Research Assistant Professor, Venture Methodology (EI)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy seeks a Research Assistant Professor, Venture Methodology, to lead empirical research validating Kairos—a venture creation method pairing faculty with entrepreneurial students. The role focuses on generating outcomes evidence and expanding Kairos across academic medical centers.

You will serve as PI for the methodology program, work across sites, and translate findings into practical tools and playbooks while engaging

Qualifications

• PhD in a related field with strong research background.
• Experience designing defensible studies in real-world settings.
• Interest in entrepreneurship, venture creation, and technology commercialization.
• Familiarity with measurement and data analysis in practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead methodological research for Kairos venture studio.
• Serve as Principal Investigator on the research program.
• Scale Kairos methodology across academic centers and universities.
• Translate findings into tools, playbooks, or product requirements.

Skills

Empirical research training

Entrepreneurship interest

AI tool fluency

Cross-site coordination

Communication skills

Python

R

Education

PhD in a related field

Tools

Python

R

Job description

Research Assistant Professor, Venture Methodology (EI)

Working Title Research Assistant Professor, Venture Methodology (EI)

Appointment Type

Appointment Type Fixed Term Faculty

Vacancy ID

Vacancy ID FAC0006210

Full-time/Part-time

Full-time/Part-time Full-Time Permanent

Hours per week 40

FTE

FTE 1

Position Location

Position Location North Carolina, US

Hiring Range

Hiring Range $115,000 - $120,000

Proposed Start Date

Proposed Start Date 02/01/2027

Position Information

Be a Tar Heel!

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement that may include a partially remote work location, consistent with System Office policy. UNC -Chapel Hill employees are generally required to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of their assigned duty station.
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC -Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (www.pharmacy.unc.edu) is one of six health science schools (Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Social Work, Public Health, Medicine) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is one of the oldest health science academic programs at Chapel Hill. The School teaches approximately 600 PharmD students and 145 graduate students. The School has built a reputation for its continued pursuit of excellence, rigorous education and training programs, cutting-edge multidisciplinary research, progressive pharmacy practices, efficient business operations, and its outstanding faculty, staff, and students. The School was named the number one School of Pharmacy in the U.S. by the U.S. News and World Report. The School has experienced unprecedented growth and success and continues to strategically position itself for sustained impact, as articulated in the School’s Strategic Plan (https://pharmacy.unc.edu/about/oe/strategic-plan/).

Our Vision is to be the global leader in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. Our Mission is to prepare leaders and innovators to solve the world’s most pressing health care challenges. We are Advancing Medicine for Life through innovation and collaboration in pharmacy practice, education, research, and public service.

Position Summary

Eshelman Innovation, housed in the nation’s #1 pharmacy school, was created to address translational challenges with a game-changing new approach to academic innovation and commercialization. Through its venture studio, Eshelman Innovation has built Kairos, a venture creation methodology that pairs faculty innovators with entrepreneurial student talent, and Kalphai, the agentic AI platform that encodes that methodology and runs the studio end to end. Eshelman Innovation seeks a dynamic leader to formalize, validate, and scale the Kairos methodology as a licensable asset deployed across academic medical centers and university innovation organizations. The chosen candidate will serve as the Principal Investigator for the methodology research program and will focus on generating the outcomes evidence that establishes Kairos as the defensible standard for AI-enabled venture creation, strengthening its commercial position and accelerating its adoption by partner institutions. This position provides an opportunity to change how universities convert research into companies, at a moment when the tools to do so are being defined.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Ph.D. in strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation management, information systems, organizational behavior, health services research, science and technology policy, economics, education research, sociology, or a related field. Candidates whose doctoral training lies outside these fields but who bring directly relevant research experience are encouraged to apply.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Rigorous empirical research training and the ability to design defensible studies in real-world settings rather than controlled ones, including familiarity with measurement, construct validity, and the limits of causal claims from field data. Demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship, venture creation, technology commercialization, innovation systems, or how organizations make decisions under uncertainty. Sufficient working fluency with generative AI tools to reason about what an agentic system is doing and evaluate the quality of its judgments; software development experience is not required, and comfort with analysis in Python, R, or comparable tools is sufficient.

Experience working with messy operational data or designing measurement into a live system. Direct exposure to venture studios, accelerators, incubators, university technology transfer, or early-stage investing, in any capacity, whether as researcher, practitioner, advisor, or participant. Familiarity with design-science, action-research, implementation-science, or other methodologies suited to studying a system while helping build it. Domain knowledge in digital health, health services, life sciences commercialization, or health system adoption and reimbursement dynamics. Experience coordinating research across multiple sites or institutions. A record of translating research findings into tools, curricula, playbooks, or product requirements that other people actually use.

Experience leading or contributing to complex collaborations across research and operational teams, including mentoring students or junior colleagues. Excellent written and verbal communication, including publishing in respected refereed journals and presenting to varied academic, institutional, and commercial audiences.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Department Contact Name and Title Victoria Fleming, Associate Director of HR and Engagement

Department Contact Telephone or Email

Academic Personnel Office Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost office at (919)-962-1091 or send an email to [e-mail].
Please note: The Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.
If you have any questions about the job requirements or the hiring department notify the Department Contact.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Will you hold a doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) by the anticipated start date?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Briefly describe a research project where you designed measurement into a real-world setting rather than a controlled one. What did the data turn out to be able to support, and what could it not support?

  (Open Ended Question)

• * At the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, everything we do begins and ends with a patient in mind. This includes supporting and serving a highly diverse community of students, patients, faculty, and staff. Please describe examples in which you have successfully worked with or supported a diverse group of people.

  (Open Ended Question)