APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

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.

This position is funded for 6 months; continuation past 6 months will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

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POSITION SPECIFICS​

The Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (OEC) at Penn State University seeks an early-career scientist or engineer to serve as Technology Scout Lead for the NSF Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub. This full-time role sits at the intersection of research, commercialization, and federal innovation policy.

The Technology Scout Lead identifies commercially promising technologies across the Hub's 12 university partners and regional ecosystem and advances them toward NSF TIP translational funding programs through a structured, nationally coordinated case-based workflow.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and manage a technology pipeline by establishing sourcing channels across 12 Mid-Atlantic Hub universities and the regional ecosystem, identifying early-stage technologies with commercialization potential.
• Execute the national six-stage workflow — Identify → Triage → Path Forward → Connect → Monitor → Outcome — for each active Technology Scouting Case with full documentation.
• Map and broker pathways to NSF TIP programs (SBIR/STTR, POSE, ART, TTP) and complementary federal, state, industry, and private funding opportunities.
• Coordinate nationally by participating in monthly NIN webinars, Hub working sessions, and direct engagement with NSF TIP Program Directors.
• Track and report outcomes, maintaining case records in the national tracking system and submitting quarterly and final reports to Penn State and Hub leadership.
   

Required Qualifications

• Ability to evaluate technical concepts across diverse STEM domains for commercialization potential
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated project management and organizational ability
• Collaborative and self-directed work style

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD) in a STEM field
• Experience in technology transfer, research commercialization, or innovation ecosystems
• Familiarity with NSF I-Corps, SBIR/STTR, or other TIP programs
• Prior NSF I-Corps participation
• Knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic regional research landscape
   

Application