Innovation Community Manager

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Position Title:
Innovation Community Manager

Job Category:
Academic Staff

Employment Type:
Regular

Job Profile:
Outreach Program Manager

Job Duties:
Department:

The Lubar Entrepreneurial Center (LEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a dynamic hub that empowers students, faculty, and staff to nurture ideas, build confidence, and grow as entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers. As a cornerstone of both UWM's and Milwaukee's innovation ecosystem, the center delivers multidisciplinary programming that strengthens creativity, design thinking, and real-world problem-solving skills. It serves as a resource for emerging ventures, offers experiential learning opportunities, and hosts key programs that help develop a strong regional talent pipelineuwm.edu. The center's collaborative innovation spaces - including open commons, co-working areas, and maker labs - are intentionally designed to spark creativity and support experimentation, prototyping, and teamwork.

Key Job Responsibilities:

The Innovation Community Manager plays a strategic role in building, activating, and sustaining UWM's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. This position leads ecosystem mapping and community strategy to increase visibility, accessibility, and engagement across campus and external partners. This position designs and delivers inclusive, low-barrier programming that fosters collaboration, cross-disciplinary co-creation, and shared problem-solving among students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders. Serving as a connector and facilitator, this role cultivates partnerships, aligns stakeholders around shared goals, and develops contributor pathways that encourage community ownership and leadership. The position also oversees program evaluation, impact measurement, and continuous learning to strengthen community outcomes and demonstrate impact. This is a highly collaborative, systems-oriented role that helps advance a thriving, connected culture of innovation at UWM.

1. Ecosystem Mapping & Strategy

• Map existing innovation and entrepreneurship communities across UWM (programs, labs, student orgs, faculty clusters, external partners).

• Identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for connection and growth.

• Develop a community systems strategy that increases visibility, accessibility, and participation across the ecosystem.


2. Community Activation & Programming

• Design and deliver programming that re-activates and sustains communities of practice, including:

- Innovation convenings and cross-community meetups.

- Design sprints, workshops, and collaborative labs.

- Peer-led and contributor-driven events.

• Build low-barrier entry points for new participants and clear pathways toward deeper engagement.


3. Cross-Community Collaboration

• Create mechanisms that encourage collaboration across traditionally siloed groups, such as:

- Shared challenges or thematic initiatives

- Cross-disciplinary project teams

- Faculty-student-industry co-creation opportunities

• Serve as a connector and facilitator, aligning stakeholders around shared goals.


4. Open Innovation & Contributor Pathways

• Adapt best practices from open-source communities to:

- Develop contributor roles (e.g., organizers, facilitators, mentors, builders)

- Enable community ownership and distributed leadership

- Encourage knowledge sharing and co-creation

• Design systems that move participants along a continuum:


observer → participant → contributor → leader


5. Metrics, Evaluation & Learning

• Develop and track metrics that capture:

- Community growth and diversity

- Engagement depth (not just attendance)

- Collaboration across communities

- Conversion to active contributors

• Use qualitative and quantitative data to continuously refine strategy and demonstrate impact.


6. Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build relationships with faculty, campus units, student organizations, and external partners.

• Collaborate with initiatives such as NSF I-Corps, Founder Factory, and other LEC programs to integrate community engagement into core programming.

• Serve as a trusted partner and facilitator for stakeholders seeking to engage with the innovation ecosystem.

Compensation:

$80,000 - 90,000 (Final salary offer will be determined based on qualifications and experience)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• 3+ years of experience in program management, community building, or innovation ecosystems.
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating workshops, convenings, or collaborative programs.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrated through experience working collaboratively with individuals and/or groups.
• Experience working across diverse stakeholder groups.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Experience with human-centered design, design thinking, or entrepreneurial methodologies.
• Background working in higher education, nonprofit leadership, or innovation programs.
• Experience managing or contributing to communities of practice or network-based initiatives.
• Familiarity with open-source or distributed collaboration models.
• Experience with impact measurement, evaluation, and reporting.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants are required to apply online and provide a cover letter, detailed resume/CV that addresses your professional level work experience as it relates to all required and preferred qualifications. Applications missing any of the required documents listed prior to the application deadline will be marked as incomplete and will not be considered.

In instances where the Search and Screen Committee is unable to ascertain from a candidate's application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they will be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications.

Finalist candidate(s) being considered for hire will be required to provide three professional/supervisor references through an external reference checking tool. References will not be contacted prior to candidates being notified.

Note: Applicants must complete all required fields and attach all required documents prior to submitting the online application to ensure full consideration. Additional documents submitted aside from a cover letter and resume/CV will not be considered. Please be detailed. In instances where the Search and Screen Committee is unable to ascertain from the candidates' application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they may be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications.

Additional Information: This position does not offer visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. Selected candidates will be required to verify eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required I-9 form upon hire.

Apply electronically by the application deadline date of J une 29, 2026. Questions about this position should be directed to Joshua Xiong at View email address on click.appcast.io


Reasonable Accommodations
Pursuant to university policy, UWM provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

Confidentiality of Applicant Materials
UWM is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin's Open Records Law. UWM will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin's Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of "final candidates" and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.

CBC and Reference Check Policy
Employment will require a criminal background check. UWM takes the prevention of sexual misconduct seriously. As such, you and your references will be required to answer questions regarding any past findings of sexual violence and sexual harassment or any pending allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWM Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see , or call UWM's Dean of Students Office, Student Union 345 at View phone number on click.appcast.io for a paper copy.

Employment Authorization
In compliance with federal law, all persons at the time of their start date will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.