Assistant Director, Entrepreneurship Programs & Outcomes

GENERAL SUMMARY: The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation aims to create entrepreneurial leaders through a broad range of experiences, including classroom learning, experiential learning, leading-edge research, and community outreach. The Assistant Director, Entrepreneurship Programs & Outcomes is part of the Education and Programming team at the Polsky Center and focuses on the administration of student-facing entrepreneurship programs and the collection and analysis of program and startup data.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Manage and administer a portfolio of educational and experiential entrepreneurship programs and initiatives, including planning events, communicating with sponsors, tracking expenses, and liaising with partner organizations.
2. Manage an annual student awards process, including coordinating the application, nomination, and selection of candidates.
3. Assist with data collection, evaluation, outcomes analysis, and the establishment and maintenance of data standards for student programs at the Polsky Center.
4. Together with the Director of Entrepreneurship Programs and Data Strategy, identify and implement new data initiatives and platforms to actively engage, track, and evaluate founders, startups, and other constituents with which the Polsky Center engages.
5. Coordinate with external data partners such as ISTC and Chicago: Blend.
6. Liaise and engage regularly with entrepreneurship-related student groups to assist in planning and delivering joint programming, including Chicago Booth’s annual entrepreneurship and venture capital conference, SeedCon.
7. Establish strategic partnerships with internal and external organizations to provide UChicago founders with best-in-class entrepreneurial opportunities and resources. Actively evaluate the needs of UChicago founders to propose and implement new resources to serve them.
8. Advise students on appropriate career-related topics and guide them toward programs aligned with their interests.
9. Coordinate with the Polsky Center’s marketing team on the promotion of student events, the drafting and distribution of student entrepreneurship newsletters, and the development of relevant content for presentations and materials.
10. As needed, assist with the planning, implementation, and staffing of events and programs hosted by other staff within the entrepreneurship programs team.
11. Other tasks and initiatives arise.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

1. Bachelor’s degree required.
2. A minimum of 1 year of experience managing programs and/or events required.
3. Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills required.
4. Passion for student engagement preferred.
5. Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach required.
6. High attention to detail and superior organizational skills required.
7. Ability to handle multiple projects concurrently, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and work successfully with frequent interruptions required.
8. Ability to work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes required.
9. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty, and corporate contacts; ability to easily establish rapport and cultivate relationships with constituents both inside and outside of the organization. Required.
10. Strong team player who is willing to occasionally take on tasks outside of their portfolio to support colleagues required.
11. Proven ability to process large amounts of data and effectively streamline processes preferred.
12. Proven understanding of the Polsky Center and its goals referred.
13. Comfort using software including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook email systems, and a willingness to learn and gain comfort with new software required. Experience with Airtable or other relational database or CRM software preferred.
14. Ability to travel between Hyde Park campus and downtown Gleacher Center (note that this position is based on the Hyde Park campus—90% of time will be spent in Hyde Park—with occasional events and meetings downtown) required.
15. Flexibility to occasionally work late or start early for Polsky Center events required.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information, please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Academic job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5671 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request. Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-1841 or email talentacquisition@uchicago.edu with their request.