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University of Missouri-Kansas City · 2 days ago

Director of the Collaboratory for Integrating Growth, Innovation, and Research Excellence (C-IGNITE) - Office of Research and Innovation, 96907

Kansas City, MO

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$130K/yr - $145K/yr

5+ years exp

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is seeking a Director for the Collaboratory for Integrating Growth, Innovation, and Research Excellence (C-IGNITE) within the Office of Research and Innovation. This pivotal leadership role involves strategic lifecycle management of interdisciplinary research, building partnerships, and securing funding to drive impactful research initiatives.

E-LearningEducationTraining

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Launch and operationalize C-IGNITE as the central hub for 'team science' and external partnership

Develop a strategic roadmap that synchronizes UMKC research priorities with the needs of industry and community stakeholders

Cultivate a pipeline of non-traditional funding opportunities (e.g., corporate sponsored research, public-private partnerships, foundation consortia)

Act as the primary liaison for industry engagement, identifying overlapping research interests with corporate R&D divisions to co-create grant proposals

Establish meaningful connections with community organizations and NGOs to integrate 'community benefit' and real-world impact into research designs from day one

Facilitate 'Innovation Roundtables' that bring together faculty, industry leaders, and civic partners to brainstorm solutions for regional challenges

Break down academic silos by forming interdisciplinary 'response teams' capable of addressing complex societal problems favored by federal agencies (e.g., NSF Convergence, NIH P-Series)

Lead the strategic pursuit of large center-level grants that require robust public-private partnerships

Oversee 'Red Team' reviews, ensuring that proposals speak effectively to both academic merit and broader economic/social impact

Mentor faculty on the nuances of navigating corporate contracts and industry expectations

Proactively identify and incubate high-potential interdisciplinary concepts before funding calls are announced. Work with faculty to refine 'blue sky' ideas into fundable research strategies

Manage the lifecycle of research teams, ensuring that interdisciplinary groups remain cohesive and productive even between grant cycles

Champion the long-term viability of research themes; if a major proposal is declined, lead the 'pivot strategy' to repackage the idea for alternative funders or corporate sponsors

Qualification

Research developmentInnovation managementStrategic partnershipsInterdisciplinary collaborationProject managementCommunity engagementMentorship

Required

A Master's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience

At least 5 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired

Preferred

Master's degree or equivalent

7+ years of experience in research development, innovation management, or strategic partnerships

Demonstrated success in managing the lifecycle of complex projects or teams

Benefits

Medical

Dental and vision plans

Retirement

Paid time off

Short- and long-term disability

Paid parental leave

Paid caregiver leave

Educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses

Company

University of Missouri-Kansas City

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UMKC, Kansas City’s only R1 public research university, is part of the University of Missouri System.

Founded in 1929

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

1001-5000 employees

http://www.umkc.edu/

H1B Sponsorship

University of Missouri-Kansas City has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (32)

2024 (29)

2023 (25)

2022 (23)

2021 (11)

2020 (9)

Funding

Current Stage

Late Stage

Total Funding

$3.4M

Key Investors

US Department of Commerce, Economic Development AdministationMissouri Department of Economic DevelopmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology

2023-11-09Grant· $2M

2023-04-20Grant· $0.15M

2022-09-20Grant· $0.5M