Job Description

CMR University (CMRU), Bengaluru, is a new-age university fostering creative learning, interdisciplinary research, and innovation-driven education. With a mission to nurture thinkers, innovators, and change-makers, CMRU blends academic excellence with real-world relevance.

At the heart of this mission lies the Centre for Innovation, Startups & Excellence, a dynamic hub designed to empower entrepreneurs, support industry-academia collaboration, and build sustainable ecosystems of innovation.

Scope of Work :

The Director for Startups, Incubation & Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a key leadership position at CMR University. The department is dedicated to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, research commercialization, and industry collaboration across the University. The Director plays a pivotal role in promoting a vibrant startup ecosystem, supporting incubation activities, and establishing domain-specific Centre of Excellence. The primary objective of this role is to nurture innovation-driven growth, empower student and faculty entrepreneurs, and strengthen CMRU’s reputation in the national and global innovation landscape. The position will report directly to the Vice Chancellor and will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities.

Role & Responsibilities :

Innovation & Startups :

• Define clear goals and success metrics for institutional innovations.
• Develop strategic and business plans for institutional growth across CMRU, collaborating with internal stakeholders.
• Generate revenue through sponsorships, grants, and fee-based services.
• Enhance research funding, patent filings, and licensing agreements.
• Establish research funding and patent centers to support intellectual property initiatives.
• Improve CMRU rankings through impactful innovation and startup initiatives.

Launch and manage :

• Innovation & Product Development Centre
• Design Incubation Centre
• Academic & Industrial Collaboration Centers
• Government-focused and investor-driven student events

Centre of Excellence (CoE) :

• Establish domain-specific CoE in startup incubation, entrepreneurship, product design, sustainable development, systems development, and coding excellence.
• Develop a Centre for Capacity Building & Consulting.
• Set up a Skills Development Centre, Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Languages Centre, Social & Outreach Centre, Indian Knowledge System Centre, IPR Centre, Resourcing, and Event Management Centre in collaboration with the Directors / Deans, and Head, Placements & Industry Relations, CMRU.

Startup Support & Industry Collaboration :

(In collaboration with the Directors & Head, Placement & Industry Relations wherever necessary)

• Provide structured mentoring, funding, and networking for startups.
• Engage with investors, VCs, corporate partners, and government agencies.
• Promote patent filings, technology transfer, and IP commercialization.
• Organize startup boot camps, hackathons, investor summits, and pitch events.
• Develop corporate collaborations through joint ventures and CSR-backed initiatives.
• Represent the CMR University in national and global startup and innovation forums.

Operational & Financial Management :

(In consultation with the Vice Chancellor & Stakeholders)

• Manage budgets, grants, and revenue-generation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and funding regulations.
• Track and report key performance metrics of incubated startups and CoEs.

Candidate’s Profile :

• Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Science, Entrepreneurship, or related fields.
• Ph.D in Entrepreneurship / Business Management – Preferred but not mandatory
• Ability to mentor and guide early-stage startups in business strategy, fundraising, and scaling.
• Deep understanding of industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovation-driven enterprises.
• Experience in handling government grants, CSR initiatives, and multi-stakeholder projects.
• Strong business acumen and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Excellent networking, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
• 12-15 years of related experience.
• Strong exposure to startup funding mechanisms, venture capital, and angel investments.
• Prior experience in setting up and managing an incubation center, startup accelerator, or CoE at University level / Industry.
• Proven leadership skills with an ability to drive institutional partnerships and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong understanding of national and international startup ecosystems, innovation policies, and incubation frameworks.

Location : CMR University (Lakeside Campus – Incubation Centre)

To apply, please share your resume. We would love to hear from you!