Rice360 Director of Invention Education Partnerships

Location: The position will be based in Houston, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, or Nigeria .

Special Instruction to Applicants : Please attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

Position Summary

The Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies (Rice360) through its innovative research and education programs develops highly effective, low-cost technology solutions that address critical healthcare challenges in low-resource communities, as well as a cadre of future leaders to continue to innovate and implement solutions. The Rice360 Director of Invention Education (IvE) Partnerships, under the supervision of the Rice360 Executive Director and the faculty Co-Directors, Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum and Dr. Maria Oden, will serve as the lead for invention education program activities to be developed and implemented in collaboration with global partners in the U.S. and in Africa, and will be based in Houston, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, or Nigeria .

The Rice360 Director of IvE Partnerships will lead:

• Rice360’s vision for IvE projects and collaborations that advance innovation and entrepreneurship to address healthcare challenges in low-resource settings;
• IvE partnership cultivation, maintenance and expansion, at both the individual and institutional levels;
• engagement with the broader community of IvE stakeholders in target countries, including the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems;
• IvE program strategic development and implementation, with bridging of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems;
• IvE sustainability planning and coordination; and
• supervision of Rice360 IvE design studio managers at partner institutions in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The Rice360 Director of IvE Partnerships will liaise with and guide collaborators on the integration of invention education curriculum and activities at IvE partner sites, including: the planning and installation of innovation design studios, coordination and execution of faculty trainings/workshops on invention education, cross-site coordination of undergraduate international internship programs, and support of faculty champions and advocacy for integration of invention education within their engineering curriculum. She/he will take a leading role in monitoring, evaluating and reporting on invention education program implementation and progress, including serving as the primary liaison with IvE program funding agencies and ensuring that all activities are in line with the Rice360 mission, policies, principles and operating practices.

The ideal candidate is experienced in technology design, translation, and commercialization, with a deep understanding of the process of bringing technologies from universities to the marketplace. In addition, the ideal candidate has extensive experience in innovation ecosystems, including innovation hubs, entrepreneurship training, and industry partnerships for the implementation of engineering education programs that advance innovation and entrepreneurship to address healthcare challenges in low-resource settings. And is willing and able to live in Houston, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania or Nigeria, with frequent international travel across sub-Saharan Africa.

Essential Functions

• Leads the development and implementation of major program(s)
• Collaborates with faculty and/or staff leadership to design programs and establish long range strategic and operational plans
• Oversees the operations, administration and evaluation of programs
• Identifies and implements program changes to ensure alignment with mission and program effectiveness
• Develops and implements strategies related to outreach, events, communications, development, partnerships and fundraising / funding
• Devises and manages financial and budgetary plans for the program(s), approves and monitors expenditures
• For academic programs, may be responsible for graduate student recruitment and admissions, student records, curriculum support, coordinating the accreditation process, managing scholarships and fellowships, and monitoring student progress
• May be responsible for grant preparation and submission or research administration
• May teach a course, seminar or workshop
• May supervise small staff (up to three full time staff)
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions / Information

• Other Functions - IvE Strategic Leadership
  • Provide strategic leadership to advance the Rice360 vision for invention education projects and collaborations
  • Serve as the Rice360 primary contact for matters relating to its invention education activities, including serving as the primary liaison for Rice360 with key invention education in-country stakeholders and funding agencies.
  • Lead Rice360 engagement with the broader community of IvE stakeholders in target countries, including institutions, faculty, design studios, ministry of education, entrepreneurs, African professional societies, hospitals and local communities to foster supportive invention education ecosystem
  • Lead IvE partnership cultivation, maintenance and expansion, at both the individual and institutional levels
  • Lead IvE program strategic development and implementation, with bridging of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems
  • Lead the planning and coordination that will drive integration and sustainability of IvE at partner institutions
  • Ensure that the control and disbursement of IvE project resources are in accordance with established procedures and maintain the financial and legal integrity of the organization
• Other Functions – IvE Partners Network
  • Establish and foster excellent working relationships with key invention education stakeholders and partners in the U.S. and across Africa, in particular in Malawi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
  • Liaise with and guide IvE partner site collaborators on the integration of invention education curriculum and activities at their institutions, including: the planning and installation of innovation design studios, coordination and execution of faculty trainings/workshops on invention education curriculum, and cross-site coordination of undergraduate international internship programs
  • Foster and provide support to faculty champions at IvE partner sites, including engaging on advocacy for integration of invention education within their engineering curriculum
  • Coordinate the contributions of Rice and U.S. partner institution faculty for the ongoing refinement, promotion and uptake of the IvE Toolkit website across Africa.
• Other Functions - Innovation Design Studios
  • Provide oversight to the innovation design studios in Malawi, Tanzania, and Nigeria, through direct supervision of design studio managers placed by Rice360 in each country.
  • Foster a supportive work environment and effective working relationships within the in-country design studio staff, including maintaining regular communication.
  • Assist engineering design studio managers to cultivate and maintain relationships with academic collaborators, healthcare providers, and private industry partners for the purpose of identifying and providing mentorship for engineering design studio projects.
  • Contributes to and leads improvements to the security monitoring, incident management, and intelligence processes

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Seven years of related experience with cultivating and maintaining an effective multi-country partnership network and/or managing a multi-partner, multi-country program/project, including program/project planning, scheduling, tracking, budgeting, and reporting, with demonstrated achievement of results.
• Ability to develop complex or multiple program partnerships and funding sources
• Ability to oversee and direct staff
• Knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans
• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Advanced problem solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Excellent data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem solving, creating contingency plans and handling issues when necessary
• Excellent client service orientation and attention to detail
• Ability to lead and motivate others
• Strategic skills to craft and implement project plans
• Excellent attention to details

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in biomedical engineering, business administration, public health, social sciences, or related discipline
• Experience with implementation and management of invention education programs at the undergraduate engineering level, preferably for a low-resource setting, with emphasis on project-based learning for technology design, development, and translation through fostering supportive innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems
• Extensive working knowledge of innovation ecosystems, including innovation hubs, entrepreneurship training, and industry partnerships to support undergraduate engineering students in successful design, translation, and commercialization of technologies
• Proven ability to plan, execute and facilitate trainings and/or workshops
• Ability to work in a complex and high-paced environment
• Proven ability to create, monitor and adhere to work plans
• Demonstrated resilience, diplomacy, influence, relationship building, and problem solving skills in a variety of situations.
• Experience working in a multi-cultural environment
• Working knowledge of the international health/ development field
• Willingness and ability to travel nationally and internationally

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

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