Job Details

Manager, I&EA Operations

Position Number: 6099204
Location: Albany, NY
Position Type: Economic and Business Development

Manager, I&EA Operations

Category: Administrative and Professional
Department: Industry & External Affairs
Locations: Albany, NY
Posted: Mar 24, 2025
Closes: Open Until Filled
Type: Exempt
Position ID: 186668

About The Research Foundation for SUNY:
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF) is the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country.

Our mission is to provide talent, services, and technology that empower SUNY to research, innovate, and transfer discoveries that transform the world's knowledge economy.

Our vision is to make SUNY the best place for faculty, students, and staff to research, innovate and solve the world's most pressing problems.

The RF serves SUNY by providing essential administrative services that enable faculty to focus their efforts on educating students and performing life-changing research across a wide range of disciplines including Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, Biotechnology, Longevity, Substance Addiction, Nextgen Quantum Computing, Environmental Health, and Resiliency. We work with the academic and business leadership of SUNY campuses to facilitate research and discovery by administering sponsored projects and delivering intellectual property and technology transfer services that fuel innovation and move ideas and inventions to the marketplace.

The RF is committed to diversity, inclusion, and a working environment that enhances productivity creates personal and professional opportunities, unleashes everyone's full potential, and fuels innovation. We hold the organization and each other to the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and ethical behavior.

Visit www.rfsuny.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn about SUNY at www.suny.edu.

Job Description:
FUNCTION & SCOPE:

The State University of New York (SUNY) Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development and The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF) Office of Industry and External Affairs (I&EA) spearhead translating university technologies into life-changing innovations across New York State. RF is looking for a candidate who is an action-oriented, entrepreneurial, impact-driven team player who has deep experience in technology transfer, operations, and program management. This is a unique opportunity to combine all these skills to support the continued growth of I&EA's team and business operations in a fast-paced environment that supports SUNY's billion-dollar research enterprise.

Reporting directly to the RF Vice President of Industry and External Affairs (I&EA), the Manager, I&EA Operations will be responsible for helping manage the operations of I&EA's three business units: Intellectual Property and Licensing, New Ventures, and Marketing and Communications. The Manager, I&EA Operations will oversee key aspects of I&EA operations that deliver a diverse set of services and programmatic support to SUNY campuses around the enterprise. The performance of the Manager, I&EA Operations will be assessed primarily by the progress made on streamlining and optimizing business processes and systems that support the I&EA team and the broader set of stakeholders that they serve.

The Manager, I&EA Operations will collaborate with colleagues throughout the organization to support the execution and realization of I&EA's departmental goals to be an intellectual property powerhouse, get more SUNY technologies to market, and tell the story of SUNY research and innovation. The primary goal of the Manager, I&EA Operations will be to lead the support and advancement of I&EA's operations, including metrics collection and reporting, business intelligence and systems management, royalty administration and distribution to inventors and campuses, and administration of RF's equity holdings in companies across the SUNY enterprise. In addition, the Manager, I&EA Operations will help support existing and new programs that serve inventors and entrepreneurs across SUNY. To be successful in this role, the Manager, I&EA Operations will be a constant learner, excellent listener, data-driven decision-maker, proactively communicate with colleagues, and focus on developing and growing strong relationships with key stakeholders throughout RF and SUNY.

Through direct, daily interaction with research and technology commercialization professionals across the SUNY enterprise, faculty (including Nobel laureates), students, small and large businesses, government, and investors, the I&EA team builds strong relationships, seizes opportunities, and enters into agreements to translate academic discoveries into commercial products that benefit society, impact public health, and improve quality of life. If you are a business-minded individual who is self-motivated, enthusiastic about having an impact, enjoys teamwork, and has deep experience managing operations and administering programs that serve inventors and entrepreneurs, then this is the dream opportunity you have been searching for.

DUTIES:
Reporting, Metrics, and Business Intelligence

Provide ongoing support to I&EA departmental units on reporting and metrics collection, including the enterprise tools and systems used to track and measure outcomes and impacts of RF and SUNY's programs and services.
Oversee business intelligence efforts within I&EA to ensure all units are leveraging technology-driven processes that analyze data and deliver actionable information that helps team members make informed business decisions.
Lead data analysis support on as needed basis to advance and achieve departmental goals and help justify changes needed in program and service delivery to maximize impact and client satisfaction.
Operationalize business processes and related systems needed to maintain and track metrics to illustrate various stakeholder impacts and achievement of targets.
Maintain master report of all intellectual property, business development, startup, marketing/communications, and other key performance indicators.
Manage data collection and analysis, program assessment and evaluation activities, regular tracking of participating teams' and companies' performance against milestones.
Collaborate with I&EA team members to build reports, dashboards, visuals, etc. to illustrate to key stakeholders and the world how RF is making SUNY the best place for researchers and entrepreneurs to solve the world's most pressing problems.

