Strategic Translation Director, Industry Partnerships

Super Fab Lab @ UNC-C; Portal (GA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Super Fab Lab @ UNC-C is seeking a Translation Program Director to lead proactive industry engagement and translate UNC Charlotte’s research into commercial opportunities. You will coordinate across ORTIA units and guide technologies from discovery to partnerships, influencing energy, advanced manufacturing, and optics sectors.

The role emphasizes strong communication, strategic networking, and experience advancing translational programs with corporate partners and venture ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a field related to translation domains.
• Minimum of ten years of industry experience in energy, advanced manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, defense and intelligence, or optics and photonics.
• Equivalent combination of training and experience.

Responsibilities

• Leads proactive, campus-wide engagement with UNC Charlotte researchers to identify translation potential at early TRL stages.
• Facilitates structured problem-framing sessions with industry partners to translate findings into actionable statements.
• Evaluates translation readiness using TRL/ARL/MRL assessments and prepares clearance documentation.
• Cultivates relationships with VP/Director-level counterparts in corporate R&D and engineering.
• Coordinates across ORTIA units to move technologies through the translation pipeline.
• Proposes Mentor-in-Residence matches for technologies in TRL 3–5 and builds industry networks.
• Supports federal and state commercialization programs and integrates outputs into the pipeline.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Strategic partnerships

Industry networking

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

10+ years industry experience

Job description

Super Fab Lab @ UNC-C is seeking a Translation Program Director to lead proactive industry engagement and translate UNC Charlotte’s research into commercial opportunities. You will coordinate across ORTIA units and guide technologies from discovery to partnerships, influencing energy, advanced manufacturing, and optics sectors.

The role emphasizes strong communication, strategic networking, and experience advancing translational programs with corporate partners and venture ecosystems.