Licensing Manager - Chemistry/Material Science

University of Colorado; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a skilled IP Portfolio Manager to oversee a portfolio of inventions across chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science. You will build strong relationships with faculty and researchers, and implement IP strategies to protect and commercialize innovations.

The role requires coordinating with CU Boulder's contracts and grants office and Venture Partners to advance partnerships and licensing opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience in IP management or technology transfer.
• Familiarity with patent processes and IP strategy.
• Ability to liaise with contracts & grants teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of inventions in chemical engineering, chemistry and materials science.
• Build relationships with faculty, graduate students and post-doctoral inventors.
• Assess early inventions for value proposition, IP, and technology readiness.

Skills

IP management

Portfolio management

Technology transfer

Negotiation

Tools

Licensing

Job description

CU Boulder is one of 34 U.S. public research institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU)—and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region. Our goal is to directly benefit the world through collaborative research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.Boulder has been ranked by Forbes as the best city in America in which to start a business, and as the top city in America by Bloomberg’s Brain Concentration Index.The Innovation & Partnerships team within CU Boulder's Research & Innovation Office is translating groundbreaking discoveries into new solutions, businesses and partnerships, connecting the university's research strengths with industry, government, and entrepreneurial partners across sectors like Aerospace & Defense, Biosciences, Advanced Energy & Sustainability, and Quantum. The team builds and manages strategic industry relationships, guiding partnerships from first contact through structured collaboration, lowering barriers to innovation by connecting partners with top talent and supporting scalable collaboration. Working alongside CU Boulder's research institutes, tech transfer, and contracting offices, the team helps faculty and external partners move ideas from concept to real-world impact, while supporting the university's broader goal of growing industry-sponsored research and workforce development opportunities.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

• Manage a portfolio of inventions in various areas of chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science and related physical sciences.
• Build strong relationships with faculty, graduate students and post-doctoral inventors.
• Solicit and assess early inventions, including analysis of the potential value proposition, intellectual property (IP), and technology readiness.
• Implement IP strategies for the protection, prosecution, and enforcement of patent and other IP rights within a portfolio.
• Liaise with and advise the CU Boulder contracts and grants unit to ensure IP strategies align with IP terms in sponsored research contracts.
• Interface closely with Venture Partners’ team members and resources for advancing innovations.
• Prioritize portfolio assets and make optimal referrals to resources for inventor education, mentorship, funding, licensee identification, and startup formation.
• Provide portfolio expertise for ecosystem partners such as accelerators, incubators, and investors.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage a variety of IP agreements, including options, licenses, and joint-owner management plans.

What You Should Know

• Hybrid work modality with a minimum of 2-3 days per week on-site in Boulder.
• We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.