Departmental OverviewTo support the creation and commercialization of new ventures grounded in academic research in advanced technologies, UC Berkeley is establishing the Advanced Technologies Entrepreneurship Center (ATEC). Operating within the Office of the Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer and administered by the Vice Chancellor for Research, ATEC serves as the operational centerpiece of the broader Academic Innovation Catalyst (AIC) initiative.
ATEC incorporates elements of a "venture studio" model, providing ready-to-launch academic innovators with deep, focused, hands-on support including business and legal advice, talent matchmaking, team building, and G&A support. Grounded in deep academic deep-tech research (excluding life sciences), ATEC helps launch discoveries across materials science, chemistry, physics, data science, environmental/climate science, and energy into the world for positive impact.
Position SummaryThe founding Executive Director (ED) of the Advanced Technologies Entrepreneurship Center (ATEC) is a highly entrepreneurial leader responsible for building, launching, and leading all facets of ATEC. Sitting structurally between early-stage proof-of-concept (POC) grant programs and first institutional venture capital rounds, the Executive Director guides academic innovators through intensive team building, customer discovery, and venture creation.
Application Review DateThe First Review Date for this job is: August 4, 2026. The department's application review will commence on August 11, 2026.
ResponsibilitiesVenture Studio Strategy, Launch, & Core Operations - 50%
- Program Architecture: Develop the specific contours, operational frameworks, and benchmarks of the ATEC venture studio program to drive research-grounded deep tech company formations, advancing UC Berkeley's strategic priorities in the area.
- Strategic Leadership: Applies high-level expertise in strategic business development to identify joint venture, affiliation and other partnership opportunities that support ATEC's strategic priorities, and recommends innovative approaches to achieving strategic goals.
- Cohort Management: Provide hands-on mentorship and "player-coach" and strategic business development guidance to cohort founders, shepherding up to two new core company formations annually (with potential to scale).
- Talent Recruitment: Recruit, onboard, and manage three Venture Fellows (performing landscape analyses and other support tasks) and up to six Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) per year to build balanced founding teams around academic PIs.
- Venture Services: Procure and oversee essential "non-core" operational infrastructure for cohort companies, including finance, payroll, legal counsel, and General and Administrative (G&A) services.
- Financial Oversight: Administer ATEC's annual operating budget of $650,000 and track key operational performance metrics (e.g., candidate pipelines, company formations, follow-on VC financing amounts), and provide strategic advice about deployment and co-management of up to $2.1M per year in proof-of-concept grant funding and investment in grant awardees.
Inter-Campus and Inter-Division Program Synchronization & Stewardship - 20%
- Post-Award Mentorship: Applies expert knowledge of business development practices to lead post-award mentorship and operational stewardship for AIC POC grant awardees across the Berkeley campus, including with College of Computing, Data Science and Society (CDSS), and all four CITRIS campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz), as well as supporting the Bakar-AIC POC grant awardees, leveraging ATEC's EIR pool and other resources.
- Recruitment & Outreach: Coordinate with the College of Computing, Data Science and Society (CDSS), CITRIS and the Bakar ecosystem's communications teams to drive unified marketing, active pipeline recruitment, and entrepreneurial program outreach.
- Selection Committees: Source and deliver 3-5 external selection committee members (such as SkyDeck mentors), coordinating committee composition directly with CITRIS and CDSS leadership.
- Progress Calibration: Convene and lead quarterly internal progress review sessions with stakeholders to evaluate awardee translation metrics and program integration.
- Donor Coordination: Author donor-facing progress updates for awardees, working in tandem with development staff to secure multi-year donor expectations.
Ecosystem Partnerships, Capital, & Technology Licensing - 20%
- Capital Alliances: Cultivate a powerful network of venture capital firms, angel syndicates, and institutional seed providers to accelerate outside funding milestones for spin-outs.
- AIC Ventures Collaboration: Collaborate directly with the investment professionals at AIC Ventures to identify, vet, and support eligible pre-seed candidates utilizing uncapped/discounted SAFEs.
- Industry Networks: Secure partnerships with relevant corporate enterprises to introduce cohort founders to corporate innovation pathways, market validating feedback, and customer discovery vectors.
- IP Out-Licensing: Foster productive operations with the Intellectual Property & Industry Research Alliance (IPIRA) and legal counsels to facilitate swift, commercially viable IP out-licensing structures for innovators.
Ambassadorship, Governance, & Board Advisory - 10%
- Ecosystem Advocacy: Serve as the chief ambassador for ATEC and AIC across the university landscape, developing strong connective ties with diverse STEM academic departments and existing campus incubators.
- Board Engagement: Interface actively with the AIC Advisory Board, delivering transparent updates on established metrics, benchmarking trends, and strategic scaling initiatives.
- Annual Reporting: Author and publish the formal comprehensive ATEC Annual Report delivered to primary programmatic donors detailing award tracks, active portfolios, and programmatic updates.
Required Qualifications- Venture Creation Expertise:
- Proven track record of success in initiating, launching, fundraising for, and scaling early-stage, research-grounded technology startups as a founder, operator, or venture capitalist.
- Technical Acumen:
- High degree of technical fluency and capability to rapidly comprehend complex academic research vectors across deep tech domains (e.g., materials science, physics, chemistry, data science, climate tech, or energy) to derive commercial viability.
- Relationship Architecture:
- Expert interpersonal and negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to bridge cultural and operational gaps between highly disparate stakeholder groups (academics, university administrators, corporate executives, and VC partners).
- Strategic Business Planning:
- Expert knowledge of the principles, strategies, and execution methodologies surrounding startup incubators, venture studio dynamics, accelerator metrics, and joint venture design.
- Visionary Communication:
- Highly advanced written, verbal, and presentation communication skills; proven capability to effectively sell a novel, visionary institutional offering to attract elite talent, EIRs, and financial backers.
- Discretion:
- Guaranteed ability to exercise the utmost discretion in managing highly sensitive, pre-patent intellectual property, proprietary corporate strategies, and non-public university research records.
Preferred Qualifications- STEM Background: Advanced degree or academic background within a deep tech / STEM field.
Education / Training- Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
- Advanced degree in a deep tech / STEM field (Preferred)
Salary & BenefitsFor information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $200,000.00 - $250,000.00. The full salary range associated with the job classification is $139,200.00 - $271,200.00.
- This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
- This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.
How to ApplyTo apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Other Information- This position is eligible for up to 25% remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.
- This is not a visa opportunity.
