What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Vice Chancellor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization position at University of Missouri?
Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) invites nominations and applications to serve as the associate vice chancellor of innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization, reporting to the vice chancellor for research and innovation.
This role oversees all aspects of Missouri S&T’s Technology Transfer and Economic Development (TTED) function, including patenting, licensing, and startup creation, as well as promoting a culture of entrepreneurship among faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.
In addition, TTED is the home of a regional state Small Business Development Center (SBDC) office that is responsible for business development and support across seven Missouri counties. The associate vice chancellor of innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization participates in strategic plan implementation, assists in the formulation of innovation and commercialization directions and policies for the institution, and represents research and innovation administration on a variety of groups and committees.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the associate vice chancellor of innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization include, but not limited to the following :
- Develop strategic objectives for the growth of TTED and collaborate with the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development to grow the innovation and commercialization ecosystem at Missouri S&T.
- Strengthen and grow Missouri S&T’s intellectual property (IP) and commercialization capabilities and capacity and streamline the systems for disclosure, patent, and commercialization.
- Drive the growth of commercialization of Missouri S&T research.
- Craft comprehensive strategies for Missouri S&T startups that are research-based and have high-growth potential.
- Champion licensing activities, which includes managing a process to identify, protect and pursue commercializable IP and executing marketing, negotiating and tracking of licensed IP.
- Develop a campus Accelerator program to focus on growth and scaling entrepreneurial startups within a short timeframe.
- Develop a campus Incubator program to focus on nurturing and building the foundation of the entrepreneurial businesses over longer timeframes.
- Seek internal and external funding opportunities to grow TTED budget and support its mission and work with Alumni groups for philanthropy and Angel Venture Funding of commercialization opportunities.
- Engage with international, national, state and regional organizations to build partnerships with leaders, investors and organizations that support Missouri S&T commercialization.
- Set and measure annual goals for the business unit, which includes SBDC goals, tracking performance and reporting progress.
- Work closely with research faculty to lead commercialization and economic development portions of large research proposals.
- Provide startup support training / services.
- Engage with the development office, the Board of Trustees, Kummer Institute, Kummer Missouri S&T Institute Foundation Board, and any other Missouri S&T boards to launch a university venture fund to support start-ups and establish a business accelerator with proper administrative support, including legal (IP, business formation, investment), product development, marketing and manufacturing.
- Engage with industry sponsors of faculty research to strategize and agree on terms of IP ownership that will support the industry partner and protect faculty and university intellectual assets.
- Jointly, with the dean of the Kummer College, strengthen the educational arm of Entrepreneurial Thinking, including the design of multi-level educational programs for students and faculty.
Expected Performance
The successful candidate will have a record of accomplishment in the highlighted responsibilities on page 3. Establishing a close working relationship with an advisory board but not limited to volunteer Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs), is expected. The successful individual will be result-oriented and will delineate motion and action to achieve stated goals. Timely and close working relationship and mentorship of research faculty is also expected.
Minimum Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations
Questions, nominations, and inquiries may be directed to Carrie Arrowsmith (arrowsmithc@mst.edu), Lead Recruitment Consultant at Missouri S&T. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Professional references will be contacted later in the process prior to any hiring decision and the university will not contact references without prior candidate authorization.
DEADLINE FOR PRIORITY CONSIDERATION IS MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2025. Full position profile is available online here :
About Missouri S&T
Designated as both a land-grant and space-grant institution, Missouri S&T has a rich academic tradition dating back to its founding in 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy.
The university currently enrolls over 7,000 students and is home to more than 350 faculty, many of whom are among the top two percent of cited scholars in their respective fields. Missouri S&T is frequently commended as a leading institution for career placement and return on investment and a top destination for engineering majors. The university counts around 60,000 living alumni, including astronauts, scientists, engineers, inventors, and business leaders. One of four universities within the University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T also benefits from shared services, partnership agreements, and other forms of collaboration with its peer institutions.
NORTH STAR GOALS
Under the leadership of Chancellor Mohammad Dehghani, Missouri S&T is pursuing three primary “North Star Goals” : growing enrollment and elevating the university’s rank and reputation. A third goal — achieving R1 Carnegie Classification — was accomplished in 2025. Missouri S&T is committed to educational innovation across its offerings on campus and online. S&T’s commitment to remaining in the forefront of experiential education is demonstrated by its 19 design teams, the most extensive of any university in the world and its recent decision to integrate academic student support and extracurricular student affairs into a single division of Student Success under the direction of a vice chancellor. S&T recently opened the state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, which features reconfigurable classrooms, maker spaces, a media space and facilities for student teamwork. Missouri S&T is a member of the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), the Public Interest University Network (PIT-UN) and the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU).
A substantial portion of the university’s enrollment growth in the coming decade is projected to occur in online education, with emphases on non-thesis master’s degrees, graduate certificate programs, and similar graduate and / or continuing education offerings. The university has a solid foundation for this growth trajectory, with several established online programs in each of its three academic colleges. Missouri S&T’s online programs in engineering management and industrial-organizational psychology are ranked among the Top 10 in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report and Forbes Advisor , respectively.
Rolla, MO
Missouri S&T is located in the community of Rolla and surrounded by the scenic beauty of the Missouri Ozarks. Known as a welcoming, family-friendly, and affordable community, Rolla offers plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation, quality K-12 schools, and a comprehensive medical center. Rolla is approximately 90 minutes away from numerous urban amenities in the St. Louis area, including world-class museums, shopping, sporting events and other cultural attractions.
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