About the Maryland Innovation Initiative The Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) is a collaborative program between the State of Maryland and five Maryland research institutions: Johns Hopkins University; Morgan State University; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and University of Maryland, College Park. The mission of MII is to advance innovative technologies from lab to market. MII provides funding for technology validation, market assessment, and company formation to commercialize technologies originating from these qualifying universities. MII enables the transition promising technologies into the commercial sector, supporting innovation and economic development in Maryland. MII is piloting new programs to expand its economic development impact, including the Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII). BII, a component of the Baltimore Tech Hubs program, aims to expand the MII model to several new partner universities and colleges in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). MII is administered by the Maryland Technology Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO). Position Summary The Program Manager, Baltimore Innovation Initiative will be responsible for the launch and operation of the Baltimore Innovation Initiative pilot program. This individual will work directly with the Executive Director, Maryland Innovation Initiative to plan, launch, and manage the BII program. The Program Manager, BII will be responsible for managing the application and administration processes for the BII program. This will include liaising with partner institutions to understand needs and design according application programs; encouraging and soliciting project applications from partner institutions; evaluating applications for merit and award; and ongoing evaluation and award management for successful programs. The Program Manager is expected to be comfortable in a dynamic working environment with a wide range of stakeholders. The Program Manager will work directly with the MII team, and will further interface with TEDCO and BII partner institutions. The Program Manager will serve as a primary champion for the BII program, ensuring program success and partner buy-in. Responsibilities
- Work closely with the MII team members to ensure application compliance, develop application summaries and assign reviewers;
- Actively participate in the assessment and review of applications as to their potential commercial value or merit toward expanding entrepreneurship and innovation among partner institutions;
- Serve as a representative for the BII program to direct partner organizations and other community organizations;
- Ensure awardees are on track and compliant with project milestones.
- Document, manage and track interactions with awardees;
- Identify and coordinate other areas of support needed by the awardee, and the appropriate university and/or state resources to support the commercialization of technology;
- Work together with the MII team, providing the necessary documentation and tracking during the midterm, final report, and review processes;
- Establish and maintain working relationships with the awardees, partner institution representatives, Site Miners, and Reviewers;
- Maintain relationships with Baltimore MSA partners;
- Identify and recommend awardees for TEDCO-sponsored additional training and tech showcases; and
- Assist in documentation and analysis of program follow-on metrics on IP and funding.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or related field.
- Two or more years of experience in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and / or Economic Development
- Two or more years of experience (may be overlapping) in Program Management or Accounting and Finance
- Grant-writing experience
- Experience in organization and event planning
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite to include Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- Ability to quickly adopt new software for project management as needed
- Self-directed time management skills
- Written and oral communication skills suitable for senior audiences
- Ability to spend time in-person at partner institutions
- Strong customer service
- Attention to detail
- Travel up to once per quarter
- Ability to work on-site (at MII office or partner institution) at least two times per week
TEDCO is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or any characteristic protected by law.