Research Development and Technology Commercialization Officer

Department 2701 – Office of Research Administration

Position Information

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the Research Development/Tech Commercialization Officer’s assigned areas of responsibility, or in a closely related field or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• A minimum of four (4) years’ experience editing and developing competitive grant proposals for external, peer-reviewed competitions
• Experience in technology commercialization, intellectual property, and/or knowledge mobilization
• Knowledge of the organizational environment of higher education and research universities
• Knowledge of standard processes, protocols, and procedures related to obtaining and managing external funding
• Evidence of relationship-building and strategic thinking skills, and ability to communicate and build rapport with investigators including faculty, staff, and students
• Knowledge of the avenues to mine funding opportunities
• Experience in an academic research environment, with knowledge of relevant agencies and their policies and procedures.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a discipline related to the Research Development/Tech Commercialization Officer’s assigned areas of responsibility, or in a closely related field
• Previous research development experience in an academic setting
• Successful track record of developing competitive and complex research initiatives and proposals
• Experience organizing or coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and intra- and inter-institutional partnerships
• Certification as a registered technology transfer professional ( RTTP ) or certified licensing professional ( CLP )
• Experience assisting investigators to build relationships with corporate and industry partners, and in seeking funding from those sponsors
• Experience developing investigators’ capacity and using systems for tracking that capacity, success, and impact

All Qualifications Unless otherwise required by an applicable collective bargaining agreement, all minimum, additional and desired qualifications are preferred, but qualifications, degrees, and/or experience deemed comparable and/or equivalent by Oakland University in its sole and exclusive discretion may be considered.

Position Details Position Purpose Research Development Officers work with Oakland University investigators (faculty, staff, postdocs, etc.) to support them in becoming competitive for relevant external funding. RDOs also support their colleagues in the Research Office on the compliance, sponsored projects, and technology transfer/knowledge mobilization teams when their experience, expertise, or input is needed. They support and help to foster a culture of research at OU, improve funding success, and both sustain and expand OU’s research enterprise. The Research Development/Technology Commercialization Officer additionally manages the transfer of technologies from OU into commercial sectors, with responsibilities for technology review, intellectual property (IP) legal protection, and IP license negotiations.

Job Open Date 10/07/2025

Job Close Date