Royalty and Equity Administration

Oversee royalty administration across the SUNY enterprise, working closely with campuses, I&EA colleagues, and relevant RF departments to analyze and execute distributions resulting from simple and complex license agreements and royalty sharing agreements.
Serve as the main point of contact with inventors and campus stakeholders on all royalty payment and distribution matters.
Manage equity administration across the SUNY enterprise, working closely with campuses, I&EA colleagues, and relevant RF departments to analyze and aggregate all equity positions that RF holds in companies resulting from license agreements and programmatic investments.
Work in partnership with the Vice President of I&EA and colleagues at RF to inform and advise campuses on equity-related matters, including recapitalizations, license or other agreement amendments, and liquidation and divestiture events.
Manage annual process for administering and inventorying all RF equity positions across SUNY and collecting respective valuations of all companies in the portfolio.

Operations and Programmatic Support

Partner with I&EA colleagues to provide ongoing programmatic support for RF's technology to market service offerings, including but not limited to, the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund and SUNY Startup Summer School.
Provide guidance and training to other team members on payment processing, use of Oracle and Report Center, use of Inteum and Minuet, and other business systems utilized by I&EA staff and campus clients.
Work cross-functionally with other RF departments and campus colleagues to build, develop, and implement new tools and operational efficiencies that support the work of I&EA and peers across the SUNY enterprise.
Other duties as needed to support I&EA's goals and the mission of RF.

The ideal candidate will be:

Passionate- For you, this is not just another job. RF's mission resonates with you, you truly believe in what we do and get energy from our collective wins. Like us, you want to make a difference. Here, you can.
Tireless- You seek to learn from others constantly, while also helping to support those who are not as well versed as you are in your technical area. As a result, you are determined to achieve your goals and relentlessly support your team while always remembering this is not your typical 9-5 job.
Gritty- You have an agile mindset, can-do attitude, a desire to "get to yes", and a willingness to tackle any task needed to get the job done. You thrive in fast-paced and changing environments that let you flex your creative muscle and you value being a key member of a close-knit team that works hard and always has each other's backs.
Entrepreneurial- You are undeterred no matter the situation and pivot when you need to. You enjoy building things and serving others in working toward and achieving common objectives and goals. You are obsessed with delivering a high-quality product no matter how small the task is and take real pride in your work.

Requirements:
SPECIAL SKILLS

Excellent writing and communication skills.
Ability to work independently under general direction.
Strong understanding of operations and business tools/systems.
Demonstrated working knowledge of higher education norms and culture, with unrelenting attention to detail in written and verbal communications.
Must be self-directed, but engaged with teammates, with effective time management, organizational skills, and demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities and guiding people.
Ability to think strategically and creatively, to anticipate future needs, and to translate that thinking into viable, cogent plans for amplifying SUNY and serving RF's campus clients.
Demonstrated capacity for independent decision-making, understanding entrepreneurship and commercialization best practices, and working with multidisciplinary teams on multi-faceted initiatives.
Must work well within a collaborative, team environment, and persistently maintain confidentiality.
Ability to exercise independent judgment in responding to inquiries, display tact and sensitivity, and be solution-driven.
Demonstrated experience assessing program effectiveness and constantly optimizing for success.
Systems-savvy and embracing of technology.
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, with a sense of urgency.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Ten or more years of professional experience in operations, entrepreneurial endeavors, technology transfer, business development, and/or program management.
A Bachelor's degree in a related field. An advanced degree in science, engineering, finance, law, or business is preferred.
Excellent people and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work and communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Working knowledge of university and academic norms and culture.
Demonstrated experience in operations and utilizing different business systems and processes to deliver value.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Unrelenting attention to detail.

Compensation for this position: The compensation for this role is between $92,645 to $116,384. The pay will depend on a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to experience, education, training, and certifications.

Additional Information:
As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law. The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York operates under a contract with The State University of New York and receives no directly appropriated state funding.

Application Instructions:

Applicants interested in applying MUST submit the following documents:
1. Resume/Cv
2. Cover Letter

After submitting your resume/CV, the subsequent pages enable you to upload your cover letter and additional documents.

Returning Applicants - Login to your RF SUNY Careers Account to review your application.

To apply, visit: https://rfsuny.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=186668