Enterprise Chief Innovation Officer

BioSpace; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Utah seeks an experienced Enterprise Chief Innovation Officer to lead innovation, entrepreneurship and research translation. Reporting to the SVP for Research, the ECIO develops strategy, engages faculty, and guides a growing commercialization ecosystem.

The ECIO oversees the Technology Licensing Office, advances collaborations with healthcare and tech partners, and scales pathways from discovery to societal impact while driving organizational change and external partnerships.

Qualifications

• Strategic and collaborative leader with a track record in technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and research translation.
• Experience guiding organizational change in complex institutions.
• Proven ability to build partnerships across academia, industry, government and investment communities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Technology Licensing Office and accelerate translation of research into societal impact.
• Develop institutional strategy for innovation and advise university leadership.
• Lead partnerships with academia, industry, government and investors to advance commercialization.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Partnership building

Technology commercialization

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

The University of Utah – a leading public research university and member of the Association of American Universities – seeks an experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as its Enterprise Chief Innovation Officer. Located in one of the nation's fastest-growing innovation economies, the University offers exceptional strengths in health sciences, engineering, data science, biomedical innovation, energy, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, healthcare innovation, life sciences, and digital technologies.

The University’s proximity to world-class healthcare systems, a vibrant startup community, major technology employers, and growing venture investment activity creates significant opportunities for research commercialization, industry collaboration, and expanded impact and scale.

The Enterprise Chief Innovation Officer (ECIO) serves as the University of Utah's senior leader for innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and research translation. Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Research (SVP‑R), the ECIO develops institutional strategy, advises university leadership, and leads the University's innovation enterprise to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into societal impact. The ECIO also oversees the Technology Licensing Office (TLO), providing strategic oversight and leadership while partnering with the TLO Senior Directors to advance the University's commercialization mission. The position focuses on strategy, organizational development, faculty engagement, and institutional leadership rather than day‑to‑day operations.

The University enters this next chapter from a position of considerable strength. The President has established an ambitious agenda for the innovation enterprise, including growing annual research activity to $1 billion, launching 30 startups per year, and positioning the University as the nation's leading entrepreneurial university. With experienced leadership in place across technology licensing and venture development, a mature and productive commercialization infrastructure, expanding seed and venture funding capabilities, and a culture that embraces innovation and entrepreneurship, the University is well‑positioned to accelerate its impact. The ECIO will build on this momentum by aligning and scaling innovation activities across the institution, strengthening pathways from discovery to commercialization, expanding engagement with faculty innovators, and further elevating the University's national profile in research translation and entrepreneurship.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and collaborative innovation leader with a record of advancing technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, research translation, or venture development within complex organizations. They will also bring demonstrated success in leading meaningful organizational change by working effectively within existing systems and cultures. They will bring demonstrated success in building partnerships across academia, industry, government, and investment communities, along with a deep understanding of emerging trends and cutting‑edge advancements shaping the innovation landscape. The ideal candidate will combine strong business acumen and strategic leadership skills with the ability to inspire and engage diverse stakeholders in support of the University's ambitious innovation agenda.

The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, pregnancy‑related conditions, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or protected veteran status in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations and equal access for qualified individuals with disabilities.