Director, Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

Job Posting Title:

Director, Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute

----

Hiring Department:

Department of Management

----

Position Open To:

All Applicants

----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

----

FLSA Status:

Exempt

----

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

----

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

----

Job Details:

General Notes

Texas McCombs is a top business school at the center of one of the most innovative cities in the U.S. The McCombs community champions hands-on experiences alongside the ground-breaking research and thought leadership of a world-class faculty. The collaborative spirit and enterprising drive of the Longhorn alumni network one of the largest university networks in the world, is embedded in our culture, making us human-centered and future-focused in all our endeavors. We are shaping those who will shape tomorrow, and solving challenging problems while remaining committed to creating a community that is dynamic, supportive, and challenging. What starts here really does change the world.

For more information about Texas McCombs please visit: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/ and learn more about UT benefits here: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits

Purpose

The Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI) at The University of Texas will strengthen the next generation of courageous, creative leaders who will change the world – in business and beyond. KS WELI creates space and resources for creatives, leaders, and founders to become a community of empowered and equipped visionaries. Our vision is to boldly grow and support the number of women-owned and women-led businesses at The University of Texas. We support undergraduate, graduate, alumni, staff and faculty Longhorns. KS WELI designs curated content to inspire and equip Longhorns in their entrepreneurial journey while providing community along the way.

The Director is at the helm of the daily operations, management, and leadership of the Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (KS WELI). This role autonomously steers KS WELI toward its vision and strategic goals while collaborating with and reporting to the Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship at the McCombs School of Business to ensure long-term success and growth. Currently in its fourth year, the Director will play a pivotal role during the Institute’s hyper-growth phase. This position offers the unique opportunity to reimagine and scale programming, creating greater impact and positioning the Institute at the cutting edge of innovation and transformative change in the entrepreneurial landscape at The University of Texas and beyond.

This role requires a combination of strong leadership, strategic thinking, fundraising, program management, and interpersonal skills, along with a deep understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategic Planning

• Lead KS WELI’s operations and initiatives, setting strategic goals and ensuring alignment with the broader mission of Texas McCombs and UT Austin. Develop curriculum and implement strategies to scale programs in accordance with University policies as well as state and federal legislation.
• Oversee the development and management of programs and services offered by KS WELI including signature events, workshops, mentoring sessions, networking opportunities, funding opportunities for founders, and the Women in Entrepreneurship (WiE) Specialization, as well as growth and expansion efforts beyond the Forty Acres.
• Consistently evaluate the effectiveness of KS WELI’s programs and initiatives. Establish KPIs, develop impact reports, and regularly communicate metrics to board members and key stakeholders highlighting identified progress, challenges, and successes.
• Develop the budget and allocate resources efficiently to support various programs and initiatives.
• Remain engaged with entrepreneurship industry trends, best practices, and policy developments to elevate KS WELI’s national profile.

Development & External Affairs

• Assist the Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship in securing funding for KS WELI through grants, sponsorships, donor relations, and corporate partnerships.
• Collaborate with University development to steward development activities, planned giving opportunities, and projects to advance center priorities and strategic goals.
• Manage a student, alumni, and advisory board to identify and develop engagement opportunities, as well as cultivate relationships with Austin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Direct University-led fundraising efforts (e.g., 40 for Forty) and business development activities including Kendra Scott ‘Give-Backs.’
• Serve as the primary stakeholder to the Kendra Scott Center located in the College of Fine Arts.
• Field Kendra Scott LLC and Kendra Scott Foundation requests for local media coverage, engagements, and events.

Staff Management

• Manage a team of full-time and part-time staff of four. Assign work on KS WELI’s strategic initiatives and support the team through growth and development.
• Direct and support the Assistant Director managing a team of 10 student interns.

Event & Marketing Management

• Lead the event strategy for KS WELI, including supporting and scaling existing KS WELI programs series: SHEspeaks, SHEreads, EmpowHER Hours as well as the International Women’s Day celebration, Founder Marketplace, Senior Celebration and Showcase.
• Direct and support the maintenance of the KS WELI website & e-newsletter, including the Student Board emBOLDen Blog and Founding Fearless Podcast, as well as execute content across communication platforms, including @kswelinstitute social media platforms.
• Support and manage the program, events, and initiatives in partnership with Student Board,  Alumni Board, and identified campus partners.

Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of professional experience working with entrepreneurial endeavors, such as startups, venture capitalists, incubators, and/or accelerators.
• Experience designing and implementing strategic initiatives in complex industries or institutions. Extensive experience in project management, budgeting, impact tracking and reporting.
• Extensive experience prioritizing efforts within multiple, ongoing projects and independent decision-making and problem-solving experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a proven record of accomplishment in communicating effectively to a wide variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal skills and experience interacting with multiple, high-level stakeholders (e.g., donors, campus leadership, corporate partners, advisory boards, faculty, staff, and students).
• Thorough knowledge of entrepreneurship terminology, processes, and organizations including entrepreneurial finance and business plan development.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with higher education or similar public sectors. 
• Demonstrated success in leading and developing teams.
• Personal entrepreneurship experience (small business owner, freelancer, startup founder, social entrepreneur, etc.).
• Demonstrated track record of significant fundraising and stewardship success ($1M+ gifts).

Salary Range

$100,000 - $105,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Works in standard office conditions with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

• Requires flexibility for weekend/evening events and programming.

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States. This position is not eligible for sponsorship of work visas.

• This is an Austin, TX-based position and is eligible for hybrid work.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

----

Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

----

Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

----

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

----

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

----

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

----

Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

----

E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

----

Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 .

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.