Department: Department of Research & Innovation (DRI), SUC.
Reports to: Head of Research & Innovation, SUC.
Job Summary: The Innovation Director is a key leadership position within the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at SUC, who is responsible for driving and overseeing innovation initiatives, fostering the entrepreneurship culture, and facilitating collaboration between academia, industry, public-sector, and the wider community. The director will play a crucial role in developing and implementing strategies to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, commercialization of internal research, and technology transfer within the university. The key responsibility of the innovation director is to design efficient processes for creating and capturing innovative ideas from people both inside and outside of the organization; and to ensure the effective implementation through facilitating and connecting the relevant stakeholders in order to create the desired social and economic 'value' (benefits) out of those ideas. To achieve the above goals, the following list of activities are essentially required to be performed by the position holder. This is a full-time position which demands at least 40 hours of weekly committed engagement.
Responsibilities:
Develop and implement a comprehensive innovation strategy aligned with the university's vision, mission, and its strategic goals.
Identify and assess opportunities for innovation and research commercialization.
Foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among the students, faculty members, and other supporting staff through arranging workshops, training programs, and networking events; and to also engage with the alumni and local community members actively.
Provide guidelines and strategic direction to the SIEC board and to approve the annual plan and monitor its effective implementation.
Provide tactical and advisory support to the SIEC board and to ensure that the set objectives are planned and achieved.
Collaborate with the academic departments and research centers to identify and support innovative research projects with commercial potential.
Establish and maintain partnerships with industry, government agencies, and other stakeholders to promote collaboration, funding opportunities, and technology transfer.
Regularly meet the corporate executives and public-sector stakeholders to identify their specific needs and expectations.
Lead the evaluation and protection of intellectual property rights arising from the university research.
Provide guidance and support to researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs in developing their business models, business plans, securing funding, and navigating the commercialization process.
Oversee the university's incubation and entrepreneurship programs, idea competitions (innovation contests), and other activities including the management of the available physical spaces and required resources (physical resources, software, and cloud-based applications).
Stay informed about emerging trends, best practices, and policies related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer in higher education.
Prepare and present reports on innovation activities, outcomes, and impacts to the senior leadership of the university and to the external stakeholders.
Maintain strict confidentiality and protect the strategic interests of the Center and the University.
Qualifications:
Masters (MSc/MBA) and doctoral degrees within the relevant fields of ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’.
Demonstrated experience and success in a leadership role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship center and relevant activities within a well-established and renowned university (the experience of leading an innovation center in a similar capacity within a university inside the UAE will be an added qualification).
A minimum of 3 years of industrial experience is required (the experience of working as an innovation management consultant or practitioner will be considered an added qualification).
Entrepreneurial experience of starting up a business or social venture.
Experience of teaching innovation and entrepreneurship related courses at a university level will be considered an added qualification.
Strong knowledge of intellectual property rights, technology commercialization, and extensive experience of developing the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Proven ability to develop and execute strategic plans, manage projects, and meet objectives within established timelines.
Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Strong networking and relationship-building abilities to engage with industry partners, investors, and government agencies to build strategic partnerships.
Experience in evaluating the commercial potential, market viability, and financial feasibility of innovation research projects.
Knowledge of funding mechanisms and sources for supporting innovation including public and private innovation grants and the Venture Capital (VC) funds.
Experience in writing grant proposals and managing innovation endowments.
Ability to identify, interact, and collaborate with various donor pools and venture capitalists.
Ability to plan and manage fundraising events, develop strategic alliances and collaborations with the relevant stakeholders to enhance fundraising efforts, and to brief the SIEC board on the progress of various fundraising activities.
Ability to develop and manage the Center’s budget and funding.
Familiarity with the legal and ethical considerations related to intellectual property rights, licensing agreements, and technology transfer.
Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for driving innovation and translating research into societal impact.
Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Other duties may be assigned based on organizational needs and the evolving nature of innovation activities within the university.
