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Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

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POSITION SPECIFICS​

The Technology Commercialization Specialist (Intermediate or Advanced Professional) in the Office for Innovation in the Eberly College of Science supports early-stage translational research projects by helping faculty, postdocs, and students navigate the pathway from research concepts toward externally aligned, fundable opportunities. Reporting to the Director of the Office for Innovation, the role focuses on upstream implementation planning, early market and industry exploration, and preparation for engagement with technology transfer, corporate partners, and sponsored research programs. Working closely with research teams, the successful candidate will provide hands-on guidance, analysis, and project coordination to strengthen translational readiness and improve the quality of downstream handoffs.

Key Responsibilities include:

Project Advancement & Translational Readiness

• Provide direct coaching to faculty, postdocs, and students to advance translational pathways, improve implementation plans, and align project direction with market and societal needs.
• Develop project-level translational approaches aligned with potential commercial outcomes, including startup pathways, federal translational funding (e.g., NSF, NIH), and corporate partnership opportunities.
• Conduct targeted market, technology landscape, and stakeholder analyses to inform research direction.
• Track project progress and maturity using College-defined metrics and systems.
• Identify bottlenecks and coordinate solutions across internal units and external partners.

Faculty Capacity Building & Industry Skills Development

• Deliver training and individualized support to enhance researcher capability in industry-facing engagement, communication, and partnership formation.
• Guide researchers in early articulation of market utility, application scenarios, and value proposition development.
• Support high-quality invention disclosures and early commercialization planning.
• Help embed translational thinking into research design, strengthening future funding competitiveness.

Industry Exploration & Opportunity Intelligence

• Support early exploratory engagement with industry scientists and technical stakeholders to gather insights that inform research direction