Director, Partnerships

Requisition Id 13407 

Level- MG5

Purpose

The primary purpose of this position is to provide vision, leadership, management, and oversight of partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and associated key elements that further ORNL’s science and technology objectives.  Reporting to ORNL’s Deputy Director for Science and Technology, the incumbent will provide strategic leadership and supervision in the following areas:  Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurship, Commercialization and Intellectual Property (IP) Management; DOE Strategic Partnership Programs (SPP); Economic and Community Development Partnerships; Institutional Partnerships, including with Industry; and Research Security.   

 Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an ORNL partnership strategy that drives high impact external engagements, advances and integrates key elements of ORNL’s Partnership Office (described below), and supports the Lab’s S&T strategy.

• Advance and shepherd institutional-level partnerships tied to ORNL’s Science and Technology strategy in Tennessee, the Southeast, and beyond - including with industry.
• Serve as primary point of contact with Department of Energy (DOE) officials responsible for oversight of ORNL’s industry partnership programs.
• Serve as a member of the ORNL Leadership team, providing insight and input to key Laboratory decisions and working closely with Associate Laboratory Directors to understand their directions and enhance alignment with Partnership activities for enhanced impact.

• Supervise ORNL’s Technology Transfer Director, who leads a team responsible for ORNL’s IP management and commercialization efforts including patenting, licensing, technology maturation, and royalty sharing, and includes entrepreneurial programs, such as Innovation Crossroads, Energy I-Corps, and Safari.
• Supervise Strategic Partnerships Office manager who leads a team responsible for negotiating and overseeing ORNL’s commercial and institutional research collaboration agreements, including Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, Strategic Partnership Projects, Agreements for Commercializing Technology, and User Facility Agreements.
• Supervise ORNL Technology Control Officer, who is responsible for ORNL’s research security program consisting of initiatives to protect Lab research outputs from unauthorized acquisition by foreign competitors.
• Supervise ORNL’s Economic Development Group, a team responsible for collaborating with state, regional, and local public and private sector leaders to leverage ORNL’s technologies and capabilities to create economic opportunities.
• Manages ORNL’s relationship with other National Laboratory Partnership Directors and DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), including proposing and executing new Technology Transfer programs, leading and participating in multi-laboratory initiatives, and reporting.

• Oversees key Partnership Office elements, including budget, investment strategies--including ORNL’s Technology Innovation Program, succession planning, workforce development, administrative and communication support, planning, and reporting.

• Maintains a strong commitment to ORNL values of impact, integrity, teamwork, safety and service.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, planning, marketing, scientific/technical, or related field.
• A minimum of 20 years of related experience
• A minimum of ten years of senior strategic alliance or business development experience in the national laboratory, academic, and/or industry sectors.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in scientific or technical field
• Familiarity with DOE National Laboratories and associated science and technology.
• Ability to generate ideas and initiatives that capitalize on various internal and potential partnership strengths to drive substantive, additional benefit to ORNL.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with many groups, such as the private sector, entrepreneurs, and scientific leaders, Department of Energy, general public, community leaders, and government officials.
• Must be self-motivated and self-directed, with excellent communication and management skills.
• Demonstrated ability in strategic planning; the ability to establish and communicate goals and objectives; and to develop impactful partnerships and strategies within the context of a mission-oriented organization.
• Ability to resolve issues quickly and make decisions that meet ORNL objectives in a collaborative culture. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships and have working knowledge of state-of-the-art technology and the ability to apply it to administrative functions. 

Special Requirement

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

Work Direction and Interfaces

This position reports to the ORNL Deputy for Science and Technology for all aspects of job performance as well as task assignments and priorities and engages deeply across ORNL, the community, and potential/existing partner institutions.

Measures of Effectiveness

• Success in providing strategic vision, leadership and supervision in Technology Transfer, Commercialization and IP Management, SPP alignment and program, Economic and Community Development Partnerships, Industry Partnerships, and Research Security.
• Alignment between ORNL S&T and Partnership Office Priorities, strategic plans and activities.
• Success in establishing strong institutional industry partners and economic and community development partnerships at local, state and regional levels in support of the mission of the laboratory tied to ORNL’s strategy
• Marked increase in economic and technological impacts resulting from partnerships that leverage ORNL technologies, capabilities, and facilities.
• Success in establishing strong trust-based relationships with DOE partners and stakeholders.
• Success in implementing programs that protect ORNL research results from unauthorized acquisition by foreign competitors.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,500 people. Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain talented people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov or call 1.866.963.9545.

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.