Director, Global Badger Founders Network

University of Wisconsin Foundation; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with 10% employer contribution

Hybrid work model in Madison

Competitive pay and benefits

Job summary

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) seeks a Director, Entrepreneurs Network, to shape and grow a global community of UW–Madison alumni founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and startup leaders. The role builds scalable programs, experiences, and communications in Madison and key markets nationwide.

The Director will lead strategy, engagement, and volunteer leadership, using CRM tools to expand connections across the UW ecosystem, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years of professional experience in business development, entrepreneurship, industry or community relations, higher education, alumni relations, constituent engagement, entrepreneurship programming, community development, advancement, marketing, or related.
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining professional or entrepreneurial communities or networks.
• Experience cultivating relationships with constituents and volunteers from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience using Salesforce or similar CRM platforms to support relationship management, engagement, segmentation, and reporting.
• Ability to analyze constituent data and translate insights into engagement strategies.
• Willingness to travel (~25%) and work occasional evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, launch, and growth of the Badger Founders Network, creating a nationally recognized community of alumni founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation leaders.
• Design and implement a scalable operating model to support growth across geographic markets and member engagement stages.
• Develop and oversee a volunteer leadership structure to expand reach and impact.
• Create data-informed engagement strategies connecting founders with UW–Madison and entrepreneurial initiatives.
• Collaborate with WFAA, campus partners, and external stakeholders to plan engagement initiatives in Madison and priority founder communities nationwide.
• Monitor performance indicators and use results to drive continuous improvement.
• Represent WFAA and the Badger Founders Network at campus, alumni, entrepreneurship, and industry events.

Skills

Community building

Relationship management

Travel ability

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

Salesforce

CRM platforms

Marketing automation platforms

Job description

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) seeks a Director, Entrepreneurs Network, to shape and grow a global community of UW–Madison alumni founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and startup leaders. The role builds scalable programs, experiences, and communications in Madison and key markets nationwide.

The Director will lead strategy, engagement, and volunteer leadership, using CRM tools to expand connections across the UW ecosystem, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship