Defense Innovation Ecosystem Lead — Regional Partnerships

Montana State University - Office of Student Engagement; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Montana State University seeks an Ecosystem Engagement Lead to build and sustain a regional defense innovation ecosystem supporting the DIU OnRamp Hub. You will connect DIU with startups, researchers, government, and industry partners, lead outreach, events, and partnerships aligned with national security goals.

The role requires strong communication, stakeholder management, and the ability to travel; you will develop metrics, coordinate programs, and ensure engagement aligns with DIU lines of

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public policy, business, or related field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in ecosystem building, strategic partnerships, or innovation programming or community engagement.
• Familiarity with Department of War acquisition pathways, DIU initiatives, or dual-use technology transition processes.
• Strong record of event planning, external communication, and coalition building across multiple sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze, and report programmatic data to federal stakeholders.
• Master’s degree in related field.
• Experience leading multi-stakeholder regional initiatives.
• Experience with DIU, SBIR/STTR programs, or defense innovation communities.

Responsibilities

• Represent DIU and the OnRamp Hub at public events, regional convenings, and national forums, delivering messaging aligned with DIU’s brand and strategic objectives.
• Lead external engagement efforts that catalyze regional innovation ecosystems, including partnerships with dual-use startups, research institutions, venture networks, and defense stakeholders.
• Develop and execute ecosystem engagement strategies that drive participation in DIU initiatives, accelerators, and transition pathways.
• Curate and host DIU-branded events, workshops, and convenings at the Hub’s physical space, with the ability to support events of 100+ participants.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director and DIU leadership to identify Strategic Impact Projects and coordinate their delivery.
• Oversee qualitative and quantitative reporting of engagement metrics, success stories, digital reach, and transition outcomes.
• Ensure all public communications, branding, and event promotion meet DIU and DoW standards.
• Lead in-state travel and national coordination efforts to support DIU campaign planning, stakeholder meetings, and ecosystem assessments.
• Proactively identify emerging companies, through venture capital networks, accelerator and incubator relationships, conference and demo-day attendance, technical literature, and direct outreach, building technology relevant to mission-critical DoW need.
• Develop and apply a consistent qualification framework to assess technical maturity, dual-use potential, team strength, and alignment to specific DoW/DIU problem statements or priority areas.
• Build and sustain relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, university technology transfer offices, and other deal-flow sources to ensure consistent, high-quality visibility into emerging companies.

Skills

Event planning

External communication

Coalition building

Data collection and reporting

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public policy, business, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Montana State University seeks an Ecosystem Engagement Lead to build and sustain a regional defense innovation ecosystem supporting the DIU OnRamp Hub. You will connect DIU with startups, researchers, government, and industry partners, lead outreach, events, and partnerships aligned with national security goals.

The role requires strong communication, stakeholder management, and the ability to travel; you will develop metrics, coordinate programs, and ensure engagement aligns with DIU lines of