About Us - Values Overview

Department Summary

The Innovation and Commercialization unit within the Division of Research & Innovation, empowers researchers to transform discoveries into products, services, and companies. The team provides university researchers with services to support navigating the intellectual property and patent processes, development of licensing agreements with strategic industry partners, mentorship in creating startups and pursuing entrepreneurship, and administering commercialization education programs that help forge paths from academic innovation to real-world application.

Position Overview

The Licensing & Contracts Administrator position supports operations across the Innovation & Commercialization and Research Contracting units, within the Division of Research & Innovation, to provide legal expertise and execution of contracts involving intellectual property, research-related agreements, and industry partnerships. Position duties include: executing research contracts with intellectual property agreements and licensing technology contracts; developing guidance for the protection of intellectual property; providing expertise in revenue generation avenues for UNT and inventors; developing startup companies; and executing contracts for engagement between university researchers and external partners in the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem (e.g. space lease agreements).

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering, law, or a related field, and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, with three years of experience in technology transfer, intellectual property law, research commercialization, or startup companies; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

* Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form with university faculty and staff, students, and the general public. skills to support the service to faculty and student inventors
* Expert knowledge in negotiating and executing legal contracts involving technology transfer and intellectual property to maintain compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
* Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
* Ability to effectively manage multiple projects at once.

Preferred Qualifications

Work experience in higher education.

Required License/Registration/Certifications

Juris Doctorate degree (J.D.)

Job Duties

• Develops and executes legal contracts for Intellectual Property Agreements, including: • Invention Disclosure Agreements to document and assign rights for inventions created by UNT personnel; • License Agreements to execute the core agreement terms that grants companies the right to develop, market, and sell intellectual property owned by UNT (patents, software, designs) in exchange for fees/royalties; • Option Agreements to grant a company an exclusive, time-limited right to evaluate an invention before committing itself to a full license; and • Assignment Agreements to transfer ownership of IP from one party to another. 
• Develops and executes legal contracts for Research-Related Agreements, including: • Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs) governing the exchange of tangible research materials (e.g., cells, antibodies, software) between institutions or companies for research purposes; • Data Transfer Agreements (DTAs/DUAs) to manage the sharing of research data between entities; • Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) / Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) to provide legal protection to allow potential partners to review confidential IP information about an invention without revealing it publicly; • Employee/Student IP Agreements defining ownership and revenue-sharing terms for IP created by UNT personnel; • Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIAs) managing the joint ownership of IP when multiple institutions are involved; and • Reviewing and negotiating IP terms for sponsored research agreements and grant awards that may include rights resulting in intellectual property. Collaborates with Grants & Contracts Administration unit staff in the Research Contracting and Pre-Award teams. 
• Develops and executes legal contracts for enterprise engagement between Innovation & Commercialization and external entities, including but not limited to: guidance and contract language for University and Industry Partnerships, and space agreements for startups and other entrepreneurial activities at the UNT-Denton and UNT at Frisco campuses. Position also serves a liaison between the Division of Research and Innovation and the UNT System Office of General Counsel. 
• Other duties as assigned to support operations within the Innovation and Commercialization, and the Grants & Contracts Administration-Research Contracting units. 

Physical Requirements

• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing.

Environmental Hazards

• No adverse environmental conditions expected.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm. Some evenings and weekends as required.

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

Special Instructions

Applicants must submit a minimum of two professional references as part of their application. If needed, additional references can be added after the application has been submitted. 

Benefits

For information regarding our Benefits, click here.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit –and takes actions to prevent – discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking), and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices, and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities. UNT System Administration promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. System Administration also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist, or participate in a related investigation or proceeding.