Head of Innovation Services

Head of Innovation Services page is loaded

Apply locations: Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted 6 Days Ago

Job requisition id: R42355

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges.

Our community is made up of 120 nationalities, 14,000 students, 400 professors, and close to 5,000 faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland.

Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community's diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

Aalto Innovation Services manages commercialization of inventions and all intellectual property related matters as well as supports technology transfer at Aalto University.

We are now looking for a HEAD OF INNOVATION SERVICES to lead the Aalto Innovation Services team.

We are offering a unique and interesting opportunity to work with the multidisciplinary Aalto community in developing research results into innovations and in implementing commercialization activities. In this position, you will have a chance to make an impact by helping individuals and teams of researchers with high potential early-stage ideas mature and grow their ideas into viable and fundable solutions to shape the future.

Your role and goals include:

• Leading a team of 10 team members
• Being responsible for Aalto University's activities imposed by the Act on the right in inventions made at higher education institutions
• Managing the innovation and IP protection process, including the related IT-system for managing, analyzing, and reporting the activities
• Managing external service providers and related agreements
• Developing the activities and support processes in the innovation pipeline in collaboration with other service teams
• Building good connections and collaboration with Aalto's researchers

Aalto Innovation Services serves researchers and the Aalto community at large in the further development of innovations and commercialization activities. The team manages the intellectual property related process and the IP portfolio in collaboration with researchers, supports and manages a portfolio of 20–30 Business Finland funded Research-to-Business projects, and supports the technology transfer process with a wide range of companies, from growth companies to large international corporations. The service aims to transform research ideas generated at Aalto University into products with a societal impact through commercialization and successful technology transfer.

During 2024, as part of the Aalto Innovation Services activity, there were 148 invention disclosures and 57 priority patent applications filed, 18 positive funding decisions given by Business Finland for Research-to-Business projects, and 8 technology transfers into spinout companies made.

The goal of Aalto University's innovation activities is to double the amount of invention disclosures and consecutively spinout company generation in the near future. This will require raising awareness and increasing activity among researchers while taking care of further needs to streamline the Innovation Services support processes to efficiently manage and support the larger pipeline of innovations and commercialization activities.

Your network and team:

Aalto Innovation Services team consists of 10 team members in addition to the team manager. The team members are working as innovation advisors, coordinators, and project portfolio managers.

The commercialization and technology transfer activities are performed in tight daily collaboration with Aalto Spinoff Asset Management, Aalto Startup Advisory, Aalto Startup Center, and Academic Legal Services, and you will be working closely with their team managers and team members. Your activities will require tight collaboration with the wide and multidisciplinary academic community at Aalto University. You will be reporting to Head of Innovation Ecosystem Services Tomi Erho.

We value a leadership approach in line with Aalto University's values: responsibility, courage, and collaboration.

Your experience and ambitions:

• At minimum a master's degree and suitable experience in a relevant field either in industry, university, or other research domain
• Proven track record in successfully managing team effort
• Extensive experience from intellectual property rights and managing contracts
• Experience from protecting and commercializing research results and technology. You may also have gained expertise by working for several years in the business sector.
• Good communication skills in English are required
• Finnish proficiency is considered an advantage
• Independent and proactive way of working
• Passion for challenging and demanding customer service situations
• Teamwork skills

You make your team members excel in their duties. You are good at communicating and building trust with your clients. You have the ability to manage large concepts, but you also have a keen eye for detail. You also have a good sense of humor.

With your skills, experience, and characteristics, you will be able to help Aalto University shape a sustainable future.

What we offer:

• A unique key position in a leading innovation university. Aalto University was established to increase the innovation capacity of Finland, and this role is pivotal in ensuring ideas turn into impactful innovations and, in the end, in the wellbeing and development of our society.
• Meaningful and inspiring environment. We are proud of our purpose to shape a sustainable future, and you will be in a key role in making the purpose happen. We spark the game changers of tomorrow and renew society with research-based knowledge, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Culture that inspires and includes everyone. All our work is guided by the values of the university: responsibility, courage, and collaboration. It's the people that create Aalto, now and in the future. We want to be an open community where equality and inclusion enable curiosity, innovation, collaboration, and wellbeing.
• Support, coaching, and sparring when you feel you need it.
• Great possibilities for competence development and learning. We constantly keep learning to find the most impactful ways to empower – and invest in – our people.

We value work-life balance and well-being in all aspects of life. We work in a hybrid model, with the primary workplace located at the renewed and vibrant Otaniemi campus area in Espoo, which has diverse services and good transportation connections.

Join us

To apply, please share your CV and motivation letter with your salary request with us through our recruitment site ("Apply now") latest on 8th April 2025.

Please note: Aalto University's employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system Workday (Internal Jobs) by using their existing Workday user account.

For more information about the role, please contact Tomi Erho, Head of Innovation Ecosystem Services, +358 50535 5653 on Friday, March 28th at 8:30–9:30 or on Wednesday, April 2nd at 15:30–16:30. For questions related to the application process, please contact HR Partner Kirsi Söderlund, kirsi.soderlund(at)aalto.fi.

More about Aalto University:

Aalto.fi
youtube.com/user/aaltouniversity
linkedin.com/school/aalto-university/
www.facebook.com/aaltouniversity
instagram.com/aaltouniversity