Business Development Administrator III

The Tulane University Innovation Institute (TUII) is where groundbreaking research meets real-world application.  We bridge the gap between cutting-edge discoveries and industry needs, helping to transform Tulane's world-class research into marketable technologies, products, and startups. The position works within the TUII team under the direction of the Executive Director of Industry Partnerships. The role manages industry-facing outreach across both sponsored research agreements and outbound technology licensing, develops and executes a comprehensive marketing plan for the institution's research capabilities and intellectual property portfolio, and supports the operational pipeline that connects Tulane faculty and technologies to industry partners and investment funding opportunities across the Gulf South and beyond.

Key Responsibilities:

Industry and Venture Partnership Development


Operationalize TULIP discovery sessions, manage the active industry partnership pipeline, and serve as the administrative support for industry-facing outreach. This includes:


•    Coordinating faculty for TULIP discovery sessions and supporting member relationship management,

•    Managing active pipeline development across industrial operators and venture partners

•    Serving as the initial point of contact for industry inquiries with handoff of substantive conversations to the ED of Industry Partnerships.

•    Coordinating Tulane representation at strategic industry conferences and operating faculty/founder mixers as a TUII-wide engagement activity.

Marketing Strategy and Implementation


Support the development of and then implement a comprehensive marketing strategy to raise awareness of the university's research capabilities and intellectual property portfolio within targeted industries. This will involve: 


•    Identifying and qualifying potential licensees using industry databases, alumni networks, and other Tulane resources,

•    Developing non-confidential summaries, marketing collateral, and value proposition materials in collaboration with researchers and the TUII/OIPM leadership team when appropriate.

•    Managing promotional materials on the OIPM and TUII websites and Tradespace Marketplace database, and collaborating with researchers to translate complex scientific concepts into a format easily understood by industry leaders.

Collaboration and Coordination


Support and maintain the operational pipeline infrastructure that supports the industry and venture partnerships. This specifically includes: 

•    Maintaining Salesforce industry partnership taxonomy and applying qualification frameworks across the partnership pipeline,

•    Maintaining periodic touchpoints with key industry and venture contacts and faculty innovators, 

•    Generating weekly pipeline reports for the ED of Industry Partnerships and monthly engagement reports for TUII leadership,

•    Supporting the quarterly cross-office attribution data pull from SPA, OIPM, Tulane Ventures, and Advancement.

•    Supporting Engaged Faculty list operations as a joint TUII-Provost Initiative

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated and results-oriented marketing professional with a deep understanding of academic technology commercialization and the ability to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

•    Excellent communication and writing skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear and concise language.

•    Analytical and research skills to assess market potential and identify target industry and venture partners.

•    Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

•    Ability to work independently and as part of a team across industry partnerships, OIPM, Commercialization, and other TUII functions.

•    Proficiency with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 


•    Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business administration, or in a scientific discipline.

•    1 year of experience in a marketing role, preferably within a university or research institution OR 1 year of experience in a B2B (business-to-business) marketing role demonstrating the ability to understand complex technical products or services and translate them for a target lay audience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:  


•    Education and/or work experience in both health sciences and business/industry is desirable.

•    Experience working with complex or technical products in any industry (e.g., medical devices, software).

•    Strong understanding of marketing principles and practices as demonstrated by 3+ years of marketing experience with an academic tech transfer office OR 2-5 years’ experience in a marketing, scientific or other relevant role (experience in B2B marketing a plus).

•    Master's Degree

•    Proficient in Wellspring or similar tech transfer management system.