Vice President, FinTech Coalition (SMU)

MassChallenge•Dallas, TX

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

MassChallenge is seeking a Vice President, FinTech Coalition, to join its Dallas team. This role will serve as the day-to-day program lead and primary operator for the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Fintech Accelerator, a key initiative of the SMU Cox Fintech Coalition. The position is responsible for the entire lifecycle of the accelerator program, from identifying and selecting startups to executing the curriculum, coordinating mentors, engaging corporations, and managing showcase events. The SMU Cox Fintech Coalition is a significant three-year partnership aimed at positioning SMU as a leading national center for financial innovation, featuring a selective startup accelerator, executive convenings, and major events like the SMU Cox Fintech Summit and Hackathon. This role is a high-priority initiative for MassChallenge and crucial to its Dallas expansion, offering a unique opportunity to build a significant program from its inception. The Vice President will be deeply involved in the Dallas and national fintech sectors, acting as MassChallenge's senior representative and fostering relationships with founders, corporate leaders, investors, faculty, and ecosystem partners. Collaboration with SMU stakeholders and the broader MassChallenge team is essential to ensure the program meets high standards of quality, rigor, and impact, utilizing MassChallenge's extensive experience in running national fintech accelerators.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Eight or more years of experience in program management, accelerator operations, innovation ecosystems, venture development, or related fields
Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder programs with high operational demands and visible external audiences
Deep familiarity with fintech, financial services, or adjacent sectors, including knowledge of the regulatory landscape, enterprise adoption dynamics, and startup commercialization pathways
Exceptional judgment
Founder-first mindset
Presence to represent MassChallenge and SMU with credibility at the most senior levels
Operationally excellent, founder-first program leader who thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills and can engage credibly with founders, senior corporate executives, investors, and university administrators alike
Natural convener who builds trust quickly and knows how to bring people together around a shared goal
Strong communication skills, written and verbal, and can represent MassChallenge and SMU with confidence in public-facing settings
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously without sacrificing quality
Can operate with autonomy, exercise sound judgment under ambiguity, and escalate appropriately when needed
Energized by the opportunity to build something new and are willing to do what it takes to get it right in the early stages of a multi-year platform
Excited to be part of MassChallenge’s growing Texas presence and to build a program that makes Dallas a nationally recognized center for fintech innovation

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in business, finance, entrepreneurship, or a related field is a plus
Experience working with or in a university, corporate innovation, or institutional partner environment is strongly preferred
Existing relationships in the Dallas fintech or broader innovation ecosystem are a meaningful plus

Responsibilities

Serve as the strategic and day-to-day lead, in collaboration with team members at SMU, for the SMU Cox Fintech Accelerator, owning program design, execution, quality, and success metrics from sourcing through showcase.
Lead a four-month hybrid accelerator experience anchored by three in-person intensives (kickoff, midpoint, and finale/demo day) and structured virtual programming throughout.
Drive the full startup selection cycle, including the configuration and management of the MassChallenge Accelerate platform, multi-stage expert review, live judging, and final cohort deliberations in close coordination with SMU.
Own the end-to-end founder experience, including onboarding, goal setting, milestone tracking, mentor matching, and ongoing founder support.
Design and deliver curricula across five program modules, integrating enterprise readiness, fintech-specific content, expert sessions, and milestone-based learning.
Coordinate cross-functional implementation across MassChallenge and SMU teams in Dallas and Boston, in conjunction with SMU Cox leadership, the SMU Executive Sponsor, and the SMU Program Lead.
Manage program reporting, including quarterly and end-of-year reports to SMU, Steering Committee materials, and outcome tracking against agreed-upon success metrics.
Lead the sourcing, vetting, onboarding, matching, and performance management of the mentor and expert network, targeting 45–60 core mentors, 10–20 specialist experts, and 8–15 executive judges per cohort.
Ensure the mentor network reflects the balance of academic expertise, corporate operating experience, investor perspective, and fintech domain depth required to support a high-quality and diverse cohort.
Maintain conduct standards and quality oversight across the network, addressing concerns promptly in coordination with SMU.
Serve as MassChallenge’s primary relationship owner with SMU Cox leadership, the SMU Executive Sponsor, and the SMU Program Lead.
Represent MassChallenge at major Dallas fintech and innovation events, including Venture Dallas and DFW Startup Week, and build the program’s visibility as a leading regional platform.
Drive corporate, investor, and ecosystem engagement through Executive Circle convenings, curated office hours, founder salons, and partner touchpoints designed to create pathways for pilots, commercial relationships, and strategic collaboration.
Support SMU’s sponsorship integration into program activities, ensuring sponsors receive meaningful, well-executed touchpoints consistent with program quality standards.
Collaborate with and provide guidance to the Manager, FinTech Accelerator and Programming.
Contribute to organizational knowledge and best practices in accelerator operations, working collaboratively across MassChallenge’s program and network teams nationally.