Assistant Director Community Programs

Towson University; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Towson University is seeking a Program Manager to oversee the StarTUp Accelerator and related community partnerships from its Main Campus location. You will coordinate annual cycles, recruit participants, and manage communications and logistics to drive program impact.

The role emphasizes collaboration with the Executive Director and Entrepreneurs in Residence, managing events, budgets, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen Towson's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• Three years of progressively responsible professional experience in program management or related field.
• Experience managing complex programs with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience working with entrepreneurs, accelerators, or community programs preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage the StarTUp Accelerator program cycle including administration, recruitment, scheduling, communications and documentation.
• Facilitate flagship programs such as Bootcamp, Women in Business Speakers series, and other community programming.
• Develop and maintain relationships with alumni, campus community, and external partners to expand participation.
• Track outcomes and engagement metrics to improve program quality and impact.
• Develop outreach strategies to increase awareness and participation in StarTUp programs.
• Serve as primary administrator for Athena PowerLink Baltimore.
• Execute alumni programming with Entrepreneurs in Residence(s).
• Lead program management for StarTUp events and timelines.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Detail orientation

Team player

Adaptability

Collaboration

Problem solving

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Zoom

WebEx

Salesforce

Job description

Responsibilities and Duties

Community Entrepreneurship Programming & Community Partnerships

• Manage the annual StarTUp Accelerator program cycle in collaboration with the Executive Director and Entrepreneur in Residence(s), including application administration, recruitment and selection coordination, program scheduling, participant communications and documentation, session coordination, program logistics, assessment, and the annual cohort showcase.

• Facilitate, manage and organize flagship programs in collaboration with the Executive Director and Entrepreneur in Residence(s) such as the reoccurring Bootcamp, Women in Business Speakers series, and other community business programming.

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with programming alumni, campus community, and external partners to expand participation and strengthen entrepreneurship programming.

• Track program outcomes, participant engagement, and assessment metrics to continually improve program quality and impact.

• Develop and execute outreach and engagement strategies to increase awareness of and participation in StarTUp programs and entrepreneurship-related opportunities.

• Serve as the primary program administrator for Athena PowerLink Baltimore, working in collaboration with the Executive Director and Assistant Director of Student Programs to support governance, recruitment and selection, participant engagement, and related programming.

• Execute alumni related programming in collaboration with the Entrepreneur in Residence(s).

Program Management

• Serve as the program management lead for assigned StarTUp programs and events, coordinating timelines, program requirements, participants, communications, and execution in partnership with the Operations Manager, who supports facility and event logistics.

Business Administration & Departmental Planning

• Assist the Executive Director in developing strategic initiatives and long-term operational plans.

• Manage and monitor budgets associated with assigned programs and initiatives, including program expenditures, funding requirements and financial documentation. Coordinate purchasing, contracting and financial transactions with the Operations Manager and appropriate divisional/university offices

• Provide operational and facility support as needed to ensure continuity of StarTUp operations, programs, and events, in coordination with the Operations Manager.

• Develop and manage content for newsletters, social media, websites, and stakeholder communications to promote programs and enhance engagement.

• Serve as liaison with the division’s Communications and Events team to ensure alignment on branding, messaging, and promotion of StarTUp programs and events.

• Represent StarTUp at community events and within the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem to strengthen visibility, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement.

• Contribute to departmental planning, assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Perform other duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning responsibilities that are logically related to the position.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• Three years of progressively responsible professional experience in program management, entrepreneurship, community or student engagement, project management, or a related field.

• Experience managing complex programs, projects, partnerships, or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.

• Experience working with entrepreneurs, businesses, accelerators, economic development organizations, or community-based programs preferred.

Skills Required

• Interpersonal skills, including the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds to engender trust.

• Strong written and oral communication skills.

• Demonstrated strong attention to detail with reliable organizational skills to prevent details from slipping through the cracks.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment / manage tasks effectively to achieve on-time delivery. Comfortable with multitasking and poised under pressure.

• Proven ability to work collaboratively with others and independently to achieve common objectives.

• Team player with high emotional intelligence and exceptional communication skills. Enjoys working across teams and functions to build relationships and earn trust.

• Adaptable; proactive problem solver with excellent judgment.

• Ability to understand technology and apply troubleshooting methodologies.

• Demonstrates experience and a working level of ability, to carry out ongoing office administration tasks effectively and efficiently in support of individuals, teams, and/or units.

• Demonstrated competency with virtual event hosting platforms (Zoom, WebEx) is essential.

• Demonstrated competency and working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (SharePoint included).

• Compliance with university policies, procedures, and guidelines for financial reporting and budget requirements.

• The highest level of integrity and the ability to maintain confidential information are a must.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated interest in and understanding of the startup ecosystem, entrepreneurship, innovation, and working with students.

• Comfortable with the following tools: Sales Force or other CRM tools.

• Experience in a similar role in an educational institution, startup, government, non-profit, or for-profit.

• Experience with entrepreneurship competitions logistics, working with early stage/student entrepreneurs, co-working spaces, and/or incubators/accelerators a plus.

• Community building, convening, and connecting experience.

Organization: Business and Public Engagement Division Primary Location: Main Campus Job Posting: Sep 18, 2026