If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Current WGU employees should submit an internal application before 9/3/2024 to be considered.

The Director of Venture Programs will lead and manage WGU’s startup accelerator program and oversee internal corporate venture initiatives. This role focuses on identifying, supporting, and accelerating high-potential, early-stage EdTech startups. This scope includes both external pre-Series A companies and internal products developed at WGU. The Director will play a pivotal role in supporting WGU’s mission to create pathways to opportunity for all by leveraging external innovation and internal venture opportunities to enhance student success and align with WGU’s strategic goals.

This role will build strategic relationships within the WGU ecosystem and serve as a central point of contact for new venture projects. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the EdTech landscape and a network of relationships across higher education institutions, vendors, and industry partners. S/He will have experience leading a startup organization and/or a deep understanding of how to bring early-stage companies and products successfully to market. They will be an experienced leader who has managed high-performing teams within an emerging body of work and will apply creative problem-solving and strategic thinking to support organizational, team, client, and student success.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Lead and manage WGU’s startup accelerator program.
Supervise and support a team of experienced consultants and product managers.
Oversee internal corporate venture initiatives that align with WGU’s mission.
Provide mentorship, resources, and support to startups to accelerate their growth, including regular check-ins, tailored and strategic advice, and connecting them with relevant industry experts.
Organize and execute events such as pitch days, demo days, and networking events.
Build and maintain strategic partnerships with external organizations, including venture capital firms, universities, and innovation hubs.
Facilitate collaboration between startups and internal business units to drive mutual value, including pilots of startup services as needed.
Support Labs’ thought leadership through contributions to written publications, conference proposals and presentations, speaking engagements, etc.
Represent WGU Labs at industry events, conferences, and networking functions.
Guide new venture projects, marshaling resources from across WGU and 3rd party partners.
Promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the organization.
Serve as a liaison between 3rd party partners, WGU Labs, and key stakeholders at Western Governors University.
Contribute to the strategic and operational planning at WGU Labs.
Manage employee performance, provide professional coaching, and address performance issues, as needed, constructively.
Evaluate and report on the impact and success of the startup accelerator program using key performance indicators and feedback from participants.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Deep education industry expertise.
Strong understanding, and preferably lived experience, of the startup environment.
Strong project execution skills, managing complex, multifaceted projects.
Ability to lead, build, and coach high-performing teams.
Strong analytical mindset and problem-solving abilities.
Experience with information and communication technology to develop and implement evaluation systems and metrics.
Ability to tackle difficult topics and challenge conventional thinking respectfully.
Proven experience in hiring, managing, developing, and retaining talent.
Ability to make quick decisions to move projects forward and increase efficiency.
Experience building strong relationships with direct reports and creating resilient teams.
Ability to increase employee engagement and support a positive work environment.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse stakeholders.
Experience with change management and fostering a culture of innovation.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

Develop and recommend plans to accomplish division responsibilities.
Performance affects department results and requires extensive knowledge of the University.
Responsible for compiling data to produce a department budget.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

Make significant improvements to processes, programs, and systems.
Create and direct policy decisions within the scope of responsibility.
Coordinate activities and maintain relationships with external parties.

Communication & Influence:

Represent the division as the primary internal contact for operations.
Influence others to accept the division’s views, practices, and approaches.
Conduct briefings with senior leadership to gain approval.

Leadership & Talent Management:

Manage teams of managers and professionals.
Create workforce and staffing plans.
Oversee hiring, firing, promotion, performance management, and employee training.
Primarily achieve goals through leading a team.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

10+ years of executive leadership experience, including at least 5 years managing direct reports.
7+ years of consulting experience, specifically advising executive-level professionals in education.
Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Management, Business Administration, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience as an entrepreneur.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Pay Range: $180,800.00 – $325,500.00

WGU will accept applications for this position until 12:00 AM ET, 09/04/2024

How to apply:

Apply online

Full-time Regular Positions (FT classification, standard working hours = 40):

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; well-being program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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