Director, Higher Education Ecosystems

About The Role:

Are you an experienced leader in higher education that supports capacity building in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E)? Are you passionate about enhancing inclusive innovation ecosystems with institutions of higher education, industry and government? If so, VentureWell has the perfect opportunity for you!

The Director, Higher Education Ecosystems is responsible for spearheading VentureWell’s growth and new strategic focus in ecosystem development with colleges and universities by providing leadership and day to day management of the unit’s staff, existing programs and new initiatives. This new position will join the Higher Education Innovation Ecosystems (HEIE) team, which is responsible for collaborating and interfacing with ecosystem leaders (university faculty and leadership, innovation practitioners, workforce developers, investors, and federal agencies) to drive the growth of equitable and inclusive innovative ecosystems.

By providing direct oversight of technical assistance and training programs to stakeholders in higher education environments, this role will be critical in creating and defining strategies to help institutions create system level change in I&E on campuses across the country. This individual will manage a team of three which runs a portfolio of programs with sustainability and equity integrated into each: faculty initiatives (e.g. grant-making, training, Communities of Practice, etc.), the annual OPEN conference, and other initiatives that support systems change in higher education. This person will be accustomed to working with Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs).

We value staff members who are curious, committed to environmental sustainability, and have experience (either through work or personal life) working with marginalized groups affected by racism, sexism, or classism.

This position is fully remote but will require travel approximately 15-25% of the time to execute role responsibilities. This role will report to the Vice President, Higher Education Innovation Ecosystems.

Responsibilities:

Primary Duties & Expectations:

• Lead and execute VentureWell’s new higher education strategy and manage alignment with the organization’s overall strategic direction
• Manage a team of two Senior Program Officers (SPOs) and a Grants Manager who will be responsible for carrying out VentureWell’s new focus in higher education ecosystem building
• Serve as an internal subject matter expert in the field of higher education ecosystem building; design, develop, deliver, and evaluate a wide range of STEM innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization to advance operational, programmatic and organizational best practices at institutions
• Collaborate with leadership to raise funds to support the implementation of new program offerings 
• Evaluate internal learning insights to implement strategic initiatives, grants programs, and program offerings to advance unit operations  
• Develop customized program and service offerings to promote capacity building support to regional ecosystem leaders, with a focus on colleges and universities
• Collaborate with appropriate partners on development of resources, budget planning and management, and oversight of staff and contractors
• Builds and maintains a work culture that investigates equity, and is imbued with a sense of inclusion and belonging amongst staff (direct reports, indirect reports, matrix relationships)
• Seeks out opportunities to weave in and center environmental sustainability and advancing equity to team’s work and discussions

Business Development & Fundraising

• Provide domain relevant leadership in initiating and stewarding relationships and revenue-generating opportunities in collaboration with Development Team and Executive Team (e.g. grants, sponsorships, donors, etc.)
• Autonomously cultivate relationships and interact directly with funders, partners and key stakeholders to represent VentureWell’s mission, strategic initiatives, goals, and Higher Education programming; builds presence and reputation in the field
• Contribute to and/or drive grant proposal development for future funding
• Responsible for program design, evolution, and renewals through provision of content for and authorship of reports to funders

What You Bring:

• Advanced degree preferred (MA/MS, MBA, and/or PhD), bachelor's degree required
• At least 10 years leading higher education capacity-building initiatives through the development and/or implementation of frameworks to incorporate I&E into programs, strengthening co-curricular and extracurricular offerings
• At least 5 years experience managing collaborative teams in a higher education or similar ecosystem-related role
• Demonstrated experience with the current ecosystem-building landscape including tech-based economic development, startups, commercialization and intellectual property
• Superior project management skills, including ability to meet deadlines and coordinate multiple tasks with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders in a fast-paced environment
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills with an ability to articulate and synthesize information in a compelling, organized manner; comfort and experience delivering trainings or content related to domain experience online and in person
• Significant experience leading institutional change initiatives through the development and/or implementation of frameworks to incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) into courses, strengthening co- and extracurricular offerings and models for integrating entrepreneurship into into a broad range of programs/curriculum
• Track record of successfully leading both large and small highly-interactive events, both in person and virtually (e.g. workshops, conferences, etc.)
• Experience (work or lived) with groups identifying as marginalized by racism, sexism, or classism

Across the Board, VentureWell Staff:

• Are able to succeed and thrive in an environment with competing and changing priorities and tight deadlines
• Have track records of and ability to build solid collaborative working relationships, and are proven team players who enjoy a “customer service” orientation to collaboration
• Are committed to embedding equity in our internal practices and culture and in our programs in order to live and achieve our mission
• Bring openness and engagement to personal, professional, and organization-wide learning on race, class, gender, justice, and equity
• Are curious and committed to issues of environmental sustainability
• Are self-starters with excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality work 
• Are active learners who independently learn new tools and work processes quickly
• Have excellent written and oral communication skills

Our Benefits:

• An attractive and equitable compensation package, including: 
• Salary range of $130,000-$160,000 commensurate with experience and internal equity
• 403(b) plan with 200% match up to a maximum contribution from VentureWell of 10% when the employee puts it 5% (eligible after one year of service for the match)
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• $1,000 home office stipend upon hire

• A true focus on work-life balance with work weeks that reflect that
• It’s our aim for our employees in this position to not work more than a 40-hour workweek 
• 20 paid vacation days PLUS the week off between Christmas and New Years
• 12 paid wellness days 

What We Offer:

• A culture where people work intentionally and collaboratively in pursuit of our mission  
• Values we believe in
• A commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

About VentureWell: 

VentureWell supports the cultivation of an emerging generation of science and technology inventors and the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems that are critical to their success. Since its founding in 1995, VentureWell has funded or trained over 16,000 science and technology inventors and innovators, resulting in the emergence of over 3,000 ventures with groundbreaking technological advancements in fields like biomedicine and healthcare, sustainable energy and materials, and solutions for low-resource settings. The startups they have supported have raised subsequent funds totaling close to 5.3 billion and are reaching millions of people in nearly 50 countries.

Visit venturewell.org to learn more.