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Director - Founder Residency

Employer
Northeastern University
Location
Maine, United States
Salary
Salary Not specified
Date posted
Feb 3, 2023

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Position Type
Administrative, Student Affairs, Minority & Multicultural Affairs
Employment Level
Executive
Employment Type
Full Time


Director - Founder Residency

About the Opportunity

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to

About the Roux Institute at Northeastern University:
The Roux Institute at Northeastern University is designed to educate generations of talent for the digital and life sciences sectors, and drive sustained economic growth in Portland, the state of Maine, and northern New England.

About the Opportunity:

The Roux Institute's Venture Creation and Acceleration platform supports high-growth ventures and founders that have the potential to fundamentally alter the way we live and work for the better. Our companies have raised over $21MM in outside venture capital in the last 24 months.

Our flagship Founder Residency brings 10 high-growth, early-stage entrepreneurs to the Roux Institute and surrounds them with the talent, mentorship, and access to capital they need to succeed. We work hand-in-hand with these companies to accelerate their growth. These start-ups are solving the world's most pressing challenges related to software, hardware, advanced supply chain, advanced manufacturing, biotech, and computational medicine.

As part of our mission to create a diverse and thriving startup ecosystem in Maine that works for all, we run a Founder Residency targeted specifically at founders who are underrepresented/underserved and traditionally overlooked. The program combines a “first-in” capital investment in each company with a year-long program that gives founders access to curated programming, mentorship, joint research opportunities, a network of expert advisors, and a peer community. The capital is intended to lower the barrier of entry for would-be entrepreneurs with a high-growth concept who might not have the financial means to support themselves while they develop the idea.

We are seeking a Director with deep program leadership experience and entrepreneurial background to lead our Founder Residency. You will lead implementation and execution across all aspects of Residency, including recruitment and selection of companies, day-to-day program management, and brand-building for the program. You will work with a program manager to facilitate customer discovery, mentorship, and potential pilot opportunities. Your goal is to run a program that gives our entrepreneurs the greatest chance of success.

Responsibilities:

Recruitment and Selection
  • Develop the investment thesis for each cohort
  • Scour the ends of the earth to identify the top prospects to join our Founder Residency
  • Form partnerships with investors, accelerators, challenges, universities, and organizations supporting underrepresented/underserved entrepreneurs to build a robust pipeline of potential Founders for Founder Residency
  • Build a strong brand to attract the best entrepreneurs to our program
  • Work with our Program Manager and Advisory Committee to conduct due diligence on applicants
  • Organize Screening Committee with partners to advise on selection
  • Select ten companies to participate in Founder Residency
  • Attend industry events to increase awareness of and recruitment for the Founder Residency


Program Management and Strategy
  • Serve as Mentor-in-Chief to each company
  • Bring in the top subject matter experts to facilitate Founder workshops
  • Bring in experienced Founders to tell their story to the entrepreneurs in the Residency
  • Meet regularly with the entrepreneurs to assess their progress and help them advance in their journey
  • Provide tailored advice to our Founders
  • Make connections to technical experts and potential customers for our Founders where helpful


Mentor and Investor Relations
  • Work with our Mentor Coordinator to recruit the best, and most diverse, mentors in Maine and beyond for our entrepreneurs
  • Recruit a diverse Advisory Committee to support Founder Residency
  • Manage Advisory Committee to best support strategic direction of Founder Residency
  • Facilitate the matching of mentors and entrepreneurs during our Mentor Match process
  • Cultivate our investor network to ensure our entrepreneurs have access to the right investor at the right time to scale their business


Lead the Founder Residency Team
  • Lead, coach, and mentor the Founder Residency team members (including Northeastern Co-Op Students) to reach their fullest potential
  • Deliver best-in-class team engagement
  • Create an environment of goal orientation to ensure successful impact on our strategic objectives


About You:

Successful candidates will possess the following skills, dispositions, experience, and qualifications.
  • A deep value system that believes in an equitable and inclusive economic system
  • A history of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) engagement and leadership
  • 5+ years' experience working with startups, either as a founder, early employee, advisor, or investor
  • Experience in program leadership, ideally supporting entrepreneurs
  • A systems thinker able to create and execute strategies
  • A continuous improvement mindset
  • An insatiable hunger to help early-stage founders succeed
  • A problem solver who can quickly find solutions to problems as they come up
  • True believer in the power of startups to change the world for the better
  • You take personal ownership and accountability for the success of the companies you support
  • Resource magnet - Ability to bring together resources to execute a project
  • You get energy from making connections that are mutually beneficial
  • Strong interpersonal skills - you bring out the best in people
  • The ability to adjust priorities quickly and efficiently
  • The ability to present to external audiences and be an ambassador for the Roux Institute with a diverse set of stakeholders within partners
  • A desire to have fun while you work


Beneficial Skills and Experience:
  • Founder/co-founder of a startup
  • Previously a fundraiser or has worked in Venture Capital / Private Equity
  • Has successfully exited a company
  • Lifelong learner with advanced education or degrees


Position Type

General Administration

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more 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://northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Portland-ME/Director---Founder-Residency_R112867



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