Deputy Director, Tech Transfer, Iie

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Singapore Management University is a place where high-level professionalism blends together with a healthy informality. The 'family-like' atmosphere among the SMU community fosters a culture where employees work, plan, organise and play together - building a strong collegiality and morale within the university.

Our commitment to attract and retain talent is ongoing. We offer attractive benefits and welfare, competitive compensation packages, and generous professional development opportunities - all to meet the work-life needs of our staff. No wonder, then, that SMU continues to be given numerous awards and recognition for its human resource excellence.

DESIGNATION : Deputy Director, Tech Transfer (Contract till 31 Mar 2026), IIE

RESPONSIBILITIES
- This position is for Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE).
- Provide leadership to the Licensing team under his/her charge in matters relating to IP management, translation, licensing and industry engagement to support the commercialisation of SMU innovations.
- Lead, strategise, formulate, spearhead and execute technology transfer initiatives and activities at SMU to generate economic and societal impact.
- Develop strong relationships with SMU research community to catalyse and facilitate the commercialisation of SMU’s IPs.
- Work with OLGA (Office of Legal and General Affairs) on SMU’s IP (Intellectual Property) Policy for IPs related to technology transfer.
- Work with various internal stakeholders to formulate and implement initiatives that will improve and facilitate the technology transfer process, such as:

- Improving the licensing process for licensing to established or SMU spin-off companies.
- Any other new initiatives that may be required from time to time.
- Maintain and monitor SMU’s IP portfolio to track costs incurred, licensing terms, revenue generated, etc.
- Strengthen the IP ecosystem by connecting knowledge with market needs to achieve economic and social impact.
- Support early-stage translational projects, including PoC or prototyping to improve the commercial or market potential of research outcomes, thereby reducing the commercialisation risk of early-stage technologies.
- Network with executives in industry, and peers in academic institutions and licensing associations to develop relationships and gain a broader understanding of industry-academic relationships outside of SMU. Promote SMU and best practices in presentations at industry and academic research conferences and technology transfer conferences.
- Continuously evaluate the performance and commercial potential of SMU’s IP portfolio to determine the IP protection and commercial exploitation strategy.

QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or other computing and infocomm-related areas.
- 15 years of working experience with minimum 8 years of licensing experience.
- Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), and other academic certifications in IP law will be an added advantage.
- A high degree of energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to promoting technology transfer for economic and societal impact.
- Leadership experience in academic technology transfer or experience in business or industry development. Minimum 8 years of licensing experience, with a preference for an in-depth understanding of and experience in a public research environment.
- Proven leadership and experience to support and grow the professional development of technology transfer staff.
- Ability to collaborate with internal offices and third parties, including other academic institutions, industry and government agencies to achieve organisation goals.
- Deep understanding of the academic research environment, including the various stakeholders of an academic technology transfer office.
- Possesses a strong track record in IP negotiation and contract development, and business operations across academic-industry interface.
- Excellent communication skills (written and spoken) and interpersonal skills to be able to communicate effectively with and influence internal and external stakeholders.

OTHER INFORMATION