Job Description Summary:
The Director of Licensing - Physical Sciences and Engineering is a senior leader within Texas A&M Innovation responsible for advancing the commercialization of physical sciences and engineering technologies across the Texas A&M University System.
This leader will build and manage a high-performing team of licensing professionals focused on physical sciences and engineering domains such as advanced materials, semiconductors, photonics, energy, manufacturing, defense, transportation, infrastructure, and digital technologies.
The Director will serve as a visible representative of Texas A&M Innovation, engaging faculty, researchers, campus and agency contacts, industry partners, and external stakeholders through meetings, events, and strategic outreach that strengthen the office's reputation as a trusted and high-performing commercialization partner.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Leadership
- Lead the commercialization strategy for physical sciences and engineering technologies in alignment with Texas A&M Innovation's impact-first mission and Commercialization Excellence pillar.
- Build a specialized, vertically oriented licensing function that strengthens domain expertise, faculty relationships, and proactive portfolio development.
- Develop annual and multi-year plans for portfolio growth, licensing performance, startup pathways, and industry engagement across physical sciences and engineering sectors.
- Help shape a durable commercialization engine that emphasizes impact, strategic partnerships, startups, industry engagement, and long-term institutional value rather than short-term royalty maximization alone.
- Team and Process Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of licensing managers and related staff responsible for physical sciences and engineering technologies.
- Design, document, and continuously improve workflows for disclosure triage, assessment, IP strategy, marketing, negotiation, and post-deal portfolio management.
- Establish and maintain clear service standards, process visibility, and accountability for responsiveness, assessment timelines, and commercialization planning.
- Implement practical tools such as pathway playbooks, milestone maps, evaluation rubrics, and stage gated portfolio reviews to improve consistency and decision quality.
- Use portfolio management systems, CRM tools, dashboards, and related reporting to identify bottlenecks, improve throughput, and support data-driven management.
- Cross-Functional Coordination
- Coordinate closely with business development, new ventures, marketing, operations, budget and accounting, legal, and other internal partners to move opportunities efficiently through the commercialization process.
- Support strong handoffs and shared accountability across licensing, startup formation, industry partnerships, and strategic relationship development.
- Work collaboratively with internal teams to align IP strategy, market engagement, inventor communications, financial reporting, and operational support around priority opportunities.
- Contribute to the development of transparent, startup-friendly, and partner-ready commercialization practices that improve speed, clarity, and consistency.
- Faculty, Campus, and External Engagement
- -Serve as a trusted point of contact for faculty, researchers, and inventors in physical sciences and engineering disciplines across the Texas A&M System.
- Build productive relationships with campus and agency contacts to strengthen awareness, coordination, and access to commercialization support across the System.
- Represent Texas A&M Innovation at internal and external meetings, conferences, events, and stakeholder engagements, serving as a visible leader and ambassador for the office.
- Support outreach, education, and engagement efforts that help faculty and researchers better understand commercialization pathways and available resources.
- Develop and maintain relationships with industry partners, investors, entrepreneurs, and outside experts relevant to physical sciences and engineering commercialization.
- Portfolio Strategy and Performance
- Lead strategic portfolio management for physical sciences and engineering opportunities using structured assessment, commercialization pathway selection, and disciplined stage-gate review.
- Prioritize resources toward opportunities with strong technical merit, market relevance, commercialization readiness, and potential for economic or societal impact.
- Track and report leading indicators such as disclosures, patent activity, licenses and options, startup potential opportunities, cycle times, inventor satisfaction, and engagement metrics.
- Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by using data, stakeholder feedback, and cross functional reviews to refine processes and improve outcomes over time.
- Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physical sciences, or a related field.
- -Ten years of experience in in university technology transfer, corporate licensing, venture-backed deep technology commercialization, or a related innovation leadership role.
- Experience leading people, building teams, and improving organizational processes in a metrics driven environment.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Demonstrated track record of managing complex intellectual property and commercialization matters in physical sciences, engineering, or other deep technology fields.
- Strong understanding of patents, licensing, startup pathways, sponsored research interfaces, and industry partnership models.
- Excellent communication, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to represent the office credibly across internal and external settings.
- Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working in a large, distributed university or research system.
- Experience commercializing technologies in one or more priority sectors such as semiconductors, advanced materials, energy, manufacturing, photonics, defense, transportation, or digital engineering.
- Experience with portfolio management platforms, CRM systems, workflow tracking, or other commercialization operations tools.
- Experience engaging industry, investors, founders, and external advisors in support of licensing and startup development.
Other Requirements:
This is a security-sensitive position and is restricted to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents only. Only complete applications will be considered for employment at The Texas A&M System Offices. Incomplete job application data could result in your application being rejected without an option to reapply. A cover letter and resume may be required in addition to a completed employment application.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.
