Search Lead, Denver (Contractor Role)

Watson Institute•Denver, CO

About The Position

The primary mission of the Search Lead is to recruit and select highly promising, rising entrepreneurs and leaders for a Fellowship powered by Watson Institute. Working independently in your assigned geography, you will build a robust network of local nominators, partner organizations, and community influencers, conduct direct outreach to prospective Fellows, and host virtual and in-person recruitment events. This is a performance-based role measured by consistent activity and demonstrated results: partnerships established, outreach conducted, events hosted, applications generated, interviews completed, and filling the Fellowship slots needed for the geography. The ideal candidate is a proactive relationship-builder who can design data-driven outreach approaches, manage candidate screening and preliminary interviews, and continuously optimize recruitment tactics to ensure a strong pipeline of Fellows aligned with Watson Institute's mission. Success requires the ability to work autonomously, meet weekly reporting expectations, and deliver recruitment outcomes in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.

Requirements

Network Builder: Natural ability to cold-reach into communities, build trust quickly, and establish partnerships from scratch.
Public Speaker: Comfortable presenting to groups (virtual and in-person), hosting events, and pitching compellingly on the spot.
Hunter Mentality: Proactive, doesn’t wait for applications to come in. Goes out and finds compelling candidates directly.
Self-Directed: Can work independently without hand-holding; figures things out, problem-solves, manages own time across 25 hours/week.
Mission-Aligned: Genuinely passionate about Watson Institute’s work and can authentically represent it in their community.

Nice To Haves

Local Connections: Already embedded in the assigned geography OR has strong experience building networks in that region (especially for international sites).
Entrepreneurial Experience: Has started something, worked at a startup, or maintains meaningful ties to entrepreneurship or innovation ecosystems.
CRM Comfort: Familiar with Salesforce or similar (or able to learn quickly).
Content & Outreach Experience: Experience with content creation, paid media, or digital marketing campaigns.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in Excel, strong email communication, rapid follow-up, and comfort with data analysis.
Community Orientation: Passion for building community and forging meaningful relationships in recruitment environments.

Responsibilities

Conduct thorough research and mapping to identify key organizations, universities, incubators, community groups, and influencers in the assigned geography who can connect you to promising entrepreneurs.
Build relationships with local nominators and organizations that can refer qualified candidates; attend their events, offer to present, and co-host info sessions (virtual or in-person).
Organize and lead virtual info sessions and recruitment events for the assigned geography; co-host events with local partners; present at community gatherings.
Proactively identify and reach out to highly promising entrepreneurs through LinkedIn, network referrals, and personalized engagement.
Attend community events, pitch the Fellowship, and represent Watson Institute in your region.
Review and screen applications from the assigned geography.
Conduct preliminary interviews with prospective Fellows.
Manage the candidate pipeline in Salesforce for the assigned geography.
Maintain communication with applicants.
Report weekly on progress, challenges, and leads.
Track recruitment metrics for the assigned geography.
Attend the Fellowship recruitment team meeting to share updates, coordinate across geographies, and align on strategy.
Review the assigned geography's progress, troubleshoot challenges, and receive guidance on recruitment approach.