Executive Director – NCTI

University of Central Florida; Orlando, Northern (FL, KY); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life

Paid time off

Retirement plans

Employee discounts

Education assistance

Job summary

University of Central Florida seeks a founding Executive Director for the National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI) to build a national platform for translating breakthrough technologies into market success. You will establish infrastructure, recruit teams, and drive partnerships with NSF funding, investors, and industry partners.

The role requires executive leadership, fundraising, governance, and the ability to deliver results in a complex, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree required with 8+ years in leadership.
• Proven ability to stand up new programs and centers.
• Experience with milestone- or tranche-based funding governance.
• Experience reporting to external boards and sponsors (NSF preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across all institute objectives and milestones.
• Supervise professional staff across multiple directorates and ensure alignment of activities.
• Chair the commercialization-support review committee and manage milestone checkpoints.
• Coordinate governance activities with Strategic Board and partner councils.
• Oversee NSF relations, program reporting, and compliance with award terms.
• Manage the institute's approximately $4M operating budget and subawards.
• Represent the institute with national partners and investors; plan annual showcases.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Fundraising & grants

NSF program experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree

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.

• 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.

• Classification Title: Director, Business Development II

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‑approval rules.

• Oversee the institute’s operating budget (approximately $4M in operations, research, and evaluation funds) in coordination with Office of Research administration; monitor expenditures, subaward (RTI International) administration, consultant engagements, and procurement of program platforms and services.

• Represent the institute externally with partners, investors, national laboratories, and the national innovation network; lead planning and execution of the annual investor showcase, the in‑person midpoint convening, and cohort convenings in coordination with the Partnerships and Commercialization Directors.

• Lead risk management and continuous improvement: act on formative findings from the external evaluator, oversee corrective actions (e.g., partner under‑performance, thin applicant pool contingencies), and maintain the documented, transferable operating model NSF requires of the pilot and all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and 8+ years of relevant experience, including 3+ years of leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MBA or related) or doctorate in business, engineering, science, public administration, or a related field.

• Demonstrated success standing up a new program, center, or organization — facilities, staffing, governance, and operating systems — on an accelerated timeline.

• Experience administering milestone‑based or tranche‑based funding governance with documented, auditable decision processes.

• Experience being directly accountable to external boards and a federal sponsor for program delivery, compliance, and reporting.

• Senior leadership experience operating a funded venture‑support, accelerator, proof‑of‑concept, or commercialization program, ideally with milestone‑ or tranche‑based funding governance.

• Direct experience with federal awards administration (NSF strongly preferred), including participant support costs, subawards, and federal reporting.

• Familiarity with the SBIR/STTR program and deep‑technology commercialization (readiness frameworks such as TRL/MRL/CRL/IRL).

• Demonstrated ability to convene and manage boards, investors, industry partners, and national‑laboratory relationships.

• Experience working within a research university and with faculty principal investigators.

Special Instructions to the Applicants

• The anticipated starting salary for this position is $150,000 annually. The final salary will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and internal equity considerations.

• The selected candidate must comply with NCTI conflict‑of‑interest and nondisclosure protocols, including disclosure of any financial interest in applicant or cohort companies, given the position’s role in approving participant funding.

• Occasional domestic travel is required (NSF program meetings, board convenings, cohort site visits, annual showcase).

• All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment‑based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next‑generation public research university and Forbes‑ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 12 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills, and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks!UCF offers

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program

• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays

• Retirement savings options

• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions

• Education assistance

• And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.

Department

College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) - Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems (IEMS)

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Type of Appointment

Regular

Expected Salary

$122,980.00 to Negotiable

Job Posting End Date

09-24-2026-12-00-AM

The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.

UCF is proud to be a smoke‑free campus and an E‑Verify employer.

For general application or posting questions, please email [e-mail].

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please email [e-mail].