Director, Student Programs and Network Engagement
18-Oct-2024
Director, Student Programs and Network Engagement
Harvard Business School
67181BR
Job Summary
Are you passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation? Skilled at building network support and an ecosystem for student and alumni ventures? Dedicated to creating the right entrepreneurship offering to foster venture progress and learning?
We are seeking a strategic and experienced leader to serve as the Director of Student Programs and Network Engagement at the Harvard Innovation Labs. This role will focus on building strong student program offerings, engaging with our robust ecosystem, and fostering collaborations both within and outside the university, including our network of volunteer experts, entrepreneurs, and investors. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in entrepreneurship and innovation, ecosystem development, strategic planning, and program management.
Position Description
Key Responsibilities:
1.Student Program Strategy:
- Oversees the portfolio of student program offerings, including design and programming, working with the Programs team.
- Ensures clear alignment between student needs and network engagement and ecosystem efforts, and between student needs and alumni needs.
- Fosters thought leadership for student programs, e.g. evangelizing our approach to entrepreneurship & innovation, benchmarking program offerings and venture progress, and incorporating best practices from the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Collaborates with HIL Staff Advisors on workshops and other program offerings; works with HIL team to identify and invite external speakers and create effective offerings.
- Supports Assistant Director of Student Programs and broader Programs team to ensure successful delivery of student programming, and evaluation/improvement of customer experience.
- Defines value propositions for, and learning outcomes of, student program offerings, and supports team to improve venture progress for student founders and innovators.
- Recruits, engages with, and strengthens the Harvard Innovation Labs’ volunteer expert network to support our diverse student and alumni founders, evaluating gaps and opportunities to keep our network optimal.
- Develops and implements strategies to engage and collaborate with investors, funders, accelerators, and other external stakeholders.
- Builds relationships and collaborations with key stakeholders across Harvard, including innovation initiatives / centers, faculty, and administrators at individual Schools.
- Fosters a strong innovation ecosystem across Harvard University. Oversees the strategy and planning of university-wide convenings around entrepreneurship and innovation. Partners closely with Assistant Director of Events to translate ideas into action.
- Supports Manager, Network Engagement with the execution and scaling of the various network program offerings, including volunteer onboarding and evaluation, expert offices hour, and mentor match.
- Works with Director, Alumni Programs and Engagement to improve expert offering to support alumni programming.
- Oversees the PIC Student Track offerings, including programming, orientation, judging, and Ingenuity Award. Supports the cross-team PIC initiatives including website & finale.
- Oversees i-lab and affiliated funds including Spark Grant, Social Innovation Fellowship Fund, and Allston Venture Fund, and driving them to success, to effectively support student founders.
- Investigates new student funding opportunities and manages the process for fund set up and renewal, where appropriate.
- Manages the Manager of Network Engagement, and the Assistant Director of Student Programs and supports the student programs team. Sets goals and priorities, provides guidance, and supports their team’s professional development.
- Leads the team to effectively scale to address the growing needs of student and alumni founders and innovators, effectively balancing reach, impact, and team capacity.
- Represents and advocates for students and network engagement in leadership meetings, and helps to develop and support organizational strategy and direction.
This role is responsible for other duties as assigned
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required.
- 7+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, as well as program management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.
Additional Qualifications and Skills
Additional/Desired Qualifications:
- MBA or Advanced Degree in related fields preferred.
- Strong experience building partnerships and developing relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Proven track record of building and managing successful programs and initiatives.
- Experience with volunteer management a plus.
- Strong understanding of customer needs; ability to translate insights into actionable strategies.
- Familiarity with a higher education innovation setting preferred.
Additional Information
This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice.
We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.
A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.
Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.
Culture of Inclusion: The work and well-being of HBS is profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences. Explore more about HBS work culture here https://www.hbs.edu/employment.
About Us
Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.
Benefits
We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:
- Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
- Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
- Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
- Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
- Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
- Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
- Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
- Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.
Job Function
Faculty & Student Services, General Administration
Department Office Location
USA - MA - Boston
Job Code
361059 Administrative Manager
Work Format
Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)
Sub-Unit
------------
Salary Grade
059
Department
i-lab
Union
00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary
Time Status
Full-time
Pre-Employment Screening
Criminal, Employment, Identity
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
EEO Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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