Academic Advisor

StartupSphere; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

StartupSphere is seeking an Academic Advisor in Norfolk, VA, a mid-level full-time role where you will mentor peers, own outcomes, and help shape strategies. The position starts with a clearly defined path toward senior general work, with mentorship built in and a structured hiring cycle in motion.

Expect a compensation range of $65,000–$90,000 per year, reflecting mid-level responsibilities and a focus on delivering quality outputs while nurturing growth within the company.

Qualifications

• Mid-level professional capable of mentoring peers.
• Ownership mindset with treat company funds responsibly.
• Commitment to quality and consistency in deliverables.
• Curiosity about StartupSphere's market domain.

Responsibilities

• Sense when a Norfolk relationship needs a call, not an email.
• Map the handoffs between VA teams so nothing falls in the cracks.
• Write the Strategic Planning runbook for the next hire.
• Respond to internal and external requests promptly and professionally.
• Question the brief when it doesn't match reality.
• Surface risks early with proposed fixes.
• Pressure-test assumptions before they harden into mistakes.
• Keep the VA engine running while rebuilding parts.

Skills

Mentor peers

Ownership

Quality output

Market curiosity

Job description

There's a full-time opening at StartupSphere for an Academic Advisor, and the work starts where Coaching meets a genuinely hard problem. The right employee-centric candidate will own outcomes, mentor peers, and earn $65,000 - $90,000 in this mid-level full-time position.

Key Responsibilities

• Sense when a Norfolk relationship needs a call, not an email
• Keep the VA engine running while you rebuild parts of it
• Write the Strategic Planning runbook the next hire wishes they had
• Map the handoffs between VA teams so nothing falls in the cracks
• Respond to internal and external requests in a timely, professional manner
• Question the brief when the brief doesn't match reality
• Pressure-test assumptions before they harden into expensive mistakes
• Surface risks early, loudly, and with a proposed fix attached

What You'll Bring

• A keen eye for quality and consistency in your output
• A point of view on StartupSphere's space, sharpened by your own reading
• A VA sensibility, or genuine curiosity about this market
• Comfort being measured against a clear mid-level bar
• The kind of ownership that treats the company's money like your own

The make-it-better founders of StartupSphere built it in Norfolk to fix the exact general problems that drove them crazy elsewhere. A mid-level title opens doors here, but earning real trust is what keeps them open.

Compensation lands at $65,000 - $90,000, mentorship is built in, and the path from here to senior general work is mapped, not vague.

New applicants this week join a hiring cycle that is already in motion.

The version of you that already works at StartupSphere is just one application ahead.