Director, Innovation

U.S. Small Business Administration; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Small Business Administration seeks a Director of Innovation in the Office of Investment and Innovation (OII).

This senior leader reports to the Deputy Associate Administrator and directs government-wide small business R&D and technology-transfer programs across 11 federal agencies, guiding strategy, budgets, and performance reporting. The role advances national initiatives to help innovative small businesses commercialize technology, build regional capacity, strengthen supply chains,

Responsibilities

• Directs the Division's daily operations, turning OII strategy and Administration priorities into clear, resourced work plans.
• Sets annual and multi-year objectives, assigns responsibilities, establishes priorities, and manages the Division's portfolio to completion against deadlines.
• Advises the Deputy Associate Administrator and Associate Administrator on innovation strategy, priorities, and policy, ensuring the Division's work advances Agency and Administration goals, including strengthening the domestic industrial base, advancing critical and emerging technologies, supporting underserved geographies and industries, and maximizing commercialization of Federal research and development.
• Prepares and delivers briefings, decision memoranda, and reports for OII and SBA leadership, and ensures statutory and Congressional reporting obligations are met on schedule, coordinating with other Federal agencies as needed.
• Leads the Innovation team's external engagement, gathering and acting on market intelligence from partnering agencies, entrepreneur support organizations, resource partners, and innovative small businesses, and maintaining relationships and feedback channels that keep programs responsive to real-world conditions and emerging technology trends.
• Ensures rigorous, standards-based measurement, evaluation, attribution analysis, and reporting of program performance and impact, and uses evaluation findings to inform program and resource decisions.

Job description

The Director of Innovation, in the Office of Investment and Innovation (OII), reports to the Deputy Associate Administrator and leads government-wide small business research and technology-transfer programs across 11 federal agencies. The Director advances national initiatives that help innovative small businesses commercialize technology, build regional capacity, and strengthen supply chains.

• Directs the Division's daily operations, turning OII strategy and Administration priorities into clear, resourced work plans. Sets annual and multi-year objectives, assigns responsibilities, establishes priorities, and manages the Division's portfolio to completion against deadlines.
• Advises the Deputy Associate Administrator and Associate Administrator on innovation strategy, priorities, and policy, ensuring the Division's work advances Agency and Administration goals, including strengthening the domestic industrial base, advancing critical and emerging technologies, supporting underserved geographies and industries, and maximizing commercialization of Federal research and development.
• Prepares and delivers briefings, decision memoranda, and reports for OII and SBA leadership, and ensures statutory and Congressional reporting obligations are met on schedule, coordinating with other Federal agencies as needed.
• Leads the Innovation team's external engagement, gathering and acting on market intelligence from partnering agencies, entrepreneur support organizations, resource partners, and innovative small businesses, and maintaining relationships and feedback channels that keep programs responsive to real-world conditions and emerging technology trends.
• Ensures rigorous, standards-based measurement, evaluation, attribution analysis, and reporting of program performance and impact, and uses evaluation findings to inform program and resource decisions.