About CONNECT

Organization Summary

CONNECT is a premier innovation company accelerator in San Diego that creates and scales great companies in the technology and life sciences sectors. By creating an environment in which entrepreneurs and C-suite executives have access to the people, capital, and technology resources they need for success, CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of more than 3,000 companies since 1985. Widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful organizations linking entrepreneurs and C-suite executives with the resources they need for the commercialization of innovative products and services; our program has been modeled in more than 50 regions around the world.

CONNECT’s vision is to enable and empower scientists and entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into products and services that change lives. We create and activate a powerful network of leading researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors who have an innate drive to be purposeful in making the world a better place. The people of CONNECT are dedicated, authentic, and passionately committed to making a difference in our community and the world.

Position Summary

CONNECT ALL started in early 2016. By 2017, CONNECT and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation were awarded a grant to build a diversity focused accelerator in Southeast San Diego, a historically-underserved community which has been identified as part of San Diego’s federally designated Promise Zone. The CONNECT ALL @ the Jacobs Center Accelerator focuses on scalable diversity founded startups beyond the ideation stage moving towards commercialization and raising capital.

We are looking for a Director of the CONNECT ALL @ the Jacobs Center Accelerator. Knowledgeable in startups, you’re able to empathize not only with entrepreneurs, but also with our team of dedicated employees working hard alongside you to do our part to bridge the diversity gap in startups. You will have a direct hand in running day-to-day operations and programming of the Accelerator. Our ideal candidate has previous experience in startup accelerator programming, creating, and implementing processes, building and leading teams, and communicating with stakeholders at every level. Perhaps most importantly, you care deeply about diversity and helping entrepreneurs achieve their goal of building San Diego’s next iconic companies.

The Director will lead program development, execution, and tracking of the Accelerator to ensure the program delivers on grant requirements. They will take ownership of the program success and work with mentors, community partners, and other teams within CONNECT to ensure the exceptional performance of our programs, turning good companies into great ones.

Primary Responsibilities

• Responsible for success and execution of the CONNECT ALL @ the Jacob Center Accelerator
• Manage the day-to-day operations, general office needs, events, and program execution
• Develop and deliver the corporate membership proposition at the Center to ensure continued and additional sponsorship of the program
• Ensure all yearly grant metrics are met
• Partner with program teams to create a holistic strategy and delivery plan for the Accelerator
• Responsible for sourcing and recruiting appropriate companies by partnering with internal CONNECT teams and community partners to create and drive the pipeline
• Create and nurture a strong network of mentors, sponsors, investors, and corporate partners
• Maintain Accelerator alignment with the CONNECT ALL @ the Jacobs Center mission, vision, direction, and support of overall organization objectives
• Engage with company founders to ensure CONNECT ALL is delivering on the promise to do what’s best for our entrepreneurs
• Identify and share new best practices, innovation, and areas for improvement internally and to our stakeholders
• Develop scalable systems and processes to regularly provide monthly updates to both internal teams and external stakeholders
• Provide thought leadership, feedback, and support to CONNECT ALL at the Jacobs Center to help continual improvement of programmatic initiatives and experiences
• Develop performance tracking, reporting, and metrics capture systems to measure impact within the region
• Work with internal teams to maintain an accelerator program and events calendar 

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Proven track record of interacting with senior leadership, investors, and internal/external stakeholders
• Expert multi-tasker and self-motivated problem solver, proactivity is your middle name
• Adaptable, things change fast when you are doing something that has never been done
• Team player with expert communication skills
• Organizational wizard who delights in making order out of chaos
• Empathetic and trustworthy, able to relate with our startups and handle sensitive information
• Comfortable with a minimal amount of direction but high expectations
• Comfortable commanding a room when public speaking for community development
• Knowledge of diversity and inclusion best practices in technology
• Ability to travel for meetings and events around the city of San Diego
• Strong computer skills in CRM platforms, Excel, PowerPoint, Slack, Google Docs, etc.

Education and Experience

• 4+ years of experience in fast-paced environments within technology, startups, entrepreneurship and venture capital
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college/university or equivalent industry experience
• Experience managing complex projects autonomously from inception to completion

Total compensation includes base salary with competitive benefits package, flexible paid time off, medical, dental, and matching 401k.

To apply, include your resume and cover letter to careers@connect.org