Executive Director, UMKC's Innovation Center

UMKC's Innovation Center

Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate

UMKC IC seeks an entrepreneurial leader with an excellent record of startup and business experience to serve as the executive director of the UMKC Innovation Center (IC).

Responsibilities of the Position

Strategic Leadership

• Define the roadmap and strategy for the organization along with Office of Research and Innovation, Bloch School of Management, Law School, Engineering, other schools; and community partners.
• Steward the responsible scaling of the organization toward serving UMKC and the community.
• Fundraise for the organization through local, state, federal and private sources.

Organizational Management

• Manage and develop the staff direct reports.
• Manage UMKC IC budget and financial operations of approximately $4.5MM annually.

Ecosystem Engagement

• Serve as the primary liaison for the other UMKC commercialization and entrepreneurship units: Office of Technology Transfer, Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UMKC School of Law Center for Law Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Missouri Institute for Defense and Engineering, Critical Materials Crossroads, et. al.
• Maintain relationships with Missouri Small Business Development Center Lead Center, APEX Accelerator Lead Centers through University of Missouri - Columbia.
• Build and maintain external partnerships with investors, corporate partners, government agencies, and startup ecosystem stakeholders.
• Serve as the center's spokesperson, advocating for its mission and engaging the community.

Performance & Impact

• Evaluate, fund and implement programming to support entrepreneurs and university technology commercialization
• Track and report key performance indicators to measure the impact of programs and inform stakeholders.

Skills

• Content Expertise. The executive director will need a broad and deep understanding of best practices in entrepreneurship and innovation programs, knowledge of current trends in higher education is a plus.
• The executive director should be an experienced manager capable of leading organizations and staff teams while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the success of startups.
• Strategic Planning and Collaboration. The executive director is expected to develop strategic outcomes focusing on campus and community relationships. The executive director must demonstrate a credible and collegial leadership style that is highly effective.
• Growth Mindset. Bring an entrepreneurial, solution-based attitude to the work and cultivate the same in others.
• Resource and Relationship Development. The executive director will work to maintain and expand relationships with UMKC supporters. This outreach will span from on-campus to external partnership opportunities and will include sponsorship and fundraising for the department.
• Staff Development. The executive director will work to develop staff in the department with support, training, professional development, and coaching.
• Nimble and Adaptive. The executive director should adapt quickly to innovation and new knowledge.

A Master's degree in a relevant area and 10 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired OR a Bachelor's degree in a relevant area and 12 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Other relevant preferred qualifications/experience

• 15-plus years of experience in management.
• Experience in private and federal fundraising.
• Experience in entrepreneurial ventures (founding/investment experience a plus).
• Experience successfully taking technology/product from inception to market (deep tech product experience a plus).
• Experience successfully raising financing for early-stage companies or venture funds.
• Experience in organizations such as accelerators, venture capital firms, etc.
• Experience in higher education in an innovation/entrepreneurship capacity a plus.
• Recognized for significant contributions and leadership-whether through service, technical expertise, or driving forward key initiatives and programs.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:

• Deep understanding of how startups of all types (micro, main street, second stage, innovation-led) form and thrive.
• High energy and enthusiasm, with a genuine passion for entrepreneurship.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage faculty, students, alumni, and local entrepreneurs and service providers.
• Experience providing mentorship and guidance to early-stage founders.
• Proven leadership abilities and a collaborative mindset.
• Well-connected within the startup ecosystem.
• Skilled at managing multiple, complex projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrates a high degree of empathy and emotional intelligence.

Measures of Success

The items listed below will define success for the executive director throughout the first year of employment:

• Increased number of business starts, jobs created, debt/equity infusion, sales increases for businesses served.
• The executive director has established significant partnerships across campus and in the community to enhance success for startup and growth companies.
• The executive director has demonstrated that they are a valuable thought leader who advances strategic priorities and a future vision for the organization.

The anticipated hiring range for this position has been established as starting at $220,000

Salary is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the individual's particular combination of education, skills, and experience, as well as organizational requirements.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Missouri provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Grade: E1B

University Title: Executive Director

To review the University of Missouri's Staff Compensation Structure you can view the Job Code detail page. Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

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Applicant review will begin immediately and the job will remain open until filled.

Background

Established in 2003, the UMKC Innovation Center is the largest and most established entrepreneurship center in the Kansas City region, serving more than 6,000 aspiring and existing business owners each year in Kansas City and across the state of Missouri. At its core is its educational programming that supports thousands of entrepreneurs each year in gaining basic skills to start, operate and scale businesses. The organization also serves as the convener for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Kansas City region, working across the University and the community to connect, support, sustain and empower entrepreneurial efforts.

Training, one-on-one counseling, connections to capital and to myriads of resources help grow business owners and their companies resulting in new businesses, jobs and wealth for the community. Across the country, technologies and methodologies developed through Center programs assist more than 100 other regions in building entrepreneurial communities.

This position will also lead a university-wide initiative, Roo Ventures, to unite entrepreneurship programs from across campus to connect research, technology transfer, COREs, education and other resources to improve the experience for students, faculty and community members by offering well-coordinated space, access to university resources, programming, mentorship, and funding. Additional resources within the Kansas City regional entrepreneurial and commercialization ecosystem supplement UMKC's programs, guiding startups within the region into viable early-stage companies that contribute to the regional, national, and global economy.

Services are provided across the UMKC IC's four pillars:

• Entrepreneurial Education supports thousands of entrepreneurs each year in gaining basic skills to start, operate and scale businesses. Training, one-on-one counseling and connections to capital and myriads of resources help grow business owners, their companies and jobs and wealth for the community. This pillar is supported by the U.S. SBA Missouri Small Business Development Center and U.S. DOD Apex Accelerator programs.
• KCSourceLink and MOSourceLink connect a network of more than 700 business-building resources across the region and the state of Missouri that work together to build a better environment for entrepreneurship and connect entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time. The KCSourceLink/MOSourceLink resource center offers Personal Action Plans to move aspiring and existing entrepreneurs forward in their business. KCSourceLink has also become the de-facto organization for monitoring and measuring the Kansas City regional ecosystem, offering research on what is and isn't working, identifying gaps in services and convening across the region to fill those gaps.
• Technology Venture Studio is the starting point for faculty, students and the community to evaluate, mature and commercialize early-stage technologies. Access to subject matter experts and serial entrepreneurs, proof-of-concept support, product development bootcamps, access to early-stage investment, connections to accelerators and more come together here. The UMKC Office of Commercialization is embedded in the Studio, working to move UMKC technologies to market and driving connections to industry that result in sponsored research contracts.
• SourceLink provides consulting and software tools to help cities, states and regions nationwide build better-connected and more cohesive infrastructures to spark, support and sustain entrepreneurship. The SourceLink program is currently spread across 100+ communities across the country, including Puerto Rico. SourceLink's proprietary technologies and methodologies have been licensed to entrepreneurial communities across the U.S. In addition to utilizing the same methods and software, summits, meetups and virtual workshops bring this large and diverse group of organizations together on a regular basis.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Office of Equity & Title IX at 816-235-6910.