Role summary:

 Who we are and what we do:

Since 2002, Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow has been guiding the transformation of ASU into one of the nation’s leading public research universities, one that is directly engaged in the economic, social, and cultural vitality of its region. Under his direction, the university pursues teaching, research, and creative excellence focused on the major challenges and questions of our time. ASU maintains the principle of accessibility to all qualified students and serves as a pipeline connecting students to the public and private sectors—central to building a sustainable environment and economy for Arizona. However, ASU’s impact extends beyond Arizona through our commitment to global engagement and setting a new standard for public service. This innovative and creative energy reverberates across ASU and creates an excitement to support our ambitious aims.

ASU Enterprise Partners is a private, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises and invests resources for Arizona State University, while advocating for and advancing ASU’s transformative mission and brand. Though a separate entity from ASU, Enterprise Partners is recognized for its unique approach to supporting the most innovative university in the country through entrepreneurship, research, and discovery. The core of this unique approach is a partnership of focused organizations whose committed employees impact the community locally and globally through a diversity of expertise, including philanthropy and development, applied research, technology transfer, realty, and collaborative research.

Skysong Innovations is ASU’s exclusive intellectual property management and technology transfer organization. It is a private, limited liability company whose sole purpose is the wide dissemination of ASU discoveries and inventions to the marketplace. It is a unit of ASU Enterprise Partners. By working with faculty, investors, and industry partners, Skysong Innovations increases the flexibility and speed of translating ASU innovations and discoveries from the lab to the market. Through this entrepreneurial model, ASU is one of the top-performing US universities in terms of intellectual property inputs and outputs relative to the size of the university’s research enterprise.

Skysong Innovation’s team of passionate and highly qualified professionals is marked by success. Since its inception in 2003, it has delivered more than 2,000 invention disclosures, 80 launched startups, 175 active license and option agreements, and has generated $500 million in venture capital.

We are seeking candidates who are eager to apply their technical expertise, their passion to succeed, and their entrepreneurial spirit for the advancement of ASU’s commitment to impacting its community through discovery and innovation. Join us!

What you’ll do:

• Help in the transformation of a product idea or concept to an Minimal Viable Product (MVP)
• Lead, coach and guide university constituents/teams to build products that have an identified market need
• Identify entrepreneurs who might want to engage in a partnership around the product idea
• Provide market/customer/competitive insights that intelligently shape the products as they iterate
• Identify beta test sources for experimentation, customer insights and early adoption
• Utilization of customer data to drive iteration strategy based upon use/behavior
• Help guide the product life cycle of researching, designing, user testing, building, launching and measuring
• Identification of technology platforms/enabling technologies and help determine build or buy (partner) considerations
• Contribute to a team culture of learning, retrospection, experimentation and continuous improvement
• Help determine the “go to market” strategy, launch channels as well as business/market target objectives
• Build a product roadmap where future iterations or peripheral products are being developed

What you’ll need:

• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility regarding information related to Enterprise Partners, its subsidiaries and University business and confidential prospect information
• Entrepreneurial spirit and intellectual curiosity
• High ability to influence in a complex, technical and scientific industry/university ecosystem
• Works collaboratively, communicates effectively and drives consensus.
• Experience partnering with engineering, development and science teams to define and build products have successful market adoption
• Passion and track record for creating great products
• Broad understanding of emerging markets and technologies
• Experience with current practices in product development such as Agile.
• Understands rapid prototyping such as lean start-up
• An affinity for a fast-paced, changing environment with a bias for action

Relevant Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in science or engineering and an advanced technical or business degree.. 5 or more years experience in product development lifecycle management, product launch and business development within an Educational Technology and/or Software domain.

Please contact us today.

Skysong Innovations, through ASU Enterprise Partners offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including medical, dental and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan and reduced tuition at ASU.

For more information on Skysong Innovations, visit our existing web site at www.skysonginnovations.com . If interested in the Director Intellectual Property Services position, please apply online at www.skysonginnovations.com .


                                                                                                             Skysong Innovations is an Equal Opportunity Employer