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Principal Partnership Officer

Employer
Virginia Tech
Location
District of Columbia, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Mar 2, 2021


Job Description

Virginia Tech, one of the largest and most highly-regarded producers of STEM degrees in the nation, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Virginia, is building a new technology-focused campus near Amazon HQ2. This campus will be known as the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus and will be the anchor institution of higher education for what will ultimately become a global epicenter of technological excellence and talent production in northern Virginia. The Innovation Campus will be the foundation of Virginia Tech’s long-standing and growing instruction, research and outreach operations throughout the greater Washington DC region.

Virginia Tech’s vision includes catalyzing the regional ecosystem in what is the heart of private and public sector innovation into a national technology and talent hub by building upon its existing regional strengths in security, energy, health sciences and architecture and rapid expansion of computer science and computer engineering research and instruction. Centered at the Innovation Campus and with complementary operations across the region, Virginia Tech will respond to needs and opportunities of the digital age. Working at the complex and increasingly coupled relationships between humans and the technology that impacts their daily lives, Virginia Tech will advance competitiveness for the Commonwealth and nation.

To support this bold vision, Virginia Tech is seeking a Principal Partnership Officer, who will dual report into the Vice President and Executive Director of the Innovation Campus and the Associate Vice President of Innovation & Partnerships. As a member of the D.C. region Advancement team and the Innovation Campus start-up team, this individual will be responsible for the creation and execution of highly strategic partnerships with industry and executive leaders to create shared value across cutting-edge research, market-driven programs, talent pipelines, and innovation. With colleagues from LINK + LICENSE + LAUNCH, this individual will also be responsible for engaging strategic partners to cultivate a culture of innovation and engagement for the Innovation Campus and support translation of technology for global good.

The Principal will represent the Innovation Campus as the primary interface between a select portfolio of strategic industry partners and Virginia Tech, often working with the C-suite leadership and executives. In response to company needs and interests, this person will enable anchor/thematic partnerships through a variety of activities, including building and stewarding executive-level relationships with companies, and coordinating efforts within the leadership of companies and the leadership and faculty of the Innovation Campus. The Principal will be a key advisor to the Vice President and Executive Director of the Innovation Campus, offering strategic insight and partnership constructs with clear value propositions, facilitating discussions, developing proposals, leading capture teams, and engaging with the Innovation Campus Advisory Board.

To drive innovation, this individual will engage with faculty, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other innovation – ecosystem partners. The Principal will team with members of LINK + LICENSE + LAUNCH to ensure discoveries made at the Innovation Campus reach markets where they can return economic and societal benefit. This will require an understanding of regional and national players, the ability to connect opportunities within the Innovation Campus and the broader Virginia Tech community, and strategies to encourage licensing, commercialization, and start-ups.

Job Duties:
- Serve as a primary point of contact and resource for C-suite, executive champions, and influential individuals who are actively or have potential to support the IC mission

- Working with Innovation Campus leadership and other key stakeholders, lead strategic activities and cross functional teams around big ideas and research priorities to formulate collaboration strategies and opportunities for a selected portfolio of top industry partners

- Maintain knowledge of technology, research, and recruiting needs of industry and bring a consultative approach to guide partnership discussions, linking industry needs to university assets

- Develop intelligence around and connections to Virginia Tech faculty and research interests, capabilities, and activities connections, identifying opportunities that have industry/market relevance; communicate, and effectively connect and shepherd the relationships

- Lead cross functional teams that include faculty, program managers, staff, and Advancement colleagues in the greater Washington DC region and Blacksburg to conceptualize, engage and capture new partnership opportunities

- Working with leadership in industry and the university, shape and solicit corporate agreements (including philanthropic) and shepherd them through both organizations

- Build networks with Virginia Tech innovators and external ecosystem partners to nurture an innovative culture and support technology commercialization and start-up formation associated with the Innovation Campus;

- Collaborating with technology transfer professionals, those in university-industry liaison roles, faculty, and external partners to evaluate opportunities, inform appropriate commercialization paths, and in some cases, pursue start-up formation in parallel with other commercialization activities.

- Schedule and host executive visits to the Innovation Campus and other Virginia Tech locations that reflect the breadth of Virginia Tech offerings in the region, nationally and globally, driving toward tangible opportunities and outcomes

- Assist in developing marketing initiatives and stewardship programs with corporate partners.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s or Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, data sciences, IT, digital tech field, business, or related field

- Tech-sector professional experience

- Proven track record interfacing with C-suite-level executives and influential individuals

- Experience in consultative or technical sales/marketing, business development, client management, business/research strategy, and/or innovation/partnerships function

- Track record of professionalism, with strong communication skills and ability to work with and support a wide range of constituents, e.g., clients, customers, teams, donors, and volunteers

- Ability to analyze data (e.g., market, technical, customer) and lend technical expertise to establish priorities, and develop and implement strategies with increasing complexity

- Evidence as a self-starter who can work independently, as well as be a team contributor in a complex and fast-paced organization

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in the establishment and development of new business relationships

- Experience in and with the DC metro area technology ecosystem

Pay Band

N/A

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experience

Review Date

March 29,2021

Additional Information

The successful Candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brandi Barnett at brandib@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Advertised: August 12, 2021
Applications close: September 6, 2021 Eastern Daylight Time

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