Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer

The annual salary for this position ranges from $260,300 to $300,000. The final offer will be commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience and qualifications.

Documents Needed to Apply

Required :

• Resume
• References (minimum of three)

Purpose of Position

The University of Texas at Arlington is seeking a Chief Innovation Officer to provide strategic, operational, and external leadership for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Development. The Chief Innovation Officer will lead UTA’s next-generation innovation and commercialization enterprise by developing entrepreneurial faculty, advancing UTA technologies toward market adoption, expanding student entrepreneurship, strengthening regional and industry partnerships, and building the systems necessary to convert research strength into societal, economic, and institutional impact.

The Chief Innovation Officer will be responsible for leading CETD’s integrated portfolio across technology commercialization, research translation, student entrepreneurship, faculty development, market intelligence, regional outreach, and proof-of-concept programming. The position will work closely with university leaders, industry partners, and regional innovation stakeholders. The role requires a leader who can operate at the intersection of university research, startup formation, intellectual property strategy, industry engagement, economic development, student entrepreneurship, and institutional change.

Essential Functions

• Leads CETD as UTA’s central engine for entrepreneurship, research translation, and technology commercialization.
• Partners with University leadership to align CETD programming with institutional priorities and advance regional economic and innovation opportunities.
• Provides executive leadership for UTA’s intellectual property, technology translation, licensing, startup formation, and commercialization portfolio.
• Oversees active licensing opportunity pipelines to ensure that UTA technologies are positioned for market adoption.
• Builds and leads a comprehensive faculty-engagement strategy designed to move researchers along a commercialization maturity continuum.
• Works with university leaders to identify emerging innovators and create structured engagement plans..
• Provides strategic oversight for CETD’s student entrepreneurship portfolio through integrated programming that is accessible, practical, experiential, and connected to broader innovation pipelines.
• Leads CETD’s community and regional outreach strategy to position UTA as an active hub in the DFW innovation ecosystem.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as business, law, engineering, science, public policy, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, economic development, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Ten (10) years of professional experience in technology commercialization, innovation management, entrepreneurship, venture development, research translation, intellectual property strategy, startup formation, industry engagement, economic development, investment, government affairs, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional work involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, ambiguous opportunities, and long commercialization timelines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, operational processes, performance metrics, reporting systems, teams, and strategic initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving in a senior leadership role in a university technology-transfer office, commercialization center, innovation office, venture studio, accelerator, economic development organization, investment organization, startup, corporate innovation group, or applied research enterprise.
• Experience as a founder, investor, operator, commercialization executive, licensing professional, entrepreneur in residence, executive in residence, or venture-development leader.
• Demonstrated record of licensing technologies, forming startups, negotiating industry partnerships, securing translational funding, raising investment capital, or moving university technologies toward market adoption.
• Demonstrated ability to represent an institution externally with credibility, professionalism, and strategic judgment, and to build durable partnerships.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to think strategically and operationally about innovation systems, university commercialization, faculty incentives, startup formation, investor engagement, student entrepreneurship, and regional economic development.
• Ability to assess research capabilities, technology maturity, market demand, intellectual property strength, team readiness, proof-of-concept needs, customer discovery evidence, and potential commercialization pathways.
• Ability to build trust with faculty while applying disciplined business judgment to technology prioritization, patent investment, licensing strategy, and portfolio management.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including faculty researchers, students, senior administrators, legal counsel, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and government stakeholders.
• Ability to lead a center that functions as both an internal university service organization and an external market-facing opportunity development platform.

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday; 8:00am through 5:00pm
• 10% Travel.
• Requires occasional evening or weekend hours.

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.

Benefits Information

Position is benefit eligible: Yes

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our employees at the University.

It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a pre employment background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University.

This position may have access to critical infrastructure as defined by Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. If so, to be hired for and continue to be employed in this position you must maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure as set forth in Texas Executive Order GA 48. By assuming this position, and if you have access to critical infrastructure, you authorize the University to conduct routine background checks.

University Information

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. As a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution, UTA is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of more than 42,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution and nationally recognized for its commitment to student success and service. It ranks No. 5 in Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Colleges” and is the top university in North Texas for its graduates’ salaries (The Wall Street Journal). UTA is designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution and is No. 6 for undergraduate ethnic diversity in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). With a global alumni network of approximately 280,000 – including leaders at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas – UTA contributes an estimated $29 billion annually to the Texas economy.

UTA is expanding its regional footprint by building a regional campus, called UTA West, in Parker County on the far west side of Fort Worth. It is scheduled to open in fall 2028. This initiative aligns with the university’s strategic growth and commitment to serving the broader community.

This is an exciting time to join UTA and contribute to its bold vision for the future.

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or The University) to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University’s compliance with this policy.

ADA Accommodations

The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io .