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Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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About the role

This is a 12+ month contract role with potential extension pending approved funding. The Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship is responsible for leading the Central Oregon Innovation Hub (COIH) with the purpose of building upon EDCO’s success supporting traded-sector, innovation-based startup businesses by cultivating, connecting, and coordinating an ecosystem that helps them grow, attract investment capital, and create jobs. The Hub represents a collaboration of various organizations working together under a unified umbrella to provide services to innovation-driven entrepreneurs. This role includes managing partnerships with stakeholders and the to-be-formed Entrepreneurial Resource Network (ERN) to identify and address gaps in the ecosystem that provides essential activities to promote connectivity and networking, access to capital, technical assistance for collaboration, coordinated education and mentoring, talent development, and cultivating and communicating innovation impact. Learn more about the Innovation Hub initiative at: https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/regional_innovation_hubs

Key responsibilities

  • Entrepreneurial Resource Network
  • Financial oversight and grant administration
  • Community Engagement
  • Business Operations

Entrepreneurial Resource Network (ERN)

  • Develop, manage and regularly convene regional partners, community stakeholders and service providers to:
    • Refine, as needed, the Hub’s strategic priorities and align activities with the Hub’s mission and goals
    • Establish baseline metrics for referrals, service usage, and economic impact
    • Identify and address gaps in services, capital, support, and other issues startups face
    • Facilitate cross-sector collaboration and resource sharing and build regional and political support for the Hub and its initiatives
    • Maintain strong connections with external initiatives such as the Centers for Innovation and Excellence, the Technical Assistance for Underrepresented Businesses Program, and the Rural Opportunity Initiative.

Financial Oversight and Grant Administration

  • Ensure compliance with all funding requirements and inter-organizational relationships
  • Prepare and maintain annual budget, workplan, and quarterly reports
  • Manage partner agreements
  • Identify and/or develop a sustainable funding model

Community Engagement

  • Develop and manage strategic regional partnerships to support the COIH goals
  • Develop and manage community engagement plans to effectively communicate the Hub’s value and impact, amplify regional success stories, promote ecosystem events, etc.
  • Connect the ecosystem providers with resources and support
  • Coordinate representation of the Hub at statewide conferences and events
  • With the help of the ERN, identify demand and generate participation in COIH programs and services
  • Assist EDCO Venture Catalyst Director with identifying and securing keynote speakers for events such as Central Oregon PubTalk and Bend Venture Conference

Business Operations

  • Identify and collect ecosystem metrics/KPIs
  • Portfolio management
  • Event coordination
  • Implement referral system and train users
  • Develop shared data system and launch HUB website
  • Host “State of the Region” event and publish ecosystem reports
  • Client technical assistance and navigation
  • Outreach to underserved populations

Other Duties as Assigned

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The ideal candidate has:

  • Degree in an appropriate field (e.g. business, entrepreneurship, law), or equivalent professional experience related to innovation and traded-sector startups
  • Demonstrated ability to cultivate industry and community partner relationships and support business innovation and development
  • Demonstrated ability to work with a wide variety of people
  • Experience working with, mentoring and/or scaling startups

You’ll rise to the top if you have:

  • Proven experience managing projects with a solutions-oriented approach
  • track record of identifying resource gaps and developing plans to address them
  • Experience executing and overseeing contracts to ensure compliance and deliverables
  • Experience monitoring metrics and performance to drive results and continuous improvement

Immediate Supervisor

EDCO CEO

Compensation Range

$40-50/hour

To Apply

For confidential consideration, please submit resume to karen.turner@expresspros.com

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