Executive Director - NCTI

ucf; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) at the University of Central Florida seeks an accomplished executive leader to serve as the founding Executive Director. This nationally visible role requires building the institute's infrastructure, teams, and partnerships to accelerate technology commercialization.

As the chief operating officer of a NSF-funded initiative, you will shape strategy, governance, and execution across SUPPORT, EDUCATE, ORIENT, CONNECT, and NETWORK

Qualifications

• Executive leadership, commercialization experience, and entrepreneurial thinking are required.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the institute across all five objectives and manage Year 1 and Year 2 deliverables.
• Supervise and develop the professional staff and oversee hiring, assignment, and performance.
• Chair the commercialization-support review committee and document decisions as study data.
• Coordinate governance activities with the Strategic Board, Selection Board, and Partner Council; ensure compliance with protocols.
• Support NSF relations and ensure adherence to NSF award terms and participant support requirements.

Job description

National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI)

The National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) is a nationally significant 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 University of Central Florida seeks an accomplished executive leader to serve as the founding Executive Director of the National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI). This highly visible leadership opportunity offers the chance to build and lead a new national institute dedicated to helping innovative technology companies transform breakthrough ideas into commercial success. Supported through a National Science Foundation initiative, NCTI will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, government partners, and commercialization experts to accelerate innovation and economic impact.

Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the Executive Director will serve as the chief operational leader of the institute, responsible for establishing the organization's infrastructure, building high-performing teams, cultivating strategic partnerships, and driving execution of a nationally significant mission. The ideal candidate combines executive business leadership, commercialization experience, and an entrepreneurial mindset, with a demonstrated ability to build organizations, influence stakeholders, and deliver results in complex, highly collaborative environments. This individual thrives in environments where vision, adaptability, and action are required, and is energized by the opportunity to build a nationally recognized organization that will help shape the future of technology commercialization and innovation.

Classification Title

Director, Business Development II

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.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the institute across all five objectives (M1): stand up the institute at award, including facilities in the UCF SPARK building, staff recruitment and onboarding, operating policies and procedures, and the monthly operations-group cadence with the PI/PD, Co-PIs, and program directors; ensure Year 1 deliverables (national solicitation, cohort selection, triage, and Individualized Commercialization Plans) and Year 2 deliverables (checkpoints, showcase, final evaluation support) are executed on schedule.
• Supervise the institute's professional staff - Commercialization Director, Education Director, Partnerships Director, and Project Manager - and clerical support: hiring, work assignment, performance management, and professional development; ensure coordinated delivery across SUPPORT, EDUCATE, ORIENT, CONNECT, and NETWORK activities.
• Chair the commercialization-support review committee (with the Commercialization Director, a Strategic Board designee, and an RTI observer): convene the committee at each milestone checkpoint; verify company milestones and continued active research participation; approve, modify, or decline release of Participant Commercialization Support tranches independently of delivery staff; oversee structured re-engagement reviews for stalled companies; and document each decision as study data.
• Support institute governance: coordinate quarterly Strategic Board meetings, convening of the independent Selection Board during the national competition, and Partner Council engagement; maintain nondisclosure and conflict-of-interest protocols for board members.
• Support the PI/PD in NSF relations: annual and ad hoc programmatic reporting, NSF learning sessions and program meetings, and responses to NSF requests; ensure institute operations comply with NSF award terms, including participant support cost requirements and prior-app