Current Job Opportunities

The inaugural Director of the Mines Venture Center Programs will be responsible for developing, leading, promoting and attracting external support for programs and activities based at the university’s new Beck Venture Center building ( Mines - Beck Venture Center) - with the goal that those efforts will lead to the launch of companies, technologies and products from students, faculty, alumni and partnerships connected to the Colorado School of Mines. Those efforts should also lead to increases in external support for the Mines Venture Center Programs and growth in its reputation and visibility.

To accomplish this, the Director of the Mines Venture Center Programs will serve as a bridge between the university’s entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) enterprise and the broader, regional and national E&I ecosystems. The director will rally external enthusiasm, engagement, and additional support.

In addition to the Director of the Mines Venture Center Programs and the new Beck Venture Center building, the university’s entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) enterprise also includes the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the new Labriola Innohub and McNeil Hall buildings, and the Office of Research and Technology Transfer. Collectively and collaboratively, the leaders of these entities will work together and with other university leaders and faculty and staff and external partners to develop entrepreneurs, innovators, new businesses, and new partnerships with investors – with the overarching goal of increasing the impact that Mines and its education and research/innovation enterprises have on the world and economy.

Develop, lead, promote and attract external support for programs and activities based at the university’s new Beck Venture Center building (Essential -60%)

• Collaborate with the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Office of Research and Technology Transfer to create and promote a rich, attractive and exciting environment at Mines that stimulates and supports the development of student, faculty, alumni and partner client entrepreneurs and innovators and new products, technology, and companies.
• Grow the numbers and successes of student, faculty, alumni, and partner client ventures and develop programs for sustaining the growth with measurable outcomes.
• Develop and communicate a compelling strategic plan for the Mines Venture Programs and their role within the broader Mines E&I ecosystem, including collaborations with the McNeil Center, the Office of Research and Technology Transfer, and external partners.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders, including the Mines Foundation and the Mines Foundation Venture Fund to develop funding mechanisms (both grant and equity-based) for Mines affiliated startup companies and the Mines Venture Center Programs.
• Create a compelling shared vision on how Mines students, faculty, staff and the external community benefit from a strong Mines ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation & design. Consistently communicate and update that vision internally and externally.
• Identify and pursue with others (e.g., Colorado School of Mines Foundation, faculty, etc.) external funding opportunities to advance E&I at Mines (private foundations, private donors, government, etc.)

Management, Communications, and Logistics (Essential - 20%)

• Supervise, support, and encourage applicable staff and volunteers.
• Oversee the management of the Mines Venture Center budget.
• Communicate progress to Mines senior leadership, campus, donors, external partners and the public.
• Participate in related Mines campus activities and events as required.
• Monitor national and regional trends in higher education related to entrepreneurship, innovation & design and communicate significant news and events to the Mines community as appropriate.
• Launch a new website (ventures.mines.edu) dedicated to the Venture Program and provide oversight and supervision to assure that the website is properly maintained and continuously updated, in collaboration with the Directors of the McNeil Center, Labriola Building, and Office of Research and Technology Transfer. This and related websites will project a unified and expanding ecosystem with extensive cross-links.
• Assure applicable office compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Ensure that Mines Venture Center programs support the university’s strategic direction, including its diversity, inclusion and access efforts.

External Relations, Partnerships, and Promotion (Essential - 20%)

• Promote and increase the internal, national, and international recognition of the successes, impacts, and significance of Mines’ E&I activities.
• Maintain an active social media presence.
• Work with the Mines Alumni Board (in partnership with the Mines Foundation) to grow alumni participation in Mines E&I activities, including the existing alumni special interest group in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
• Engage people and organizations in the Golden community, the state of Colorado, and beyond to help promote the Mines brand and the E&I vision and strategic plan.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with entrepreneurial-focused organizations at other front-range universities and colleges such as CU Boulder, CU Denver, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Red Rocks Community College, and others.
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with entrepreneurial-focused organizations at national laboratories, other national universities and institutions.
• Attend Mines and Colorado front-range E&I events to build a network of individuals and organizations who may be of benefit to the Mines E&I community.
• Recruit and maintain a network of external entrepreneurial mentors who will actively help, and guide Mines student teams interested in establishing startups directed to commercial or social entrepreneurial opportunities. Actively monitor mentor-student relationships and interactions in the effort to optimize the student experience.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least seven years of professional experience in entrepreneurial businesses or in service organizations supporting entrepreneurial organizations (incubators, accelerators, early stage investment organizations, economic development organizations, professional service organizations, etc.)
• Knowledge and experience in current trends in E&I programs in higher education.
• Demonstrated strategic planning and operational execution experience in complex organizations.
• Leadership experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• High emotional intelligence and social skills needed for effective interactions with key constituencies, including business executives, governmental officials, alumni, students, faculty, staff, university leadership, and collaborators.
• Excellent communication skills.

Education and Experience:

• At least Five years’ experience with an innovation or design focus (product design, service design, new product development, user interface, or related activities).
• Graduate degree in Engineering, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, or related field.
• Ten (10) years of relevant experience in industry or academia, including a demonstrated track record in a leadership role.
• Experience identifying and evaluating market opportunities for technology commercialization in a public or private sector environment.
• A track record of bringing new technology-enabled ideas to market.
• Strong and diverse networks of relationships in the business world, especially in the Colorado Ecosystem.
• A proven history of creating and negotiating corporate and industry partnerships.
• Experience working with a general counsel’s office to manage the risk and opportunities that come with intellectual property commercialization.
• A track record of working across sectors and in multi-stakeholder environments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• A commitment to fostering an organizational culture focused on the needs of the constituents it serves.
• Exceptional relationship building abilities, including the ability to create and manage effective intra- and inter-institutional coalitions that produce meaningful outcomes.
• Excellent team building and management skills.

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons.  Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety.

$161,000 - $187,000

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Applicants will be asked to complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, references, veteran status) and upload a resume and cover letter (required). A statement (less than 2 pages) on Contributions to Diversity and Inclusion is also required. Mines is committed to access, inclusion, and diversity and is actively developing a strategic plan to advance Diversity, Inclusion and Access (for more information visit https://www.mines.edu/about/diversity-and-inclusion/). The diversity and inclusion statement should describe your past experience and proposed activities to advance access, inclusion, and diversity at Mines.

References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.  The priority deadline for applications is March 31, 2023.  All applications received after this deadline will be secondary and may not be reviewed.