Manager, Accelerator

IVEY BUSINESS SCHOOL FOUNDATION•London, ON

1d•CA$74,800 - CA$93,551•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager will lead the day-to-day operations, events, programs and budget of the Accelerator Program, Western Angel Investment Group, Demo Days and all qualifying rounds for Demo Day and the Accelerator. The Manager will work with 6-10 business start-ups (approximately 16 businesspeople) to provide expertise, advisory and coaching support to entrepreneurs. The incumbent will contribute to the overall reputation of the University and success of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem by working creatively with Accelerator, and Demo Day companies to solve access and competency issues and by building, nurturing and engaging Western’s network of entrepreneurial alum for work with the Accelerator Companies. They will be responsible for Accelerator Programming (scheduling, selecting presenters & mentors, as well as budgeting). The Manager will be responsible for sustaining targeted corporate sponsorship relationships across various industries for the Western Accelerator and for providing program relationship bridge building for more advanced programming and networking events. The incumbent will work closely with the Executive Director and Directors to develop strategy, and to establish targets, goals, and plans for the portfolio.

Requirements

Undergraduate Degree in Business, Management, Marketing, or a related field.
Minimum 5 years' experience in a client facing role working and managing within an entrepreneurial environment.
Proven experience in business advisory, coaching, and problem-solving, preferably in a consulting or entrepreneurship-focused role.
Knowledge of venture capital, private equity, and other sources of investment.
Knowledge of general office procedures and familiarity with best practices for assessing, developing, and implementing new business processes and procedures.
In-depth knowledge of foundational business concepts, along with a keen interest in current business thinking.
Familiarity with financial budgeting.
Strong interpersonal skills and listening skills, with an ability to communicate with a variety of clients at all levels including executives, alumni, and other professionals.
Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required.
Sales skills and the ability to represent effectively and enthusiastically Western, its students and MIFE to targeted organizations.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to write clear, concise, and accurate procedural documentation.
Relationship-building skills, both within the organization and in dealing with external constituents.
Ability to apply creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness to daily work.
Capacity to support and demonstrate openness to persons of diverse backgrounds and beliefs.
Ability to understand customer needs and expectations and provide excellent customer service to satisfy expectations directly and indirectly.
Attention to detail with an ability to retrieve, analyze and synthesize sizable amounts of data, while ensuring that information is accurate and comprehensive.
Commitment to ongoing professional development with a desire to take on new challenges.
A well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation, conflict resolution skills and the capacity to consider issues from the perspective of others.
Discretion, tact, and maturity to deal with highly confidential subjects, and work in a manner that models best practices in confidentiality standards.
Organizational, prioritization, and project management skills with the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work under pressure, with the flexibility to respond to ambiguity, changing priorities and fluctuating workloads.
Ability to plan and manage events of various sizes, familiarity with large scale events an asset.
Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals.
Intermediate computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite & Gust.
Ability and willingness to travel and work outside of regular business hours. Including International travel.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with University policies and procedures preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage the daily, weekly, and monthly activities of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship Accelerator (seminars, networking events, mentors etc.). The MIFE Accelerator includes the fall and spring intake, plus the summer student internship intake.
Engage with 6-10 start-ups to understand their challenges, questions, and goals. Provide strategic advice, coaching, and guidance to address business concerns and problem solving daily.
Develop the curriculum and mentorship calendar for all three intakes of the Accelerator.
Reach out to Alumni, Business, and faculty experts to fill the curriculum components, build a mentor team for the participants, and host and facilitate sessions with the experts and mentors.
Manage the recruitment of start-ups to the MIFE Accelerator program and actively identify and engage with businesses to ensure a strong pipeline. Work with other departments at Western such as Communications/Alumni to promote the program.
Work with communications to promote the MIFE Accelerator program and its start-ups within the London entrepreneurship community and broader Western community through press releases, social media, newsletters, videos etc.
Work with the Internal Director and External Committee of the MIFE Advisory Board to build and keep budgets regarding the Accelerator and its activities (approx. $350k, which is expected to increase as the program develops).
Maintain positive stakeholder relations, as it relates to operation of the Accelerator (both internal and external to the University).
Establish and build strategic partnerships with appropriate government and private sector organizations.
Lead the daily, weekly, and monthly activities leading up to and including the two Demo Days held each year. This will include the qualifying competition to participate in Demo Day each term. Activities include recruitment of great entrepreneurial businesses across the country, and the design and organization of the Qualifying and Final (investor) rounds of Demo Day.
Recruit judges from the business/entrepreneurial community to serve as judges for the qualifying rounds of Demo Day.
Be responsible for the final selection of teams (considering the judges scores), communicating with and then preparing the final participating companies for Demo Day.
Be responsible for the structure of Demo Day itself, which has typically included the recruitment of investors, the selection of a venue, the selection of a speaker or panel, the organization of the presenting companies and a networking event.
Communicate with all sponsors of Demo Day which includes regular updates and engagement in the event.
Develop and oversee budgets, tracking expenditures and approving expenditures according to the budget plan for all Accelerator, Demo Day and related activities, and the Western Angel Investors Group Accounts (funds).
Collect, organize, and present performance metrics on an ongoing basis of current & former Accelerator & Demo Day teams. Including states, money raised, sales and number of companies.