Assistant Director Community Programs

Towson University•Towson, MD

About The Position

The Assistant Director Community Programs will manage the annual StarTUp Accelerator program cycle, including application administration, recruitment, program scheduling, participant communications, session coordination, logistics, assessment, and the annual cohort showcase. This role also involves facilitating and organizing flagship programs like the Bootcamp and Women in Business Speakers series, and developing/maintaining collaborative relationships with programming alumni, the campus community, and external partners. The position requires tracking program outcomes, developing outreach strategies, and serving as the primary program administrator for Athena PowerLink Baltimore. Additionally, the Assistant Director will lead program management for assigned StarTUp programs and events, assist with strategic initiatives and operational plans, manage budgets, provide operational and facility support, develop content for communications, and represent StarTUp at community events. The role also includes contributing to departmental planning and performing other assigned duties.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required.
Three years of progressively responsible professional experience in program management, entrepreneurship, community or student engagement, project management, or a related field.
Experience managing complex programs, projects, partnerships, or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
Interpersonal skills, including the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds to engender trust.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated strong attention to detail with reliable organizational skills to prevent details from slipping through the cracks.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment / manage tasks effectively to achieve on-time delivery. Comfortable with multitasking and poised under pressure.
Proven ability to work collaboratively with others and independently to achieve common objectives.
Team player with high emotional intelligence and exceptional communication skills. Enjoys working across teams and functions to build relationships and earn trust.
Adaptable; proactive problem solver with excellent judgment.
Ability to understand technology and apply troubleshooting methodologies.
Demonstrates experience and a working level of ability, to carry out ongoing office administration tasks effectively and efficiently in support of individuals, teams, and/or units.
Demonstrated competency with virtual event hosting platforms (Zoom, WebEx) is essential.
Demonstrated competency and working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (SharePoint included).
Compliance with university policies, procedures, and guidelines for financial reporting and budget requirements.
The highest level of integrity and the ability to maintain confidential information are a must.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with entrepreneurs, businesses, accelerators, economic development organizations, or community-based programs preferred.
Demonstrated interest in and understanding of the startup ecosystem, entrepreneurship, innovation, and working with students.
Comfortable with the following tools: Sales Force or other CRM tools.
Experience in a similar role in an educational institution, startup, government, non-profit, or for-profit.
Experience with entrepreneurship competitions logistics, working with early stage/student entrepreneurs, co-working spaces, and/or incubators/accelerators a plus.
Community building, convening, and connecting experience.

Responsibilities

Manage the annual StarTUp Accelerator program cycle, including application administration, recruitment and selection coordination, program scheduling, participant communications and documentation, session coordination, program logistics, assessment, and the annual cohort showcase.
Facilitate, manage and organize flagship programs such as the reoccurring Bootcamp, Women in Business Speakers series, and other community business programming.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with programming alumni, campus community, and external partners to expand participation and strengthen entrepreneurship programming.
Track program outcomes, participant engagement, and assessment metrics to continually improve program quality and impact.
Develop and execute outreach and engagement strategies to increase awareness of and participation in StarTUp programs and entrepreneurship-related opportunities.
Serve as the primary program administrator for Athena PowerLink Baltimore, working in collaboration with the Executive Director and Assistant Director of Student Programs to support governance, recruitment and selection, participant engagement, and related programming.
Execute alumni related programming.
Serve as the program management lead for assigned StarTUp programs and events, coordinating timelines, program requirements, participants, communications, and execution in partnership with the Operations Manager.
Assist the Executive Director in developing strategic initiatives and long-term operational plans.
Manage and monitor budgets associated with assigned programs and initiatives, including program expenditures, funding requirements and financial documentation.
Provide operational and facility support as needed to ensure continuity of StarTUp operations, programs, and events, in coordination with the Operations Manager.
Develop and manage content for newsletters, social media, websites, and stakeholder communications to promote programs and enhance engagement.
Serve as liaison with the division’s Communications and Events team to ensure alignment on branding, messaging, and promotion of StarTUp programs and events.
Represent StarTUp at community events and within the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem to strengthen visibility, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement.
Contribute to departmental planning, assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.