Program Manager-Startup Lab

Program Manager-Startup Lab

Program Manager (PM-CSL) will work with the leadership team at the Campbell Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia (Campbell Center), including the Director of the Columbia Startup Lab, in operating and managing its Columbia Startup Lab (CSL) spaces, which provide mentorship, programming, community, and working space. The CSL Uptown supports matriculated Columbia and Barnard students who are currently building startups or are interested in learning more about entrepreneurship. The CSL SoHo supports more than 70 recently-graduated Columbia entrepreneurs annually who call the CSL their "corporate headquarters."

The PM-CSL will work to sustain a cohesive sense of community within the cohort of resident ventures and act as a trusted conduit between the CSL cohort and the partner schools and the University. Campbell Center & CSL will rely on the PM-CSL to plan, coordinate, and execute a variety of CSL events, including but not limited to office hours, lunch-and-learn sessions, and after-hour seminars/events. The PM-CSL would support CSL Uptown generally and specifically with Friday programming.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for incoming inquiries from applicants, partner schools and stakeholders by answering general questions about the Campbell Center and problem solving and escalating issues as needed.
• Own the semester and monthly CSL programming calendar for Uptown and SoHo; exercise independent judgment to design and prioritize office hours, lunch and learn sessions, and evening events based on cohort needs and space availability; resolve complex scheduling conflicts and make final sequencing decisions.
• Plan and coordinate a variety of CSL Uptown and SoHo events, including identifying and securing vendors, overseeing event logistics and on-site execution, and event breakdown.
• Allocate programming budget funds for CSL events within delegated limits; prioritize spend across cohorts and sites, select vendors in accordance with University policy, negotiate dates and basic terms, track commitments against the approved budget, and provide regular status reports to CSL leadership, escalating exceptions as needed.
• Create audience tailored materials for events, including agendas, run of show, speaker bios, slide decks and handouts; deliver follow ups after events with summaries, resources and action items; ensure accuracy; manage distribution through approved platforms and maintain a searchable repository of materials and templates.
• Serve as the main point of contact for hosting visits from Columbia alumni, CSL stakeholders, and collaboration partners.
• Serve as the liaison between the Campbell Center and partner schools at Columbia.
• Cultivate and sustain a cohesive sense of community within the cohort, fostering a welcoming environment, and presenting an enthusiastic, positive, and founder-first attitude.
• Partner with the Director of CSL SoHo to plan and manage the yearly application process in coordination with the partner schools.
• Implement and maintain a comprehensive data collection strategy, ensuring CSL metrics remain up-to-date and communicating insights regularly to Campbell Center Leadership to aid in fundraising efforts.
• Continuously identify, evaluate, and execute operational and administrative improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
• Minimum two to four years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with managing and cultivating a community.
• Experience developing and implementing organizational systems.

Other Requirements

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to set priorities in a fast-paced environment required. Excellent organizational skills, experience interacting with senior management, and ability to relate to all levels of personnel required. Must be highly conscientious and detail oriented, efficient, and calm under pressure. Diplomacy, tact, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.