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Associate Director of Entrepreneurship

Employer
Northeastern University
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Salary
Salary Not specified
Date posted
Dec 17, 2020

View more

Position Type
Faculty Positions, Business & Management, Management
Employment Level
Administrative
Employment Type
Full Time


Associate Director of Entrepreneurship

About Northeastern:

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. Our world-renowned experiential approach empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create impact far beyond the confines of discipline, degree, and campus.

Our locations—in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; London; Portland, Maine; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Toronto; Vancouver; and the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant—are nodes in our growing global university system. Through this network, we expand opportunities for flexible, student-centered learning and collaborative, solutions-focused research.

Northeastern's comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate programs— in a variety of on-campus and online formats—lead to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Among these, we offer more than 195 multi-discipline majors and degrees designed to prepare students for purposeful lives and careers.

About the Opportunity:

Northeastern University's Roux Institute is designed as an engine of innovation, talent-building, and economic growth for Portland, Maine, and northern New England. Partnerships set our model of graduate education and research apart. With leading companies and nonprofit organizations at the table from day one, we're creating programs that are preparing the workforce to stay agile and thrive in a competitive landscape powered by artificial intelligence. We're nurturing an environment for high-impact research and innovation in computer and data science, digital engineering, the advanced life sciences and medicine, and other tech fields. And we're helping entrepreneurs launch businesses focused on and powered by technology. Together, we envision an “innovation corridor” that in the coming years will stretch from Boston to Portland and beyond.

At the core of the Roux Institute's strategy is a focus on sustaining, attracting and building businesses that drive the Maine economy. The entrepreneurship team is focused on that third leg of the stool: building new companies. Our vision for venture creation is one that supports individuals and teams from the earliest stages through the establishment of a growing business.

Our goal is to build a portfolio of programs in service of that mission; and the Associate Director of Entrepreneurship is responsible for designing and executing that new and growing portfolio of programs. Reporting to the Director of Entrepreneurship, this team member will be a thought partner and leader on developing the strategies, and then will have the autonomy and responsibility to design, build, and sustain the programs in support of the strategies.

The Associate Director of Entrepreneurship's portfolio will evolve over the coming years and the ability to discover and then realize new opportunities is essential. The initial vision for the portfolio of programs includes talent programs, a co-creation lab and a startup residency. The talent programs will be all activities that target and invest in individuals. These programs will build a talent pipeline into new ventures or create the time and space for these individuals to start their own companies as well as manages and recruits a network of mentors and advisors. These programs may include full-year fellowships, part-time fellowships, and/or co-op programs.

The co-creation lab will bring together experienced, diverse minds to tackle business challenges and technology-enabled opportunities in pursuit of developing viable business ideas. The lab will bring people together to explore ideas, co-create, and eventually launch companies.

The startup residency will be an application-based, year-long affiliation with the Roux Institute for early-stage companies. The program will accelerate these companies' growth through a variety of resources that differentiate Roux and the program.

It is critical to our success that these ideas are just the starting point - and the portfolio will evolve as we learn from experience. This commitment to learning, doing, and refining - the design mindset - is one of the most critical requirements of this role.

The successful candidate will be passionate about engaging and supporting new ventures and be able to execute on the core mission and values of The Roux Institute. They will possess strong knowledge of what it takes to launch a company, a keen ability to build relationships across all sectors needed to support new ventures, a bias to partnership and ecosystem building, and a drive to build a team that makes this center come alive.

At its core, the Associate Director of Entrepreneurship role is about program design and execution. S/he will work collaboratively internally and externally to the University to create these programs, serving students, researchers, corporate partners, and community members interested in starting businesses in Maine as well as developing and providing an experiential entrepreneurial education offering.

Responsibilities:

The Associate Director will:
  • Collaborate on strategy: Work with the Director to develop strategic vision and plans for the full suite of offerings in the center, including where to partner and what programs to build based on a deep understanding of entrepreneurs needs and the resources available through the Northeastern Network, Maine, and global startup ecosystems.
  • Design and execute programs: Design and refine programs with a relentless curiosity about what serves entrepreneurs and an uncanny desire to sweat the details.
  • Build the team: Supervise all team members and associated fellows/talent supporting specific programs and projects.
  • Build partnerships: Be responsible for structuring, executing, and managing strategic partnerships internal and external to the University.
  • Measure impact: Work with the Director to develop a framework and system to set goals to measure the impact of the center including venture creation and success metrics.
  • Fund raise: As needed, will work with Partnerships & Advancement to develop short and long-term funding strategy and assist with fundraising.
  • Be an ambassador: Act as a liaison between The Roux Institute and the broader Northeastern University network related to entrepreneurship and venture creation

The Associate Director of Entrepreneurship will be required to have deep first-hand knowledge of starting a business, fundraising, venture accelerators, and managing a diverse set of partners. S/he must work with a high level of independence within a progressive institutional environment. S/he challenges the status quo and develops/offers new techniques to support venture creation. S/he embraces new ideas; innovates and anticipates future needs; shares knowledge and teaches others to do the same. It is an expectation that the candidate is a strong communicator and collaborative partner, able to work up, down and across the organization, and represent the Institute in a variety of diverse forums.

Qualifications:
  • 5+ years' experience in entrepreneurial ecosystems or startups. Ideally a candidate who has started and raised capital for at least one company
  • Strong experience and network in the Boston and Portland Startup Communities
  • Strongly demonstrates a bias towards action, rapid iteration, and hands on approach
  • Proven track record of success and expertise in building and/or mentoring businesses from concept to first customer and beyond
  • Proven track record of mentoring companies of all industries and stages
  • Proven ability to work with external and internal organizations, partners, donors and agencies to produce results. This may include investors, corporations, government programs, and entrepreneurs
  • Excellent communications skills and ability to work independently and in a team environment are a must
  • Strong leadership skills that require a balance of managing day to day activities, as well as oversight of a team
  • Networked approach to developing leadership style is key; must be comfortable in an environment of deep collaboration, engagement and creativity from all levels of the organization
  • Ability to work efficiently, creatively and meet deadlines
  • Demonstrated ability to make decisions and exercise sound judgment
  • Ability to interact with all levels of the organization, including University senior leaders and external executives where necessary, ability to positively represent the Institute
  • Bachelor's degree preferred

Travel Requirement:
  • You will be required to travel, mostly regionally, to meet potential partners and entrepreneurs
  • You will be required to travel to Boston a few days a month for meetings at Northeastern's Boston and Burlington campuses
  • There is limited travel further afield to meet companies who wish to move offices to Maine or to visit Northeastern regional campuses

Salary Grade:

12

Additional Information:

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University's commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.


To apply, visit https://careers.pageuppeople.com/879/cw/en-us/job/504372

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