transfer efforts in identifying and managing MSU intellectual property, performing market research, licensing intellectual property to industry, and managing other MSU -industry research collaborative relationships, particularly but not exclusively in the areas of molecular and cell biology, genetics, biofilm, and bioengineering. The role will be performed on site in Bozeman, Montana, including frequent in-person interactions with MSU faculty and staff, so is not feasible to be done remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities

+ Identify and evaluate MSU technologies with commercial and licensing potential. Solicit and facilitate IP disclosures from MSU researchers and coordinate closely with the MSU TTO IP Manager to ensure all materials and information are obtained in a timely manner to support patent filing and prosecution deadlines.

+ Evaluate patent landscapes, competitive IP, and technology market opportunities. Select the most promising MSU technologies for licensing. Generate marketing collateral— typically, one-page technical marketing summaries of technologies available for license.

+ Perform market and industry research to identify high-potential industry customers for selected technologies, including building compelling business cases as needed. Engage target companies through proactive outreach—including email, phone, professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, and conferences—to present licensing and research collaboration opportunities (and, where appropriate, other technology transfer opportunities).

+ Help MSU startups perform customer discovery, market research, develop technology commercialization plans, and perform other analysis needed to help MSU licensee companies find a path to translate MSU research innovations into real-world applications.

+ Draft, review, negotiate, edit, and track agreements such as Licensing Agreements, Research Collaboration Agreements, Inter-Institutional Agreements, and Sponsored Research Agreements.

+ Professionally communicate directly with federal, state, and private sponsors or collaborators in a timely and well-documented manner to complete contracts and agreements.

+ Establish effective working relationships with staff across the university and MSU extension to ensure that contract transactions are completed in a timely and professional manner.

+ Maintain and update records in the TTO database to ensure data is accurate and current.

List any secondary duties assigned to this position:

+ Assist with TTO communications and outreach efforts, including website and newsletter materials.

+ Occasional travel for industry conferences, meetings with federal sponsors, and the like.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

+ MS in Molecular or Cell Biology, Genetics, or equivalent field.

+ A minimum of five years of experience in a technology-driven company. This does not include time spent in academia, research institutes, or non-profits.

+ Demonstrated understanding of intellectual property, particularly patents.

+ Demonstrated experience moving technology from R&D to the marketplace.

+ Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

+ Demonstrated collegiality and ability to work in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

+ PhD in Molecular or Cell Biology, Genetics, or equivalent field, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

+ Ten years or more experience in a technology-driven company. This does not include time spent in academia, research institutes, or non-profits.

+ Deeptech startup company experience, such as companies funded by venture capital, de-risking technology, product development, working to find product-market fit, and experience with exit events (e.g. company IPO , merger/acquisition, liquidation).

+ Demonstrated expertise with intellectual property licensing, company IP strategy (including trade secrets).

+ Experience reviewing legal language and negotiating contracts.

+ Experience with university technology transfer, including an understanding of federal laws and regulations governing university technology transfer, particularly the Bayh–Dole Act and related compliance frameworks.

+ Demonstrated understanding of the regulatory environment for bioscience innovations (human, animal, and/or plant) such as FDA , EPA , and USDA requirements for food products, agrichemicals, clinical diagnostics and therapeutics, and clinical trials.

+ Demonstrated history of successfully adopting new technologies and workflows—such as data analytics platforms, collaboration tools, or AI-driven systems—to improve organizational performance, decision-making, or research commercialization outcomes.

+ Demonstrated leadership and management skills.

The Successful Candidate Will

+ Excel in an autonomous environment with the ability to work independently with a high degree of self-motivation, accuracy and efficiency, with little or no supervisory oversight of day-to-day operations.

+ Have excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

+ Have the ability to plan for and meet strict deadlines while being able to adapt to rapidly changing needs.

+ Express commitment to working in a transparent and collaborative manner with university and external stakeholders, with an understanding of state and university administrative policies.

+ Possess excellent interpersonal skills and a customer-oriented approach, to effectively engage with research faculty, staff, campus administrative departments, department heads, deans, MSU executives, and sponsor organizations.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

This position is not eligible for sponsorship

Successful candidate must be able to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws, which may require proof that candidate is a U.S. person. Per 22 CFR §120.15, U.S. person means a person who is a lawful permanent resident as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) or who is a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? Yes

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on October 27, 2025; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.