Associate Director, Entrepreneurship Growth Programs

Syracuse University; United States; Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university is seeking an Associate Director for Entrepreneurship Growth Programs to lead initiatives supporting veteran and military-connected business owners. This role includes program design, curriculum development, and relationship management with various stakeholders to ensure a positive participant experience. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational skills, a Bachelor's degree, and experience in program development. This position can be filled on a fully remote basis depending on location.

Qualifications

• Minimum four years of program development experience, preferably with higher education or non-profit.
• Two years of experience in event planning.
• Experience working with or advocating for service members and veterans.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage entrepreneurship growth-stage programs.
• Coordinate across internal functions to ensure exceptional participant experiences.
• Cultivate relationships with funders and partners.

Skills

Networking within a large institution

Leadership and strategic planning

Strong interpersonal skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Organizational skills

Customer service mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce or equivalent CRM

Job description

Join to apply for the Associate Director, Entrepreneurship Growth Programs role at Syracuse University

Base pay range

$94,000.00/yr - $101,000.00/yr

Job Description

The Associate Director, Entrepreneurship Growth Programs leads the design and delivery of IVMF’s growth-stage programs, Veteran EDGE, Vet100 Awards, and CEOcircle, supporting veteran and military-connected business owners as they scale. This role oversees program planning, curriculum development, and outcome tracking, while coordinating with internal teams to ensure operational excellence and an exceptional participant experience. The Associate Director cultivates relationships with funders, partners, and subject matter experts, and identifies high-impact speakers and instructors. This position is essential to sustaining relevant, data-driven programming aligned with the evolving needs of veteran entrepreneurs. It also contributes to strategic planning, supervises staff, and ensures compliance with funder expectations. Reporting to the Director of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, this role is critical to advancing IVMF’s mission and maintaining continuity in program delivery.

This position may be filled on a fully remote basis if the identified candidate is not currently located in Syracuse, NY (within 50 miles). Not all geographical areas within the United States are eligible. Employment offers at Syracuse University are based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, the job responsibilities; the candidate’s education, training, work experience and key competencies; the university’s strategic priorities; internal peer equity; applicable federal, state, local laws, grant funding and contractual requisites; and external market analyses.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; with a minimum of four years of program development and some higher education or non-profit fund-raising experience.
• Experience working in a complex environment similar to Syracuse University, with proven experience in leading a successful program.
• Two (2) plus years of experience in event planning.
• Two (2) plus years working with/or advocating for service members, veterans, and families.
• Experience with small businesses and veteran owned businesses is preferred.
• Experience with curriculum development and/or instructional design is preferred.
• Knowledge of Salesforce or equivalent CRM platform is preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Outstanding ability to network with colleagues within a large academic or non-profit institution.
• Ideal candidate will be an articulate individual with personal integrity, strong interpersonal skills, creative, flexible, organized, and self-motivated, with good planning and follow-through.
• Demonstrated leadership ability in developing strategic plans and initiating and implementing programs.
• Excellent communicator, both oral and written; demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with leadership, colleagues, partners, and stakeholders.
• Ability to adjust to changing priorities and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience and personal discipline to successfully manage multiple, concurrent projects and meet deadlines with competing demands.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Positive, team-focused, and customer-service mindset.
• Preference given to those with a military service connection, or who have worked with veteran, military, and/or family stakeholders, universities or think-tanks, and familiarity with related government programs and services for veterans, families, and related civilian human services programs.
• Ability and willingness to travel, as well as to work outside the normal workday.

Responsibilities

• Design, manage, and execute IVMF’s entrepreneurship growth-stage programs, including Veteran EDGE, the Vet100 Awards, and CEOcircle.
• Program planning, curriculum development, outcome measurement, and overall program delivery.
• Coordination across internal functions (e.g., Marketing & Communications, IT, Data, Budget, Development, Project Management Office and Admin Support) to support effective delivery and an exceptional participant experience.
• Identify and integrate subject matter experts, speakers, and instructors aligned with participant needs.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with funders, ecosystem partners, and stakeholders, and ensure programs meet performance expectations and compliance with funder requirements.
• Advise on IVMF’s strategy for evolving IVMF growth programming. This includes identifying emerging opportunities, supporting the development of new partnerships, and recommending goals and funding prospects.
• The Associate Director will contribute market and strategic insights but is not responsible for program execution in this area.
• Through direct and indirect supervision, assign and manage effort contributed by coordinators and partners.
• Other duties as assigned.

In addition to completing an online application, please attach a resume and cover letter.

Seniority level

• Associate

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Education and Other
• Higher Education