Assistant Director, Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies

University of Texas at Austin

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Texas McCombs is a top business school at the center of one of the most innovative cities in the U.S. The McCombs community champions hands-on experiences alongside the ground-breaking research and thought-leadership of world-class faculty. The collaborative spirit and enterprising drive of the Longhorn alumni network, one of the largest university networks in the world, is embedded in our culture, making us human-centered and future-focused in all our endeavors. We are shaping those who will shape tomorrow, and solving challenging problems while remaining committed to creating a community that is dynamic, supportive, and challenging. The Assistant Director for the Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies provides strategic and operational leadership to advance the Institute’s mission of fostering entrepreneurship education and engagement at McCombs. This role is responsible for overseeing program administration, managing staff and budgets, advising students in the Entrepreneurship Minor, and cultivating relationships with internal and external stakeholders. The Assistant Director ensures the successful execution and continuous improvement of Institute programs, supports marketing and communications efforts to enhance visibility and impact, and drives collaboration across the University and broader entrepreneurial ecosystem to create meaningful opportunities for students.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of experience coordinating programs and high-impact events in an educational or corporate environment.
Proven ability to exercise high levels of discretion and judgement, providing practical solutions in the resolution of complex issues.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated success in managing relationships with multiple stakeholders and navigating matrixed organizations to accomplish program goals.
Demonstrated success in process improvement and project management.
Effective communication skills and ability to work both independently and as a member of project teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate difficult and complex matters effectively to a range of audiences and skill levels.
Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Teams, Zoom and/or other remote communication technologies.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in entrepreneurship, higher education leadership, business administration, or related field.
Strong working knowledge of entrepreneurship terminology, processes, and organizations including entrepreneurial finance and business plan development.
Personal entrepreneurial ecosystem experience and network.
Experience working in an environment making strategic decisions and/or prior success executing business development initiatives.
Experience managing, developing, and supervising a cross-functional team.
Proven competency in developing and leading complex collaborations between companies and institutions of higher education or governmental agencies.
Experience with Slack, Notion, or other project management software.

Responsibilities

Provide regular updates to stakeholders.
Develop impact reports and other documents to share with the University leadership, donors and the public.
Manage administration and budgets of all Harkey Institute programs including the Summer Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA), the Entrepreneur Mentorship program, the Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community (LLC), student-led entrepreneurship organizations and new programs being developed.
Facilitate contracts, scholarships, and gifts as needed.
Manage the Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies staff, program operations, and academic calendars.
Establish staff priorities, check-in on progress, lead bi-monthly staff meetings, and provide regular feedback.
Direct and support all Harkey Institute programs.
Lead regular development activities to promote team building and collaboration, as well as individual development.
Coordinate the hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and job creation for open positions.
Provide guidance to the team for Institute operations including: (1) student recruitment and participant engagement efforts, (2) event execution, orientations, and program logistics, (3) purchasing, budget administration, and operational workflows, and (4) the selection, supervision, training, and management of student workers and staff support roles.
Support the development of new programs and lead change in existing programs to achieve Institute priorities.
Manage and expand existing relationships as well as build partnerships with stakeholders both internal (e.g., Academic Advising Committee, Texas InventionWorks, and Texas Exes) and external (i.e., corporate sponsors and local startups) to the University to connect students to opportunities, training, and resources.
Support development activities to achieve goals for the Institute, McCombs and the University.
Meet with local entrepreneurs and other Texas alumni to create opportunities to engage students in a way that aligns with the mission of the Institute.
Ensure a positive experience for invited guests including students, prospective donors, prospective industry partners, and others looking to become involved with the Harkey Institute.
Host guests during their visit.
Work closely with the Department of Management, the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center, McCombs development, Registrar, University Extension, Texas One Stop, facilities, human resources, and other offices to ensure successful operations of the Institute.
Provide leadership to the Entrepreneurship Minor.
Counsel current students to identify and pursue educational, life, and career goals as they relate to their participation in the minor.
Develop a plan for timely graduation using course selection, extracurricular opportunities, and programs and services to meet academic and career goals.
Advise students during registration periods and as needed.
Clear advising bars, assist students with registration, and uphold departmental registration and prerequisite policies.
Assist students with issues involving class availability and time conflicts.
Manage compliance to University policy and procedure.
Maintain curriculum committee processes to ensure Minor course offerings are adequate to serve the population and reflect current entrepreneurship course offerings across the campus.
Continue development of the Harkey Institute advising chat bot, Harkey Jr.
Support and guide marketing and communications efforts for the Harkey Institute, including brand positioning, campaign planning, digital and social media strategy, website oversight, and public-facing storytelling.
Ensure alignment of all brand campaigns with Institute priorities and University standards.
Serve as a spokesperson for the Institute through campus events, presentations, speaker series, and external engagements.
Support the execution of high-impact communications initiatives, including video productions, website design, and major promotional campaigns.
Other duties as assigned, including special projects, and participating in School and the University’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem activities.