| | As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for four consecutive years.
Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship currently has an outstanding opportunity for an ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. (Program Operations Specialist)
For the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, this assistant director will provide leadership, strategic planning, organization-building, and project management to ensure the successful planning, execution and growth of three key program areas relating to life sciences and tech commercialization.
First is the Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge (HIC), now in its fifth year. This challenge is a competition open to undergraduate and graduate students from UW and colleges and universities throughout the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, and engages the Seattle health innovation community as mentors, judges, and sponsors. The second key program is the ITHS/WRF Summer Commercialization Fellowship. UW graduate students working toward their MBA, Master’s Degree, or PhD are recruited to work on business assessments for promising technologies out of the research labs. In addition, this position oversees all aspects of the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate, and in the point of contact for students in the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club and the Foster MBA BizDev Consultants.
The Buerk Center offers programs, curricula, and real-world experiences that give entrepreneurial students from any major the knowledge and the hands-on experience they need to be innovation leaders in their careers. Entrepreneurship is on the rise. Many students see entrepreneurship as important for their career path. Those who participate in Buerk Center's programs--like the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge, the Dempsey Startup Competition, the Jones + Foster Accelerator, or the Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge--go on to start successful ventures or be leaders of new business endeavors at established companies.
This position requires close collaboration with Buerk Center colleagues who manage other competitions, marketing & communications staff, the operations manager, and student assistants. In addition, outreach to key faculty members and advisers in other departments across the UW campus, including bioengineering, health sciences, global health, public policy, engineering, and others is essential to maintain awareness for the HIC as well as the ITHS/WRF fellowship program. Also key is maintaining extensive interaction and visibility within Washington's health innovation and entrepreneurial communities for recruiting judges and mentors as well as potential sponsors. Collaboration with UW CoMotion (technology licensing office) on IP issues related to student startups and promoting supportive programming for budding entrepreneurs. In addition, this position will manage relationships and programming for graduate students interested in entrepreneurship, as well our fellowship programs.
Responsibilities:
HEALTH INNOVATION CHALLENGE:
Planning and Execution:
Manage an annual budget (approximately $200k), set fund-raising targets with Buerk director, and manage to expectations.
Develop challenge guidelines, objectives, work breakdown and timeline, eligibility criteria for student teams, and judging criteria for each stage of the event.
Work with the center director to identify prospective sponsors and prepare sponsorship benefits materials. Identify potential granting organizations that would be appropriate for the HIC and apply for funding.
Develop and maintain contact lists of potential judges and mentors, confirm judges for each round of the event, maintain communication with judges and sponsors.
Network with the Northwest's health innovation community to determine trends, engage industry and government leaders, and promote the UW HIC to a broad audience.
Manage bi-weekly steering committee meetings with student leaders from across campus. Select and mentor student co-chairs, helping them acquire project management and leadership skills while supporting project delivery.
Manage the HIC web site and update content. Work with Buerk Center's marketing assistant director to develop new content as needed, update sponsor logos, dates and deliverables for the event.
Work with instructor to organize speakers for Health Innovation Practicum course in Fall Quarter. Engage high-level industry experts from around the Northwest to participate in class project reviews.
In conjunction with EIC competition manager, oversee the student prototype funding process, from RFPs and applications to individual project budgets and final accounting from the student teams after the event.
Identify coaches, mentors, and advisors for student teams, matching technology or commercialization needs with industry expertise.
Organize workshops, "Office Hours," and other events to prepare student teams for the Challenge.
HIC-Related Event Management:
In conjunction with the operations manager, oversee logistics for the final event, including room reservations, contracts, catering, equipment/supplies, awards, sponsor materials, banners and posters, and PowerPoint presentations.
Manage the competition software and judging platforms in conjunction with the EIC and Dempsey Startup competition managers.
In conjunction with the assistant director for marketing, oversee production of promotional materials, event invitations and programs, and event visuals; identify and develop story ideas and marketing plans for the event.
Write regular, detailed emails to event participants, with information on deadlines and deliverables, logistics, and participation rules.
Maintain excellent and detailed project records.
Track student involvement year over year.
Evaluate and implement program improvements.
Train student assistants for event duties.
ITHS/WRF SUMMER FELLOWS COMMERCIALIZATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Maintain core fellowship management team:
Coordinate and lead planning meetings.
Cultivate new management team members who have the capability of supporting fellows with knowledge of product development, entrepreneurship, qualifying for funding, developing intellectual property, meeting FDA requirements, and other areas of expertise.
Work with technology management departments at UW CoMotion, Seattle Children’s, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to funnel promising projects into the program.
Contact individual managers, program leads, and key faculty to source potential projects.
Vet projects with core management team to determine core projects to offer to the fellows.
Recruit students to the fellowship positions:
Target business-trained or experienced MBA or other graduate students.
Make in-person announcements and email notifications to clubs and key departmental contacts.
Work with management team to find qualified students.
Organize interview process and selection of fellows.
Summer Fellow Curriculum:
Work with core management team to review and update curriculum and guest speakers for program.
Review and update timeline and due dates for deliverables.
Schedule and lead regular team meetings.
Provide feedback to fellows to encourage productive progress.
Event Management:
Schedule series of presentations for the program, inviting key participants.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT:
Oversee and advise all graduate students in the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate (TEC) program.
Manage campus-wide graduate recruitment and admissions to the program.
Act as liaison to navigate registration policies for graduate students from across campus.
Manage all aspects of the certificate program including the oversight of student databases, evaluation of application, admission and registration processes, class registration, student completion and issuance of certificates.
Serve as a liaison between non-business graduate students and the Foster School for admissions and registration issues.
Advise current and prospective students on graduate-level ENTRE course offerings and requirements.
Hold regular info sessions to attract entrepreneurial graduate students to the center.
Represent the Buerk Center at various graduate student events as requested by graduate student groups.
Communicate the Buerk Center's outreach activities to students and departments on campus.
Serve as liaison to the EVCC and SEBA graduate student clubs, including developing a relationship with each club's leadership team and organizing an annual lunch for club leadership teams to meet one another.
Update the Buerk Center's website and print materials with current graduate curriculum information and create new content as needed.
OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED:
Lead Responsibilities:
Planning and execution for major competition (Health Innovation Challenge) and summer fellowship program (ITHS/WRF Summer Commercialization Fellowship)budget management, marketing to faculty and students across the region, identifying sponsors, coaches and judges, event management. Responsible for graduate-level entrepreneurial-related programs, including certificate programs and fellowships for non-business majors.
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, engineering, business, or liberal arts, and two or more years of relevant experience in entrepreneurship center, entrepreneurial setting, or fund-raising office. Must have significant experience in event planning and budget coordination. Affinity for working with students. Exceptional communication skills, and the desire to work in an environment of self-starters. Must be able to demonstrate ability to develop and maintain relationships with business and community health leaders, and the skills to independently plan, develop, manage, and grow high-quality programs. Proficiency in MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and the aptitude to learn competition software programs.
Desired:
Candidates with experience in the health arena (both domestic and global), biotech, or life sciences preferred. Experience with fund-raising and donor cultivation. Knowledge of social media.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed. |
