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Job description
Please see Special Instructions for more details.
Please list the names, telephone numbers and email addresses for three professional references.
Position Announcement
Proposed Start Date
Proposed Start Date 02/01/2027
Classification Title
Classification Title Legal and Compliance
Rank
Rank N - No Rank
Working Title
Department
Department - STP Strategic Partnerships Admin
Position Number
Position Number D90553
Representation
Representation AU - AAUP
Renewable
Renewable Renewable
End date, if applicable
End date, if applicable 09/30/2030
Position FTE
Position FTE 1.0
Tenure Status N - not applicable
Position Summary
Brief Description of PSU/School/Dept
Portland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hands‑on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners.
More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree‑lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state‑of‑the‑art science labs. We are proud of our world‑class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation.
Innovation and Intellectual Property is responsible for protecting and managing patentable and copyrighted works developed in the course of PSU research activities. We serve PSU faculty, students, and staff by promoting the use and increasing the impact of innovations developed in the course of research activities. By working with IIP , PSU innovators create lasting impacts on our world.
Working directly within the Innovation & Intellectual Property ( IIP ) office of Propel PSU , the incumbent will split their focus between proactive discovery harvesting (systematically mining university‑wide awarded grant data and final reports to identify early‑stage innovations, along with leveraging existing and curating new relationships with researchers across all colleges and centers at PSU to find new innovations and helping the innovators to disclose them when appropriate) and traditional technology transfer roles (including conducting high‑intensity patentability/market analyses, managing intellectual property (IP) assets, and drafting/negotiating complex licensing and industry sponsored research agreements). The incumbent will also play an important role in programs associated with institutional innovation capacity building, prototyping and development of early‑stage technologies. The incumbent will also deliver training and expertise on translation topics to faculty and graduate students, and externally to build streamlined, flexible partnership pipelines with industry and community networks to drive economic and societal impact.
Duties:
Proactive Innovation Harvesting & Grant Mining
Systematically mine university‑wide awarded grant data, publications, and completed final grant reports to identify early‑stage discoveries with high translational or commercial potential.
Implement a rigorous, proactive scouting workflow. Conduct extensive, direct outreach across all PSU academic departments and colleges to build trust and surface disclosures before they are publicly published. Coordinate with the greater faculty support
Manage the administrative and legal aspects of PSU’s physical science, engineering, software, and life science patent portfolios.
Work with faculty inventors to evaluate discoveries, draft comprehensive intellectual property strategy plans, and manage patent prosecution timelines with external law firms. Draft, negotiate, and prepare high‑value patent and copyright licenses, options, and commercialization agreements for the Director’s signature.
Deliver rigorous scientific, legal, and commercial evaluations for newly submitted invention disclosures, and support the deployment of PSU’s seed‑funding.
Conduct high‑intensity patentability, market sizing, competitive landscape, and customer-discovery analyses on new disclosures. Coordinate regular, documented review meetings with select faculty and external partners. Assist in administering intake, review, milestone compliance, and tracking project progression for internally‑funded projects.
Deliver education, training, and resources to faculty, postdocs, and graduate students to increase translational participation across the institution.
Develop and deliver training workshops and seminars covering translation topics such as the benefits of research translation, patent basics, invention disclosure submissions, customer discovery, and industry partnering. Work alongside collaborative RGS staff to match early‑career researchers with experienced innovation mentors and provide substantive advice on innovation disclosures and innovation development/support programs.
Draft and negotiate agreements that govern external research collaborations and university‑industry interactions.
Draft, negotiate, and process material transfer agreements (MTAs), non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs/CDAs), and support the negotiation of intellectual property terms within Industry Sponsored Research Agreements (ISRAs). Deploy streamlined, flexible, and templated contract frameworks designed to minimize administrative friction and shorten the timeline from initial corporate contact to active collaboration.
Compliance, Intake, and Reporting
Manage data integrity and meet reporting compliance standards for federal, state, and institutional stakeholders.
Ensure all submitted invention disclosures meet federal reporting guidelines (such as iEdison and Bayh‑Dole requirements) and internal standards. Monitor development progress and milestone compliance for existing startup licensees. Generate required metrics reports for federal and State agencies, university leadership, and the annual Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Licensing Survey.
Provide direct supervision to student workers and hands‑on professional mentorship to graduate trainees.
Independently supervise student assistants managing database inputs, website updates, and paper files. Act as an active mentor and supervisor for graduates participating in workshops and development programs hosted by PSU.
Master’s or advanced professional degree (Ph.D., JD, or MBA) with 3+ years of experience.
Advanced degree in sciences, engineering, business, or law.
3–5 years of direct experience in university technology transfer, commercialization, or corporate business development.
Demonstrated experience negotiating contracts, non‑disclosure agreements, or intellectual property licenses.
Excellent organizational skills, high attention to detail, and exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Deep knowledge of the university research environment, grant structures, and federal compliance rules.
Successful completion of a background check.
Preferred Qualifications
5–8 years of experience in university technology transfer.
Active experience in proactive technology scouting, grant mining, or early‑stage venture development.
Advanced proficiency with specialized technology transfer databases (such as Inteum).
Experience teaching or delivering training workshops on intellectual property, commercialization, or customer discovery to academic researchers.
Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
Adhere to all of PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.
Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long‑term sustainability goals.
Work Days/Hours
Monday-Friday, 8am - 5pm, and some nights and weekends
Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement
Salary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.
The starting annual salary for this position will be between $67,512 and $83,496 but may be negotiated above this range, dependent upon the factors above, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from HR.
An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools.
Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package.
In accordance with the AAUP collective bargaining agreement this position is open only to current PSU AAUP academic professionals. Article 17 Section 11 refers.
#internal
This appointment may be renewed, contingent upon funding. This is an on-campus position. The supervisor may approve up to one day of remote work, in accordance with the PSU Remote Work policy.
Please list the names, telephone numbers and email addresses for three professional references.
Does this position require the employee to drive a motor vehicle?
Does this position require the employee to drive a motor vehicle? No
Background Check Required Yes
Position End Date (if applicable)
Position End Date (if applicable) 09/30/2030
If you have questions
Please contact Joseph Janda at
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*) .
* This position is open only to current PSU AAUP academic professionals. Are you currently employed as an AAUP academic professional?Yes
No
* What is your highest degree earned?(Open Ended Question)
* Please name the specific field/discipline in which you received your degree.(Open Ended Question)
* How did you first find out about this position?PSU Website
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Worksite address
portland, OR, 97204, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.