University Research Innovation Program Director

About the role

Are you passionate about turning breakthrough research into real-world companies? Do you get excited about helping researchers, faculty, and innovators translate cutting-edge technologies into startups? gener8tor is seeking a University Research Innovation Program Director to lead a new program on behalf of the University of Alabama focused on transforming university research and intellectual property into high-growth startups. This role will play a key role in strengthening Alabama's university startup pipeline by helping translate breakthrough research into venture-backed companies. This role sits at the intersection of research, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem development , working directly with faculty, graduate researchers, founders, and innovation leaders to help bring promising technologies from the lab to the market. The Program Director will lead recruitment, program execution, and founder support for the gener8tor University Research Innovation programs at the University of Alabama while collaborating closely with the broader gener8tor and gBETA Alabama teams to strengthen the statewide startup ecosystem. This program focuses on recruiting students, postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, faculty, alumni and early-stage founders from the University of Alabama and research labs to build the foundational infrastructure they need to launch. The program will support early-stage teams emerging from university labs, research centers, and innovation programs as they validate market opportunities, build business models, and connect with mentors, customers, and investors. gener8tor fosters innovation ecosystems through its accelerator programs, venture capital funds, and skills-based workforce initiatives. With a strong track record of supporting high-growth companies, gener8tor has expanded across the U.S. and internationally, building partnerships with governments, corporations, universities and economic development organizations to drive entrepreneurship and economic impact. gener8tor operates accelerators across 50 cities, 32 states and 9 countries, working with more than 300 startups per year. To date, gener8tor has worked with more than 2,200 startups that have cumulatively gone on to raise more than $3B in financing and employ more than 15,600 people. As a member of the gener8tor team, you will play a crucial role in our global platform. The full gener8tor platform connects startup founders, musicians, researchers, artists, investors, universities and corporations and includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships. Your support as the Program Director will impact startups by working specifically with researchers and founders in collaboration with a network of partners, mentors, investors, and university stakeholders. Success for the role looks like owning all aspects of the program logistics and operations, including the operational elements of recruiting and selecting the best researchers and founders from Alabama, coordinating weekly program sessions focused on ICP development, grant preparation, incorporation, financial setup, and infrastructure building, planning cohort community-building events, and leading planning of the end-of-program showcase event. You will coordinate program logistics under the guidance of your manager and the gener8tor Alabama team, and will collaborate across the organization with gener8tor's centralized support teams and the broader gener8tor Alabama team.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment and Base Building:
• Recruit startup applicants from the Alabama universities, research institutions, etc, with a focus on university alumni, postdocs, PhD researchers, and early-stage founders.
• Evaluate startup applications, interview founders, and help select high-potential teams for participation in gener8tor programs.
• Build relationships with university technology transfer offices, research labs, and faculty across the state
• Find and develop relationships with mentors, grant advisors, investors and other ecosystem partners in Alabama who can help support the program and participating companies
• Conduct office hours with researchers and early-stage founders, building and maintaining a strong pipeline of university-affiliated founders and researchers to ensure competitive and high-quality cohorts.
• Conduct "Commercialization Office Hours" with specific colleges (e.g., Engineering, Honors, Arts and Sciences, Business, etc. as well as the centers and institutes) to ensure engagement of all relevant faculty and staff.
• Lead base building efforts, attending meetings with key university partners, investors, and mentors to ensure consistent support of the Alabama programs
• Maintain a strong and visible presence on the University of Alabama campus, regularly engaging with faculty, research labs, graduate student

Additional Information

University Research Innovation Program Director Location: Tuscaloosa, AL, in-person Salary: $75,000 - $90,000

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