Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Executive Director, Harvard Innovation Lab

19-Dec-2024

Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Executive Director, Harvard Innovation Lab

Harvard Business School

67662BR

Job Summary

The Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab) is a unique collaboration and education space designed to foster entrepreneurship and innovation across the Harvard University community. Since its founding in 2011, tens of thousands of students from all 13 Harvard University schools have experienced the i-lab, over 5,000 ventures have been incubated, and $5M has been distributed in non-dilutive funding. Today, the i-lab consists of three labs:

• The Student i-lab is available to all current students from any Harvard school who are looking to explore innovation and entrepreneurship at any stage. The i-lab provides all the physical and intellectual resources needed to develop and grow startups, including networking activities, co-working space, advising, office hours with industry experts, and workshops. It is known for the President’s Innovation Challenge (PIC), an annual student (and select alumni) venture competition that offers substantial support for promising ventures.
• Launch Lab X (LLX) is an eight-month global accelerator for pre-seed to seed-stage ventures founded by Harvard alumni. The program commences every October and culminates in May with the President’s Innovation Challenge awards ceremony. Applications are open to all alumni from any school. Teams can be based at the i-lab or anywhere around the world.
• The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is a shared laboratory space for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups founded by Harvard faculty, alumni, students, and postdoctoral scholars. The 15,000-square-foot facility has 36 lab workbenches and 50 co-working spaces, conference rooms, and kitchen.

Does the thought of being part of an organization that supports current and future entrepreneurs at a key inflection point in their growth intrigue you? Are you interested in creating and executing operational excellence to optimize events and programming that provide a platform for entrepreneurially minded students and alumni? Are you excited about helping the next generation of innovators develop by utilizing team, individual, and blended learning experiences and resources? If so, consider the Executive Director role, where you will lead the strategy and operations of a world-class organization providing transformational capabilities to the entrepreneurial community.

Position Description

The Executive Director leads the strategy and operations of the i-lab, including but not limited to the following:

• Establish and implement a vision for programming and operations, partnering with the i-lab’s faculty chair and working closely with the University-wide advisory board and other senior administrative leaders across Harvard, and operating as a prominent node in the entrepreneurial networks of Harvard and Greater Boston;
• Establish close working relationships with the University-wide advisory board to help craft and implement the strategy;
• With the advisory board, create and implement the policy and infrastructure framework for the i-lab, including profiles of occupants, term limits, technology and administrative assistance, access to resources, and the basic “rules of the road” for occupants;
• To support student projects, define and manage relationships within Harvard for specialized services and develop contracts and relationships with vendors (ex: LabCentral, technical services, prototyping, machine shop, etc.), and with related outside organizations;
• Ensure relevance of student programming and resourcing through benchmarking best practices in this area, foster a welcoming environment that attracts and supports student innovators and teams representing a broad spectrum of entrepreneurship knowledge and experience, and serve as an expert source of information for internal and external audiences;
• Develop and manage operations across all functions of the labs including budget, staffing and performance management, building and systems, marketing outreach, technology, metrics, and audit processes;
• Oversee a team of three senior leaders (Programs and Engagement; Administration; Pagliuca Life Lab), and manage, develop, and motivate a total team of 23 full-time staff and a number of contractors and vendors who provide administrative and program support to the i-lab;
• Cultivate a culture of operational excellence, solution-driven collaboration, optimism, creativity, and open communication across the i-lab team and organization. Champion collaboration with other Harvard and HBS entrepreneurship-centric groups. Partner with colleagues at Harvard Business School and Harvard University on operational planning and support, ensuring alignment with Harvard and HBS operating standards;
• Market the three labs, both in the formal sense of being one of the key spokespeople for the media and related outlets, and in the informal sense of continuously communicating the interesting work of the labs through social media and other direct outreach;
• Serve as a proactive link to the local neighborhood, working with community leaders and partner organizations to assess how the labs may serve as an appropriate nexus for connecting and supporting local small business leaders and the community;
• Design and deliver formal and informal programs that link new thought leaders together with i-lab occupants, including hosting Harvard-sponsored business plan contests, providing an open forum for innovator roundtables, creating speaker series, connecting occupants with entrepreneurs-in-residence, venture capitalists, social media innovators, alumni, executive education participants, etc.;
• This role is responsible for other duties as assigned

Create and nurture a resource network for occupants, for example: intellectual property counsel, the venture capital community, the engineering community, technology end-users, relevant student and alumni organizations, key faculty and thought leaders.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Over 10 years of experience required.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

Other Required Qualifications:

• Masters or other advanced degree in Business, Engineering, or Science is a plus

Additional/Desired Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will bring strong operational management experience as well as understanding of the Harvard University ecosystem, relationships within the innovation and/or entrepreneurial community, and a fundamental and creative understanding of marketing and communication, particularly utilizing the most current forms of social media. Fundraising success and/or business development experience, particularly in start-up business development, is an asset.

This role requires someone willing to roll up their sleeves, and who truly enjoys serving as a mentor, advisor, and guide to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. The successful candidate will have experience and enjoy taking a mature organization, with a dedicated team, and continuing to develop and stabilize it as the context in which it operates evolves. The successful candidate must be curious about, committed to, and passionate about education and innovation and innovators/entrepreneurs. A high comfort level with a changing and evolving agenda is required along with the flexibility to adapt to that agenda. Key skills include being self-motivated, creative, and comfortable building collaborative relationships throughout the University to advance the work of the labs and continually encourage engagement from across the 13 schools. A proven record of generating excitement about an idea while simultaneously managing operational details and stewarding resources is required.

Other attributes will include excellent organizational, personnel, and administrative management skills and judgment; experience working effectively with faculty, University administrators, and advisory board members; and strong interpersonal communication and presentation skills. Proven consultative, interpersonal, and communication skills required; experience in the academic world would be an asset, but is not required.

Additional Information

This role is offered as a hybrid (some combination of onsite and remote) where you are required to be onsite at our Boston, MA-based campus a minimum of 3 days per week. Specific days and schedules will be determined between you and your manager.

We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity.

Harvard Business School will not offer visa sponsorship for this opportunity.

Culture of Inclusion: The work and well-being of HBS is profoundly strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and life experiences. Explore more about HBS work culture here https://www.hbs.edu/employment.

About Us

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Job Function

Faculty & Student Services, General Administration

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Boston

Job Code

361061 Administrative Manager

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Sub-Unit

------------

Salary Grade

061

Department

I-labs

Annual Salary Range

$195,000 - $215,000

Union

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Time Status

Full-time

Pre-Employment Screening

Criminal, Education, Identity

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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