Commercialization Director - NCTI

ucf; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) at the University of Central Florida invites a Commercialization Director to lead a landmark NSF-funded, national initiative. You will guide market opportunities, craft commercialization plans, and connect startups with resources to accelerate growth and investment readiness.

This senior, externally-facing role blends strategy and execution within a dynamic innovation ecosystem, shaping national models for technology commercialization

Responsibilities

• Support cohort selection and onboarding; provide input to the national solicitation and review rubric.
• Lead diagnostic triage and Individualized Commercialization Plans (ICP) for each company; coordinate assessments and milestone schedules.
• Deliver concierge support and portfolio management; recruit and manage embedded lead advisors; coordinate resources and events.

Job description

National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI): The National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) is a national initiative dedicated to helping innovative technology companies transform breakthrough ideas into commercial success. Supported through a National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative and led by the University of Central Florida, NCTI serves as a national hub connecting entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, government partners, and commercialization experts to accelerate innovation, business growth, and economic impact. NCTI is designed to help promising deep-technology companies navigate the journey from scientific discovery and technological advancement to sustainable market success.

As a new institute, NCTI offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of technology commercialization on a national scale. Through strategic partnerships, individualized commercialization support, and a collaborative innovation ecosystem, the institute is advancing solutions that help high-potential companies overcome commercialization barriers and bring transformative technologies to market. NCTI combines the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of a startup with the resources and credibility of a leading research university, creating an environment where innovation, partnership, and impact drive meaningful results.

The Opportunity :

The National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) is seeking a Commercialization Director to help shape a first-of-its-kind national initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In this highly visible leadership role, you will work directly with innovative technology companies, helping founders navigate the path from promising innovation to commercial success. Serving as a trusted advisor, you will evaluate market opportunities, guide commercialization planning, connect companies with specialized resources, and help position emerging ventures for sustainable growth and investment readiness.

This opportunity is ideal for a commercialization professional, startup leader, founder, investor, or innovation ecosystem builder who thrives where strategy and execution intersect. The most successful candidate will bring real-world experience advancing technology-based innovations, a strong entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to challenge assumptions while helping companies unlock their next stage of growth. As part of NCTI's founding leadership team, you will help create a national model that could influence how deep-technology commercialization support is delivered across the country.

This is a Contracts & Grants (C&G) funded position. Employment is subject to availability of funding and may cease at the time funding for this employment is depleted. This position is approved for the first 18 months of the 24-month grant period.

Classification Title: Program Director II

Responsibilities:

• Support cohort selection and lead onboarding: provide substantive input to the national solicitation and the weighted, quantitative review rubric used by the independent Selection Board; participate in structured finalist interviews; and lead cohort onboarding and entry orientation for the six to eight selected companies. (The Project Manager administers the solicitation, application intake, and Selection Board logistics under activities S1 to S3).
• Lead diagnostic triage and Individualized Commercialization Plans (S4, S5): lead the structured triage of each selected company across technical development, market validation, business formation, regulatory status, and capital readiness, anchored to the TRL, MRL, CRL, and IRL readiness frameworks; coordinate founder and team assessments, including the Start-up Entrepreneur Competency Model and professionally administered behavioral assessments; and co-develop each company's ICP with the company and its lead advisor, including gap diagnosis, baseline readiness scores, the 90-day/6-month/12-month milestone schedule, tranche-linked budget, named resource and advisor assignments, and explicit investor-readiness targets.
• Deliver concierge support and manage the portfolio (S5, S6, S7): work directly with participating companies on a standing cadence to maintain progress against each ICP; recruit, vet, match, and manage each company's embedded lead advisor - typically a senior, sector-matched commercialization executive - and manage the ongoing fit of each match; match diagnosed company needs to the institute's national resource portfolio (built and maintained by the Partnerships Director), including I-Corps, ART, NSF Engines, national laboratories (Oak Ridge, Sandia, PNNL), GrowFL, the Edward Lowe Foundation, the UCF Business Incubation Program, and the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership; broker fabrication, pilot-production, and manufacturing capacity where a company's ICP requires it; organize cohort community events - entry orientation, the in-person midpoint convening, and company particip