Posting Details
Posting Details
Job Title
Assistant Director of Contracts
Requisition Number
RE56355
Working Title
Department Name
40420:Office of Technology Commercialization
Work Location
Lexington, KY
Grade Level
49
Salary Range
$73,861-121,888/year
Type of Position
Staff
Position Time Status
Full-Time
Required Education
MA
Click here for more information about equivalencies:
https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies
Required Related Experience
5 yrs
Required License/Registration/Certification
None
Physical Requirements
Sitting for extended periods of time; repetitive motion related to computer work.
Shift
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Job Summary
The Assistant Director of Contracts provides strategic and operational leadership for the technology commercialization contracting function within UK Innovate and the Office of Technology Commercialization. This position leads the development, negotiation, and execution of complex intellectual property and commercialization agreements and serves as a senior institutional advisor on contract structure, commercialization strategy, risk allocation, and emerging contracting models.
The Assistant Director oversees the Contracts Team and is responsible for establishing contracting standards, developing agreement templates and negotiation strategies, managing contract workflows and performance expectations, and supporting the professional development of contracts staff. The position works closely with Commercialization Managers, University leadership, the Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, and other University offices to structure transactions that advance commercialization objectives while appropriately managing institutional legal, business, and compliance risks.
In addition to leading complex license, option, inter-institutional, collaboration, consortium, data use, material transfer, and other commercialization-related agreements, the Assistant Director provides leadership for the University's commercialization agreement compliance program and lifecycle management of executed agreements. The position also develops contractual and operational frameworks for new commercialization initiatives, advises University stakeholders on intellectual property and commercialization matters, and represents Technology Commercialization in cross-functional and University-wide initiatives involving innovation, research data, industry engagement, and emerging technologies.
This position is well suited for an experienced contracting professional who can combine sophisticated contract negotiation and intellectual property knowledge with program leadership, sound business judgment, process improvement, and the ability to develop practical solutions for complex and nontraditional commercialization transactions.
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
superb organization and MS Word skills
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
Yes
Preferred Education/Experience
JD preferred. Experience with agreements preferred.
Deadline to Apply
11/09/2026
