Director of Industry Partnerships

The Director of Industry Partnerships serves as a member of the Office of Economic Development and plays a leading role in driving industry and stakeholder engagement at the University of Kansas. Reporting to the Managing Director, Corporate and Stakeholder Engagements, the Director is responsible for identifying, developing, and executing mutually beneficial research partnerships with corporate, federal, state, and other entities.

The Director will work closely with the leadership and faculty in the School of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Life Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, and associated research centers, to translate KU expertise, innovation, and research capabilities into impactful collaborations. This individual will serve as a conduit between KU research expertise and industry, cultivating relationships that lead to sponsored research, workforce development, technology engagement, and strategic partnerships that advance KU's mission and industry needs. The Director will collaborate with colleagues across complementary disciplines to ensure cohesive-facing strategies across KU.

The Director will identify, engage, build, and advance a robust portfolio of corporate partners while stimulating engagement strategies and collaborations across a complex academic environment to support KU's institutional goals.

Position Goals:

• Increase the number of new corporate partners and relevant stakeholders engaging in research or research related activities.
• Develop new, and support existing, research partnerships by engaging faculty, research staff, and centers.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of faculty research expertise and research capabilities to promote mutually beneficial partnerships and increase industry-sponsored research.
• Develop and manage corporate relationships while, when appropriate, coordinating with campus units to broaden and deepen engagement within KU.
• Develop an understanding of federal opportunities and identify appropriate applications that stimulate industry-academic-federal collaborations.
• Collaborate with KU Innovation Park, the KU Center for Technology Commercialization, KU Endowment, Career Services, Jayhawk Community Partners, and others to identify new partnership opportunities and leverage ongoing activity.

65% Industry Partnership Engagement

• Identify, engage, build, and advance corporate relationships that integrate research, technology engagement, and workforce development.
• Identify and facilitate engagement with emerging industry partnership opportunities by gathering market intelligence and leveraging faculty expertise when appropriate capitalizing on federal funding opportunities and roadmap intelligence.
• Initiate, coordinate, and facilitate corporate interactions both on campus and at corporate sites.
• In collaboration with KU faculty, leverage federal programs and opportunities (e.g., DOE, DOD, NSF, NIH) that involve industry-academic partnerships.
• Represent the industry partners' needs and interests to KU offices and departments that facilitate execution of collaborations while ensuring alignment with KU's engagement strategies.
• Develop and implement marketing tools and materials that highlight KU's research expertise and capabilities.
• Identify and engage non-commercial stakeholder partners when their interests align with an area of interest or need.

20% Collaboration

• Strengthening and expanding collaborative relationships with schools, departments, centers, and faculty to promote KU's breadth of expertise.
• Coordinate with the Managing Director to identify collaborative opportunities across KU campuses that leverage expertise in key thematic areas.
• Work collaboratively with the Managing Director and Deans to develop and manage high-level strategic partnerships.
• Partners with KU Endowment, the Center for Technology Commercialization, KU Innovation Park, Jayhawk Community Partners, Career Services, and others too, when appropriate, broaden and deepen industry engagement.
• Work closely with KU's contracting departments to represent the voice of the partner and their interests as may be beneficial.

10% Strategic Development

• Support faculty and research staff through training and one-on-one guidance to help them develop and maintain industry relationships.
• Stay abreast of and incorporate best practices in academic-industry partnerships and actively participate in national organizations such as AUTM and UIDP.
• In partnership with KU Innovation Park, develop programming and engagement strategies that support the retention, recruitment, and growth of industry presence at KU.

5% Other Duties

• Other duties as assigned by the Managing Director or Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development.

1. Master's Degree plus five (5) years of related experience OR Bachelor's Degree and seven (7) years of related experience
2. Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in technical business development, research partnerships, commercialization, or relevant roles.
3. Demonstrated experience developing collaborative relationships in a large, complex environment as evidenced by application materials.
4. Effective written communication skills as demonstrated by application materials.
5. Strong people skills and demonstrated customer service experience supporting engagement with internal and external stakeholders as evidenced by application materials and work history.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.

A complete application consists of:

1. A cover letter that describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
2. A Resume or CV
3. Contact information for three (3) professional references

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins Monday, September 28th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

Jane New
new@ku.edu

$115,000 - $130,000

Monday September 28, 2026

Thursday October 15, 2026