Director of Entrepreneurship

Responsibilities

• Serve as the internal champion for entrepreneurial culture across research teams, working with Principal Investigators to identify current and future science with commercial potential.
• Design and deliver training that builds entrepreneurial fluency among Danforth Center scientists — covering topics such as customer discovery and market validation.
• Coach and mentor scientist-entrepreneurs one-on-one as they develop venture concepts, helping translate technical expertise into viable business propositions.
• Serve as the initial point of contact between the Danforth Center and external companies and strategic partners on commercialization matters.
• Support and, where appropriate, directly participate in marketing Danforth Center technologies and spinout ventures to prospective industry partners.
• Represent the Center at industry conferences, forums, and entrepreneurship events to raise the visibility of Danforth-originated technologies and talent.
• Develop compelling, non-technical framing of scientific innovations suitable for external audiences, pitch decks, and marketing materials.
• Work closely with the DTC to provide budget development, financial forecasting, and reporting support for portfolio ventures.
• Advise scientist-founders on start-up budgeting fundamentals, burn rate management, and funding milestones as ventures progress.
• Track and report on program metrics (e.g., ventures launched, funding secured, licensing activity) for the DTC.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• A genuine commitment to training, coaching, and developing scientist-entrepreneurs, including the patience and communication skills to translate business concepts for a technical audience (and vice versa).
• Working knowledge of molecular biology or a demonstrated willingness and ability to quickly learn the scientific fundamentals underlying Center research.
• Strong network within, or ability to rapidly build relationships across, the agtech industry.
• Excellent presentation and pitch-development skills, with the ability to distill complex science into a compelling commercial narrative.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget development and forecasting for early-stage ventures.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with researchers, technology transfer staff, legal/IP counsel, and the DTC.
• Operate efficiently and with significant autonomy while keeping leadership informed of progress and risks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required, master's degree preferred, with a specialization in Science, Agriculture, or Business Administration.
• Candidates should bring a minimum of three years of relevant experience, ideally including exposure to the agtech or crop science industry and prior experience with a startup environment.
• This role requires regular interaction with both internal research staff and external companies; some travel to conferences, industry meetings, or partner sites should be expected.
• Based on-site at the Danforth Center in St. Louis, Missouri, with flexibility for external meetings and travel as needed.