Director, Quadrant-i and Associate Professor

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) seeks an entrepreneurial leader with an excellent record of startup and business experience to serve as the Director for Quadrant-i. The Director will serve as a member of the Office of Commercialization, supporting and facilitating faculty, researchers, and doctoral students in launching successful startups and encouraging commercialization efforts in greater ways.

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked, public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. Established in 1885, Georgia Tech is a part of the University System of Georgia. Today, Geogia Tech serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech’s faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation’s top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school. 

Georgia Tech’s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

• Students are our top priority. 
• We strive for excellence. 
• We thrive on diversity. 
• We celebrate collaboration. 
• We champion innovation. 
• We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression. 
• We nurture the wellbeing of our community. 
• We act ethically. 
• We are responsible stewards. 

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact. 

The Commercialization Ecosystem, at Georgia Tech, is a dynamic catalyst for transforming cutting-edge research into real-world solutions. Through commercialization endeavors, such as the VentureLab and the CREATE-X accelerator, Georgia Tech provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities needed to turn their ideas into successful ventures. This ecosystem attracts more than $100 million in industry research each year.

As a vital component of one of the nation's premier research institutions, the Office of Commercialization plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between academia and industry. At the heart of the Office of Commercialization's mission is a commitment to unlocking the full potential of Georgia Tech's innovative discoveries and to serve as a central engine that drives commercialization and entrepreneurship efforts across campus. Through strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, and startup support, the Office facilitates the commercialization of technologies developed by Georgia Tech faculty, researchers, and students. By fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, the Office helps cultivate the next generation of startup founders and industry leaders. Quadrant-i is a newly created unit in Georgia Tech’s Office of Commercialization that enables faculty, researchers, and doctoral students to translate technologies developed in research labs into commercial solutions.

The Director for Quadrant-i will report directly to the Vice President of Commercialization and Chief Commercialization Officer. The Director will interact on a regular basis with Georgia Tech faculty, researchers, students, staff, and advisory boards, and the local startup community.

The Director will lead the team that works primarily with faculty, researchers, and doctoral students to launch successful startups and encourage commercialization efforts in greater ways. The Director is responsible for recruiting, programming, and content to shape and drive the development and delivery of a new, high-impact unit at the intersection of innovation and technology.

The Director will create programs and strategies to further the goals and mission of the Office of Commercialization relating to research commercialization. The Director will have the opportunity to determine the types and levels of programming and services to be provided and the standards by which delivery will be evaluated.

Key Responsibilities 

The primary responsibilities for the Director for Quadrant-i will include:

• Lead the Quadrant-i team including Principals and other staff members toward the goal of enabling faculty, researchers, and doctoral students to translate their research into commercial solutions;
• Emerge and serve as the leader for research commercialization efforts on campus. This includes coordinating with other commercialization resources both inside and outside the Office of Commercialization;
• Drive the development and execution of programs through Quadrant-i to serve the unique needs of faculty, researchers, and doctoral students pertaining to commercialization;
• Serve as a strong operational leader for all commercialization activities administered by Quadrant-i;
• Spearhead fundraising efforts for Quadrant-i, both through philanthropy and from the institute/state;
• Lead collection, analysis, tracking, and maintenance of data about startups launched and their founders;
• Lead the promotion of Quadrant-i to increase awareness and source applications;
• Manage platforms for connecting with alumni, customers, investors, and other support functions to help founders with their startups;
• Implement effective assessment methods (and metrics) to measure and monitor programs and services and inform understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and other outcomes of programs and services;
• Create a compelling brand and narrative which results in a strong identity and vision for Quadrant-i staff, students, faculty, the Georgia Tech campus community, and external partners;
• Intentionally grow existing and new partnerships; and
• Provide a vision and strategy to engage with the Georgia Tech community.

Required Qualifications

This position vacancy is an open rank announcement. Final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook (https://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/3.2.1-research-faculty-hiring-and-promotion-guidelines)

Research Associate I 

• Bachelor’s Degree. 

Research Associate II

• A Master’s degree and three (3) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of that degree, or
• A Master’s degree and five (5) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a Bachelor’s degree, or 
• A Doctoral degree.

Senior Research Associate 

• A Master’s degree and seven (7) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of that degree, or
• A Master’s degree and nine (9) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a Bachelor’s degree, or 
• A Doctoral degree and four (4) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a Bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA, Ph.D, EdD or terminal degree.
• Experience with faculty and researchers in a higher education environment.
• Experience with founding ventures and/or investments in early stage ventures.
• Experience with commercialization in an academic setting and/or research institute.
• Experience in entrepreneurial ventures.
• Experience successfully taking deep technology/products from inception to market.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Experience operating early-stage, venture-scalable startups.
• Experience running organizations such as accelerator; venture capital investor, etc.
• Experience leading change and innovation, resulting in a high level of performance outcomes.
• Expertise and understanding of emerging trends and innovations within the fields of entrepreneurship and commercialization.
• Strong ability to collaborate with multiple and diverse constituents to accomplish goals.

The is a full-time position, located in Atlanta, GA. The compensation will be commensurate with experience with a generous benefits package.

The review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Nominations and applications for the Director for Quadrant-i are welcomed as soon as possible. Applications should include a complete résumé or vitae and a Letter of Interest. All application materials will be considered in full confidence. Please send all nominations, inquiries, and applications electronically to: [email protected]. 

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

All members of the USG community must adhere to the USG Statement of Core Values, which consists of Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values shape and fundamentally support our University’s work. Additionally, all faculty, staff, and administrators must also be aware of and comply with the Board of Regents and Georgia Institute of Technology's policies on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. More information on these policies can be found here: Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).