Senior Translation & Commercialization Manager

Description

Reports to: Director, Industry Solutions

Supervises Others: No

Employment Type: Full-time with benefits / Limited – Term (Two years – will renew if awarded)

Travel Requirements: Moderate 30% - 40%, In-state

Location: Greenville, Charleston, or Columbia

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) fuels South Carolina’s innovation economy by accelerating technology-enabled growth in academia, entrepreneurship, and industry.

The NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas (Carolinas Grid Modernization Engine) is a two-state initiative focused on development of an NSF Regional Innovation Engine ecosystem to advance grid technology innovation and adoption.

Position Summary:

SCRA seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial Senior Translation & Commercialization Manager to lead technology translation, commercialization, venture development, and market adoption activities for the NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas (GMEC). This position offers a unique opportunity to help build a nationally recognized innovation ecosystem and accelerate technologies that strengthen grid reliability, resilience, and economic growth across the Carolinas. The Manager will play a pivotal role in connecting research, utilities, industry, and investment capital to bring next-generation energy technologies to market. This role is ideal for a leader with experience in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, energy technologies, venture development, and/or program management who can successfully operate at the intersection of research, utilities, industry, and investment capital.

As a member of the Engine Leadership Team, the Manager will report to the GMEC CEO and will be responsible for developing and managing the Engine's commercialization framework, collaborating with Joules Accelerator to identify and advance high-potential technologies, and ensuring all Translation goals, milestones, and deliverables are achieved.

This role is ideal for a leader with experience in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, energy technologies, venture development, and/or program management who can successfully operate at the intersection of research, utilities, industry, and investment capital.

Essential Functions:

- Lead the development and execution of the Engine's Translation of Innovation and Commercialization strategy, leveraging Joules Accelerator’s TRL/ARL commercialization framework, and advancing a portfolio of grid modernization technologies from validation through deployment.
- Collaborate with SCRA and SC Launch, Inc colleagues, Joules Accelerator, UNC Charlotte, Clemson University, utilities, startups, universities, investors, and industry partners to identify, evaluate, and accelerate high-potential technologies that address utility and market needs.
- Plan, coordinate, and manage SCRA's Translation of Innovation activities, ensuring achievement of program milestones, deliverables, goals, and NSF Engine commitments including SCRA grant funding of high potential projects.
- In coordination with SCRA and Joules Accelerator, build, manage, and support a robust commercialization pipeline, identify and recommend high potential projects to the Engine Strategic Investment Committee, and support SC Launch, Inc in conducting Due Diligence for potential funding.
- Advise researchers, startups, and portfolio companies on commercialization execution, fundraising readiness, capital strategy, intellectual property, SBIR/STTR funding opportunities, regulatory planning, pilot testing, and market entry.
- Develop and oversee commercialization roadmaps, go-to-market strategies, and milestone plans for Engine-supported projects and companies, tracking portfolio performance and reporting commercialization outcomes and impact.
- Augment Joules Accelerator activities by recruiting mentors, advisors, subject matter experts, and industry partners; coordinating technical, regulatory, market, and investment evaluations; and collaborating with NSF I-corps and ESOs to facilitate customer discovery, mentoring programs, translational boot camps, and capital planning training.
- Cultivate relationships with angel investors, venture capital firms, strategic investors, private equity groups, public funding programs, and corporate partners to increase investment in grid modernization technologies and facilitate connections between entrepreneurs and funding sources.
- Identify and coordinate opportunities for pilot projects, demonstrations, utility evaluations, and industry deployments that accelerate technology adoption and commercialization.
- Represent SCRA externally and provides thought leadership in public forums, conferences, presentations, committees, and boards.
- Support SCRA and SC Launch, Inc. colleagues as needed and performs other duties as requested by Director Industry Solutions and Engine CEO.
- Additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, technology entrepreneurship, innovation management, or a related field.
- 7+ years of leadership experience in technology commercialization, venture development, innovation ecosystems, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, economic development, research administration, or related fields.
- Demonstrated success advancing technologies from research toward commercialization and market adoption.
- Experience building innovation programs, startup support initiatives, commercialization infrastructure, or translational research efforts.
- Knowledge of grid modernization, electric power systems, utility operations, distributed energy resources, electrification, or related energy technologies.
- Experience working with investors, capital formation strategies, grants, venture funding, or startup financing.
- Experience working with entrepreneurial or start-up companies and conducting due diligence related to seed and early-stage investments.
- Experience in reviewing financial agreements, contracts, operating agreements, and other investment-related documents.
- Experience with initial financial modeling and concise assessment of business risk and opportunity for translation into initial investment memos.
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, relationship-building, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Experience in venture capital, angel investing, private equity, corporate venture, or technology investment programs.
- Experience with NSF, DOE, SBIR/STTR, I-Corps, or other federally funded innovation initiatives.
- Familiarity with TRL, ARL, and commercialization readiness frameworks.
- Experience managing technology portfolios, competitive funding programs, or milestone-based investment processes.
- Existing relationships within utility, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, or energy investment ecosystems.
- Familiarity with the Carolinas innovation and economic development landscape.
- Master’s degree in engineering, business, technology entrepreneurship, innovation management, or a related field.