Manager – Entrepreneurship, Incubation and Technology Transfer at KCA University (KCAU)

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and implement programs that cultivate entrepreneurial skills among students, staff, and faculty; support the incubation and acceleration of startups and promote the protection and commercialisation of university-generated intellectual property.
• Identify and support promising business ideas for incubation and acceleration.
• Organise workshops, boot camps, and hackathons to foster creativity and innovation.
• Oversee the operations of KCA University’s incubation centre, ensuring it provides a supportive environment for startups.
• Develop policies and frameworks for startup admission, mentorship, and graduation.
• Provide technical and business development support to startups, including market access, funding opportunities, and legal compliance.
• Facilitate the protection of intellectual property generated within the University, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
• Develop strategies for licensing university technologies to industry partners or startups.
• Build partnerships with industry and government stakeholders to support technology transfer and commercialisation activities, facilitate access to funding and venture capital and provide capacity-building opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
• Train faculty and students on innovation, intellectual property, and commercialisation.
• Manage budgets and resources allocated to the Entrepreneurship, Incubation, and Technology Transfer office.
• Develop metrics to assess the impact of entrepreneurship, incubation, and technology transfer initiatives.
• Prepare and present reports to the university management on program progress and achievements.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Entrepreneurship, or Business Management from an accredited/recognised institution.
• Six (6) years of relevant work experience, especially in commercialisation and technology transfer or in managing an incubation centre.
• Experience managing budgets and donor-funded projects is an added advantage.

OTHER SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong knowledge of intellectual property law, startup ecosystems, and commercialisation strategies.
• Excellent communication, networking, and leadership skills.
• Strong passion for working with startups and innovation-driven enterprises.