Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Classification Title:

Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Clinical Professor

Classification Minimum Requirements: Candidates for this faculty rank shall be qualified for the rank of associate professor and, in addition, be a recognized national or international authority or an outstanding teacher in their field or specialization. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the associate professor level. Job Description:

The University of Florida College of Pharmacy seeks a visionary entrepreneurial leader to build a sustained culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across its education, research and clinical missions. This senior position will direct the Pharmacy Innovation Leadership Laboratory, or PILL, building partnerships with industry and venture capitalists, expanding commercialization opportunities and supporting faculty and student innovators. They will develop programs and infrastructure that translate ideas and discoveries into meaningful products, ventures and health solutions.

Innovation Culture:

• Develop and execute a strategy that will embed a sustained culture of innovation within the research, education, and clinical missions of the college.
• Foster an environment that lowers barriers to participation in invention, product development, and commercialization.
• Serve as a visible advocate and coach for faculty, staff, trainees, and students pursuing innovation and entrepreneurship.

Commercialization & External Engagement:

• Build partnerships with industry, venture capital, nonprofits, and health systems to support licensing, startups, and co-development.
• Support formation and growth of faculty-led startups, including governance, fundraising, and early-stage operations.
• Expand industry-sponsored research and strategic alliances.
• Partner with UF Innovate and university offices to accelerate disclosures, patents, startups, and licensing activity.
• Serve as the College's lead ambassador for innovation with industry, investors, alumni, foundations, and the broader innovation ecosystem.
• Lead fundraising efforts to support E&I programs, including creation and stewardship of an E&I endowment.

Innovation Strategy and Commercialization:

• Champion experimentation, translational thinking, and responsible risk-taking.
• Create and disseminate structured pathways that identify, refine, and advance ideas with commercial or translational potential.

Faculty & Staff Engagement

• Through inter-college collaboration, enhance and coordinate coursework that emphasizes scientific entrepreneurship.
• Design incentive models that align innovation and commercialization with promotion, tenure, and professional advancement.
• Provide hands-on guidance related to creation of intellectual property, market validation, and funding strategies.
• Develop mentorship networks connecting faculty innovators with entrepreneurs, clinicians, and industry experts.

Programming & Infrastructure:

• Integrate entrepreneurship and innovation content into PharmD, graduate, and postdoctoral curricula.
• Develop an E&I seminar series and provide shared resources supporting product development, regulatory strategy, and market access.
• Track college-wide E&I programs such as proof-of-concept funding, accelerators, pilot grants, and fellowship tracks.
• Track and report E&I performance metrics; maintain a dashboard, website, and regular communications to COP stakeholders.

Expected Salary:

Commensurate based on experience and education.

Employment Benefits include:

Health Insurance: UF participates in state- and university-sponsored benefits programs for individuals, families and domestic partners, and offers voluntary insurance that includes vision, dental, long-term disability and more.

Retirement Options: Attractive options include Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, State University System Optional Retirement Program, Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, and Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan.

Leave: UF Faculty and Staff enjoy a generous paid leave plan as well as access to a sick-leave pool, maternity/paternity leave, and leave payouts.

To learn more visit: hr.ufl.edu/benefits

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, or equivalent) in pharmacy, biomedical sciences, engineering, or related field. A candidate without a terminal degree but with exceptional qualifications and demonstrated experience will also be considered.
• Demonstrated experience in successful entrepreneurship and innovation, conduct of translational research, with achievement of commercialization.
• Proven ability to lead culture change and influence faculty, staff, and senior leadership.
• Strong knowledge of intellectual property, technology transfer, and product development.
• Working knowledge of startup formation, capitalization, funding stages, and regulatory and market access considerations.

Preferred:

• 10+ years of experience launching or leading startups, translational programs, or industry partnerships.
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical development, digital health, medical devices, diagnostics, or regulatory pathways.
• 10+ years of experience with venture capital, corporate partnerships, or academic leadership roles.
• Track record of securing philanthropic or external funding for innovation initiatives.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

The College of Pharmacy is not able to provide sponsorship for this position.

Inquiries and nominations are invited and should be submitted to Executive Search Committee Chair, Dr. Mark Rogge at Mark.Rogge@UFL.EDU.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

To be considered for this position, applicants should submit their Resume/CV and a Letter of Interest by Sunday December 6th, 2026 at 11:55pm.

Applications received after December 6th, 2026 will be reviewed at the discretion of the search committee. The position posting will remain open and accept applications until a competitive pool of applicants is established.

As a part of our review for research and research support positions, we look for a full CV which includes all professional appointments/engagements, all post-secondary education, and all publications from post-secondary education and all respective dates. Please be sure to not use acronyms in your CV. This CV should include names of entities associated with any projects.

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity employer. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352/392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800/955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida''''s Sunshine Law.

The final candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered "official" if a designation of "Issued to Student" is visible. Degrees earned from an education institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/.

Health Assessment Required: No