New Jersey Innovation Institute

Compensation

Full Description

Brief Description Location: Newark, NJ (NJIT Campus – Paul Profeta Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship) Position Type: Part-time (Graduate Student Position) Reports To: Director, NJII Venture Studio Position Overview The NJII Venture Studio (the Studio) is a university-based venture creation platform jointly operated by the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a wholly owned non-profit of the NJIT. The Studio’s mission is to translate New Jersey’s world-class research into scalable, venture-backed startups that drive regional economic growth and societal impact. Our team identifies, evaluates, and develops commercialization opportunities emerging from New Jersey laboratories (university or corporate), connecting faculty inventors and research teams with entrepreneurial talent, industry partners, and capital resources. Venture Studio Analysts are graduate-level fellows who support the evaluation and development of intellectual property (IP) with high commercialization potential. Analysts will work together with Studio team, primarily that at the earlier stages of opportunity evaluation, to assess new technologies, develop market entry strategies, and prepare projects for venture formation. This is an ideal opportunity for graduate students in STEM or business disciplines interested in technology commercialization, startup formation, and university-industry innovation. Key Responsibilities • Technology and Market Assessment: Evaluate invention disclosures, patents, and research outputs for technical feasibility, novelty, and market potential. Conduct competitive landscaping and IP positioning analyses. • Commercialization Strategy: Support development of go-to-market plans, customer discovery efforts, and early product-market fit hypotheses. • Business Model Development: Help articulate business models, pricing strategies, and value propositions tailored to each technology domain. • Financial and Investment Analysis: Assist in early financial modeling, TAM/SAM/SOM sizing, and identifying comparable transactions or venture precedents. • Stakeholder Engagement: Work to make connections with industry expert to provide feedback of the potential commercial value of technology/concept over evaluation. • Opportunity Readiness: Contribute to materials such as pitch decks, one-pagers, and venture briefs to prepare technologies for investment consideration. Qualifications Education: • Current graduate student at NJIT or affiliated university, preferably: • Ph.D. candidate or postdoctoral researcher in a STEM discipline (engineering, life sciences, computer science, materials, etc.), or • MBA or Master’s student in management, finance, or entrepreneurship. Preferred Skills And Experience • Familiarity with technology commercialization, startup operations, or venture financing. • Strong analytical and research skills. • Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences. • Self-starter with curiosity about early-stage innovation and entrepreneurship. Time Commitment & Compensation • Expected commitment: up to 20 hours per week (flexible schedule). • Compensation: $20/hour • Appointments are typically for one semester with the potential for renewal. Professional Development Analysts will gain exposure to the full commercialization lifecycle — from IP assessment and customer discovery to startup formation and investment readiness. Participants will also have access to NJII Venture Studio’s network and potential pathways into founding or early-team roles in emerging startups. Final candidates will be subject to a background screening. Employment or continued employment is contingent upon NJII’s acceptance of the results of the background screening.