The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) is mandated to coordinate, oversee and guide agricultural research in Uganda. Over the years, NARO has generated technologies and products with Intellectual Property (IP) and commercial potential guided by relevant policies under her mission of innovating for sustainable agricultural transformation
A number of policy frameworks and structures have been established to foster practical application and economic use of research outputs for the public benefit through commercialization as an efficient means of promoting dissemination and use of NARO’s technologies and products. This is envisaged to provide an environment that will stimulate creativity and innovativeness needed in research for mutual benefit.

USAID is partnering with NARO through Feed the Future (FtF) – NARO Funding Framework to strengthen NARO’s institutional capacity to enhance rapid and sustained commercialization of her research technologies for transformation of people’s livelihoods. In order to strengthen its commercialization capacity, NARO intends to recruit qualified personnel in various positions.

Job title: Technology Transfer Support Officer
Job Summary: To support the broader goals of NARO in Commercialization and Research-Industry collaboration that are consistent with NARO’s Commercialization and Intellectual property policies and Feed the future Agriculture Research Activity goal.
Reports to: Senior Commercialization and Incubation officer
Duty station: Entebbe/Mukono

Terms of Reference:
• Support the implementation of the NARO commercialization policy frameworks
• Conduct technical and market intelligence studies for supporting the penetration of NARO products and technologies into the market.

• Support detection of infringement of NAROs’ Intellectual property in the market and ensure enforcement
• Support development and implementation of business investment and strategic plans for commercialization of NARO products and technologies
• Support product branding and incubation efforts
• Coordinate engagements with private sector to communicate new NARO technologies and opportunities with commercial potential
• Monitor implementation of license agreements and other commercialization frameworks signed between NARO and private sector

• Support data collection on technology uptake and performance of private sector with whom the license agreements have been signed
• Support in the development and streamlining of the seed seedling road map
• Ensure that the commercialization process of NARO technologies and products is in line with her gender strategy
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisors

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies:
The Technology transfer support officer is expected to have the following qualifications and experience:
• Degree in Agribusiness, business administration or any related field with at least 2 years’ experience in marketing of innovative products
• A Master’s Degree in Agribusiness, business administration, marketing, public policy, governance or related fields will be an added advantage.

• Must have a track record in building and supporting business relationships and networks.
• Must have excellent analytical facilitation, and communication skills Good interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work as part of a team is a must