Associate Director, Growth, Innovation, Community Programs & Sponsored Events, and Future State

About the Role

The Associate Director of Growth, Innovation, Community Building Programs & Sponsored Events, and Future State leads a portfolio of entrepreneurship initiatives focused on strategic growth, innovation, and ecosystem building for veteran and military-connected entrepreneurs. Reporting to the Director of Entrepreneurship, this role provides leadership for special programs including CVOB, CEOcircle, MEF, COE, pilot initiatives, and future collaborations across the veteran-serving ecosystem, while supervising a vertical team and advancing program design, partner engagement, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership And Portfolio Direction: Lead strategy, planning, and future-state development for a portfolio of special entrepreneurship programs, with particular emphasis on CVOB, CEOcircle, MEF, COE, and future state programming ensuring alignment with IVMF and Entrepreneurship unit priorities. Represent IVMF in external meetings, convenings, and stakeholder forums. Cultivate and manage relationships with corporate, philanthropic, and veteran-serving ecosystem partners to expand collaboration opportunities, strengthen program relevance, and support growth of entrepreneurship initiatives.
• Supervision And Team Leadership & Program Oversight And Execution: Supervise assigned staff within the vertical team, establish priorities, support professional development, and ensure strong coordination across program delivery and shared operations. Oversee design, implementation, and continuous improvement of CVOB, CEOcircle, MEF, COE, pilot initiatives, and assigned collaborations; establish goals, monitor performance, and ensure quality execution, partner satisfaction, and participant impact.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with internal teams including research, communications, operations, and advancement to support program outcomes and reporting.
• Innovation And New Initiative Development: Identify, shape, and test new concepts, pilots, and partnership models that advance innovation, community building, and long-term growth across the entrepreneurship portfolio.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree preferred in business, public administration, public policy, higher education, nonprofit management, or experience in related field.
• Minimum of five to eight years of progressively responsible experience in program management, partnership development, entrepreneurship support, innovation strategy, or related work.
• Experience supervising staff and managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives is required.
• Experience working with veteran-serving, entrepreneurship, government, or community-based programs is strongly preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong strategic planning, program management, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to lead complex initiatives with limited oversight, use sound judgment, analyze operational and strategic issues, and translate broad goals into clear actions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience building external partnerships, and ability to work effectively across functional teams.
• Familiarity with veteran entrepreneurship, community-building models, and innovation or pilot design is preferred.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors, 100 minors, and 200 advanced degree programs offered across the University's 13 schools and colleges; over 15,000 undergraduates and over 6,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.syracuse.edu.

About the Syracuse Area

Syracuse is a medium-sized city situated in the geographic center of New York State approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The metro-area population totals approximately 500,000. The area offers a low cost of living and provides many social, cultural, and recreational options, including parks, museums, festivals, professional regional theater, and premier shopping venues. Syracuse and Central New York present a wide range of seasonal recreation and attractions ranging from water skiing and snow skiing, hiking in the Adirondacks, touring the historic sites, visiting wineries along the Finger Lakes, and biking on trails along the Erie Canal.