IP Licensing & Translation Associate

Portland State University, College of Urban and Public Affairs; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Portland State University’s Innovation & Intellectual Property office seeks a Patent Licensing & Translation Associate to advance proactive discovery harvesting, grant mining, IP management, and licensing activities. You will collaborate with researchers across PSU to identify inventions and draft agreements.

Reporting to the STP Strategic Partnerships Admin, the role blends technology transfer with translation initiatives, training, and industry partnerships to maximize societal impact.

Qualifications

• Master’s or advanced professional degree with 3+ years in university technology transfer, commercialization, or corporate business development.
• Advanced degree in sciences, engineering, business, or law.
• 3–5 years of direct experience in university technology transfer, commercialization, or corporate business development.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating contracts, non‑disclosure agreements, or intellectual property licenses.
• Excellent organizational skills, high attention to detail, and exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Deep knowledge of the university research environment, grant structures, and federal compliance rules.
• Successful completion of a background check.

Responsibilities

• Proactive Innovation Harvesting & Grant Mining
• Systematically mine university‑wide awarded grant data, publications, and final reports to identify early‑stage discoveries with high translational or commercial potential.
• Implement a rigorous scouting workflow; conduct outreach across PSU to surface disclosures.
• IP Development, Patent Portfolio Management, & Licensing
• Manage PSU’s patent portfolios across physical science, engineering, software, and life science.
• Work with faculty inventors to evaluate discoveries, draft IP strategy plans, and manage patent prosecution timelines; draft licenses and agreements.
• Invention Evaluation & Innovation Support Administration
• Deliver scientific, legal, and commercial evaluations for new disclosures and support seed funding deployment.
• Conduct patentability, market sizing, competitive analyses on new disclosures; coordinate reviews with faculty and external partners.
• Faculty Outreach, Training, & Mentorship
• Deliver education and resources to faculty, postdocs, and grads to increase translational participation.
• Develop and deliver training on translation topics and connect researchers with mentors.
• Formalized Partnership Pipelines & Non‑License Agreements
• Draft and negotiate agreements governing external collaborations and industry interactions; handle MTAs, NDAs/CDAs; support ISRA terms.
• Compliance, Intake, and Reporting
• Manage data integrity and reporting to federal/state/institutional stakeholders; ensure iEdison and Bayh‑Dole compliance.
• Supervise Student & Program Interns
• Provide supervision and mentorship to student workers and graduate trainees; oversee database inputs and paper files.

Skills

Excellent organizational skills

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Negotiating contracts/IP licenses

Education

Master’s or advanced professional degree (Ph.D., JD, or MBA)

Advanced degree in sciences, engineering, business, or law

Tools

Inteum (tech transfer database)

Job description

Portland State University’s Innovation & Intellectual Property office seeks a Patent Licensing & Translation Associate to advance proactive discovery harvesting, grant mining, IP management, and licensing activities. You will collaborate with researchers across PSU to identify inventions and draft agreements.

Reporting to the STP Strategic Partnerships Admin, the role blends technology transfer with translation initiatives, training, and industry partnerships to maximize societal impact.