Assistant Director of Entrepreneurship Programs - Gies College of Business
Urbana, IL, USA
Posted on Jul 25, 2026
Duties Responsibilities Initiatives of the Associate Dean of Entrepreneurship or designee(s) • Assist with efforts to increase entrepreneurship opportunities for students and faculty within the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship. Strengthen the Office’s suite of programs and increase access by expanding the scope of the ecosystem to include Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the national community which may include new partnerships and online programming. • Investigate opportunities for the Office to support budding student entrepreneurs through events, research, networking and operations. • Assist with efforts for the Office to serve as an educational resource for innovators to enhance campus-wide interest in and knowledge about entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. • Contribute to overall work to support unit goals, including participation in team meetings about unit strategy, program development, reporting requirements, branding and communications, advancement, and alumni relations. Provides analytical and programmatic support by evaluating current programs, facilitating structured feedback for improvement, and implementing adjustments annually. • With Gies Business Marketing and Communications, coordinate outreach and advertising content to attract qualified students to Office offerings. • Manage workspaces and workstacks for students, as well as day to day communication with them. Program Administration • At the direction of the Associate Dean of Entrepreneurship and/or designee, provide program administration and management for a portfolio of cross-campus programs in entrepreneurship and innovation, including the iVenture Accelerator, Entrecorps, the Entrepreneurship Minor, the Program Fellowship, among other offerings. Within the program fellowship, manage student workers and interns. Support Gies entrepreneurship efforts in Chicago, including but not limited to the iVenture Accelerator summer program. • Support programs and events, including oversight of outreach, planning, logistics, and operations for programs that engage students in the Illinois and Chicago entrepreneurship ecosystems. • Represent the Origin Ventures Office of Entrepreneurship at campus and external events, strengthening visibility and engagement. • Actively explore and implement programs within the entrepreneurial and innovation space that directly align with the current efforts and goals of the unit. Collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to integrate entrepreneurship programming across disciplines and support the development of a cohesive campus-wide ecosystem. • Manage social media content and coordinate with Gies Marketing Communications to ensure a consistent and engaging presence across our channels, while supporting other outreach efforts. • Cultivate and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including alumni, founders, investors, and corporate partners, to enhance program engagement and mentorship opportunities. • Create, curate, and deliver educational content in co-curricular and outreach programs. Conduct venture analysis and critique, monitor and assess student progress, design and evaluate founder experiments, and review updates through tracking systems. Produce concise written summaries and feedback memos for startups to guide iteration and improvement. Participate in select workshops, office hours, and group sessions to provide analytical input and pressure-test founder thinking. • Mentor and coach student startups, social ventures, and constituents. Work with team for program recruitment and selection processes, including outreach, application review, and cohort development. • Coordinate speakers, mentors, and judges for entrepreneurship programs and events. Other Duties as Assigned
