Director, Operations

Department: The Garage Salary/Grade: EXS/14 Job Summary The Director of Entrepreneurship, San Francisco reports into the Executive Director of The Garage. The position, located at Northwestern University - San Francisco, will build on the success of programs pioneered over the last couple of years by the inaugural Director, The Garage SF. This position is expected to develop relationships within Northwestern's entrepreneurial community nationally and internationally, with an emphasis starting in the Bay Area, in order to build a large, vibrant network of investors, entrepreneurs, tech workers, and other partners. In this role, the Director of Entrepreneurship, San Francisco will expand connections with alumni, students, and faculty and collaborate with all innovation and entrepreneurial efforts across the Bay Area to operationalize the strategic visions for The Garage. This is a term position ending on March 31, 2028. Specific Responsibilities Implement the strategic vision for The Garage by being the on the ground contact for Garage programs while managing and growing the 800+ alums who are part of The Garage SF. Conduct significant outreach to alumni and professionals for 1-on-1 meetings as well as event planning and hosting for larger gatherings of community members. Provide mentorship, coaching, and connections for students, alumni, and faculty in innovative and/or business start-up activities. Maintain an environment where alumni can connect and students can thrive. Oversee proof-of-concept work, business cultivation, collaboration opportunities, and programming in the Bay Area for Northwestern University's students and faculty, as well as alumni entrepreneurs. Leverage mentors throughout San Francisco and beyond. Execute comprehensive marketing, branding and development strategies for Northwestern entrepreneurship in the Bay Area, ensuring consistency with the University and providing updates to the Associate Director, who will partner with various Schools to promote Northwestern entrepreneurship in the Bay Area. Assist in the creation and revision of Garage SF communications, including the weekly Garage SF newsletter currently reaching 800 Bay Area alumni. Nurture relationships with industry and investors, beyond Northwestern alumni; Build relationships to enhance revenue from major donors, foundations, government agencies, angel investors, venture capitalists and corporations. Maintain excellent relations with all stakeholders. Miscellaneous Perform other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications 3-10 years experience at startups, tech companies, or in venture capital in the Bay Area with a robust professional network A passion for working with founders and experience mentoring students or coaching startup founders Comfort with ambiguity, experimentation and new ideas. Enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and building new ideas. Excellent rapport with the Bay Area tech and business communities Excellence in written and oral presentation and communication skills and the experience and proclivity to be an outgoing spokesperson, relationship builder and fundraiser Target hiring range for this position will be between $134,000-$165,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Benefits At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre‑tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at to learn more. Work-Life and Wellness Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at to learn more. Professional Growth & Development Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more. Equal Opportunity Employer Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process. #J-18808-Ljbffr