Associate Director of University-Industry Research

Working Title: Associate Director of University-Industry Research

State Role Title:N/A

Position Type:Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division:Research Economic Development and Innovation

Department: 100305 - Research Economic Development and Innovation (REDI)

Pay Rate:Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only positionNo

Is this a grant-funded positionNo

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated positionNo

Beginning Review Date:10/10/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginias beautiful Shenandoah Valley the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington D.C. and Richmond VA.

JMU is a selective public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21000 undergraduate and 1800 graduate students with over 1000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts science and technology and professional disciplines at the undergraduate masters and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Associate Director of University-Industry Research leads efforts to develop manage and expand collaborative research partnerships between the university and industry partners. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation while working closely with JMUs Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations and the Office of Economic and Community Development the Associate Director plays a pivotal role in aligning institutional research strengths with industry needs facilitating joint research activities and stewarding long-term strategic partnerships that drive innovation and impact.

Impact: This position supports the universitys mission of innovation public impact and economic development by increasing the volume diversity and success rate of industry-funded research. The Associate Director will be instrumental in fostering a culture of collaboration reducing transactional friction and enabling translational research that addresses real-world challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities:

#1: Strategic Partnership Development
Identify and cultivate research partnerships with industry stakeholders including Fortune 500 companies Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and innovation-driven startups.
Support strategic long-term engagements by aligning university capabilities with industry goals considering proximity research readiness levels and commercialization potential.
Serve as the liaison between academic researchers corporate partners and university stakeholders building trust-based reciprocal relationships.

#2: Research Collaboration Management
Oversee the life cycle of industry-sponsored research projects from proposal development and contract negotiation to execution and impact tracking.
Collaborate with sponsored programs research to impact and legal teams to streamline agreements and manage IP using flexible and industry-friendly models where appropriate.

#3: Communications and Outreach
Lead or support the creation of industry-facing content that articulates the universitys research strengths and commercialization potential.
Represent the university at external events industry consortia and trade shows to promote research collaboration opportunities.

#4: Data and Program Evaluation
Use bibliometrics funding analytics Technology Readiness Level (TRL) mapping and commercialization metrics to evaluate partnership opportunities and measure impact.
Contribute to internal reports and dashboards that assess the health of the universitys industry partnership portfolio.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:
Strategic thinking and systems-level vision for industry-university collaboration.
Capacity to navigate academic and commercial priorities and timelines.
Understanding of technology readiness levels IP policy and commercialization pathways.
Comfortable working across interdisciplinary teams and managing multiple concurrent projects.
Masters degree.

Preferred Qualifications:
Advanced degree in a research-intensive discipline (STEM business public policy etc.).
At least 57 years of experience in university-industry engagement sponsored research administration technology transfer or corporate Research & Development.
Familiarity with contracting licensing and federal research regulations (e.g. Bayh-Dole Act).
Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across academic and corporate cultures.
Strong written interpersonal and project management skills.

Additional Posting Information:

JMUs Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information please visit of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age color disability gender identity or expression genetic information national origin parental status political affiliation race religion sex sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access inclusion and diversity for all students faculty staff constituents and programs believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: .

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at or You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office located at 752 Ott Street Harrisonburg VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.