Assistant Project Director, Adelphi Entrepreneur (AE) Experience

Adelphi University•Village of Garden City, NY

6d•$70,000 - $73,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Project Director oversees the day-to-day operations and management of The Adelphi Entrepreneur (AE) Experience—a premier regional entrepreneurship ecosystem initiative supported by a Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) federal grant. Designed as a non-credit-bearing, stackable-credential model, the AE Experience combines evidence-based academic instruction, experiential learning, and practitioner mentorship to equip student entrepreneurs to successfully launch, grow, and sustain ventures across Empire State Development’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development (OSWD) target high-growth sectors. The Assistant Project Director leads operational execution, manages sprint schedules for two 20-student cohorts (Spring 2027 and Fall 2027), oversees grant expenditures, coordinates ecosystem stakeholders (Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, Subject Matter Experts, and regional partners), supervises direct report staff, and executes marketing and student recruitment across the Greater New York innovation economy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Higher Education, Innovation/Entrepreneurship, or a closely related field is required.
Minimum of two years of experience in program administration, project management, or grant-funded initiatives.
Experience in higher education administration, startup accelerators, venture studios, or economic development programs.
Ability to supervise staff, student workers, or cross-functional teams.
Experience facilitating collaboration across diverse stakeholders (faculty, corporate partners, mentors, student founders), and managing academic support staff, student success advisors, or marketing/social media teams.
Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills.
Proficiency in basic data analysis, survey tools, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and MS Office/Google Workspace.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day administrative, logistical, and operational workflows for the 9-month Entrepreneurial Development (ED) Model and its six 4-week sprint cycles.
Manage and track grant budget expenditures, operational expenses, and procurement processes in strict accordance with University policies and MBDA grant guidelines.
Facilitate comprehensive data collection across all four program phases (Launch, Operational, Completion, and Final Evaluation), tracking metrics such as student demographics, attendance, Panther Playbook completions, externships, prototypes, capital infusion, and business formations.
Maintain administrative systems for FERPA compliance, data exchange, and continuous program improvement based on stakeholder feedback and monthly reviews.
Coordinate the scheduling, delivery, and logistics of the Panther Playbook modules in close collaboration with Robert B. Willumstad School of Business faculty leads and facilitators.
Seamlessly integrate and execute the seven core components of the ED Model: Panther Playbook, Externships, Insights by Experts, Founder Circles, Faculty Venture Studio Hours, Success Coaching, and Mentorship.
Organize and manage regional events, workshops, and networking sessions at Adelphi’s main campus, regional startup hubs, co-working spaces, and partner facilities across target counties.
Recruit, onboard, and coordinate schedules for Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), Venture Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and industry mentors representing OSWD high-growth sectors (e.g., Biotech, Cleantech, Software/Digital Media, AI, Financial Services).
Serve as an operational liaison to key grant partners, including CVL Economics (data evaluation) and Extern (externship facilitation).
Partner with University Communications to develop branding assets, manage media promotion, and highlight student founder milestones and regional economic impact.
Execute outreach and recruitment campaigns across university and community networks to recruit two cohorts of 20 highly qualified student entrepreneurs.
Provide direct supervision, workflow management, and performance guidance to direct reports: the Student Success Advisor (Part-Time) and the Social Media Manager (Student).
Monitor student progress toward certificate completion requirements, tracking attendance, business plan validation, prototype execution, and milestone achievements.