Executive Director

Portal Innovations, LLC; New Brunswick (NJ); On-site; USD 225,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision

Life and Disability Benefits

Flexible PTO Policy

401K Program

In Office Perk: Unlimited Coffee andSn

Job summary

Portal Innovations, LLC seeks an Executive Director to lead the New Jersey Innovation Hub (NJIH), Powered by Portal, at The HELIX in New Brunswick, NJ. You will direct site operations, member experience, programming, and ecosystem engagement to accelerate member success and Portal's mission across New Jersey's life sciences and deep tech ecosystem.

This is a full-time role with a Monday–Friday routine, offering competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, science, engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in program management, preferably in incubator/accelerator/startup and life sciences/deep tech.
• Experience with business development and/or sales.
• Excellent project management, communication, and networking skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the incubator, ensuring programs and spaces meet member needs.
• Drive member experience from onboarding to ongoing engagement and KPI tracking.
• Manage onsite team and budgets, including programs, events, and partnerships.
• Collaborate with universities, venture partners, and ecosystem players to attract members and partnerships.
• Report impact to key stakeholders on a regular cadence.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Networking

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree (Business/Science/Engineering)

Tools

PM software

Job description

Who Is Portal Innovations:

Portal Innovations is a biotech venture development engine, focused on early-stage life science enterprises. We help exceptional life sciences innovators build their companies where they live and beyond. Launched in 2020, we surround these entrepreneurs with the resources and network they need for seed capital, state-of-the-art lab space, a community-based ecosystem, and access to experts in their fields and prospective investors and partners.

About This Role:

We areseekinga highly motivated and organized Executive Director to lead New Jersey Innovation Hub (NJIH), Powered by Portal, H-1 @ The HELIX in New Brunswick, NJ (the Incubator).The Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for New Jersey Innovation Hub (NJIH), Powered by Portal, overseeing site operations, member experience, programming, ecosystem engagement, and business growth. This individual will be responsible for building a vibrant innovation community that accelerates the success of member companies while advancing Portal's mission throughout New Jersey's life sciences and deep tech ecosystem.

This is a FULL-TIME role. This role offers a dependable routine from Monday through Friday. While we primarily stick to our standard business hours, our team does need to have flexibility and occasionally extends the day to meet the evolving needs of our growing business.

What You'll Do:

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to execute the vision and strategic goals for the Incubator.
• Work closely with the broader Portal team, ourpartnersand clients, including DEVCO, Rutgers University, Princeton University, NJEDA, BioNJ etc.) to execute Portal's mission in the New Brunswick/New Jersey ecosystem to driveutilization, productivity, operationalefficiencyand successfuloutcomes at the Incubator.
• Lead day-to-day operations of the Incubator, ensuring they meet the needs of the companies that willoperatein the space.
• Drivethe member experience end-to-end, from onboarding,quarterly ecosystemprogramming,consistent member pulse checks, and evaluation of needs to ensure member satisfaction and engagement and a consistent Portal experience.
• Oversee and manage theonsite team, including roles for lab operations, membership growth and sales, programming and partnerships, and member experience.

Operational Oversight

• Leverage resources and the broader Portal team to execute on the Portal playbook and apply it in the NJIH to drivesuccessful outcomes at the incubator.
• Manage day-to-day operations of the Incubator including programming and events, ensuring efficient processes and resource allocation.
• Work with the team and individuals to developand meet/exceedKPIs basedon strategicKPIs/goals.
• Develop andmaintainprogram documentation, including marketing materials, budgets, timelines, and performance metrics.
• Work with the NJIH Director of Programming and Partnerships to plan and execute high-quality programming, workshops, seminars, networking events, office hours, and community activities that drive member engagement, recruitment, retention, and ecosystem development.
• Manage and oversee site budget, encompassing cost optimization,capital and expense investments,budget re-forecasting, and related activities.
• Oversee all aspectsof lab and facility operations, including equipment procurement, maintenance programs,EHS, SOP creation and implementation,consumables management, and vendor/contractor relationships, ensuring the site runs safely, efficiently, and toPortalstandards.
• Collaborate across the Portal network to identify and share opportunities for member companies, leverage enterprise-wide resources, and contribute programming and best practices that strengthen the overall Portal ecosystem.

Stakeholder and Membership

• Build relationships with universities,community organizations, venture capitalfirms, industry,vendors,and ecosystem partnerstoleverageboth academic and external resources and create partnerships thatbenefitthe Incubator.
• Represent the Incubatorat community and industrynetworking functions to promote its mission and attract potentialnew members/partners.
• Reportoperations and overall impacttokey stakeholders ona regularcadence.
• Support andwork with theMembership Growth and Sales Manager tosource prospectivemembers,determinethe best location for incoming members lab benches and desks, andapprovedeal termswith prospective entrepreneurs and companiesseekingtobecome a member company in the Incubator

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Science, Engineering, ora relatedfield.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in program management preferred, preferably within an incubator, accelerator, or startup environment, with a focus on life sciences and deep tech sectors and early-stagestartups and possess an understandingof life sciences and biotech.
• Experience with business development and/or sales.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to multitask and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and networking skills.Proficient in project management tools and software.
• Detail-oriented and extremely organized.

Compensation:

• Based on Experience
• $225k to $250k annually
• Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision
• Life and Disability Benefits
• Flexible PTO Policy
• 401K Program
• In Office Perk: Unlimited Coffee and Snacks to keep you going throughout the day

Work Authorization/Security-Clearance Requirements:

Must be eligible to work in the United States.

Portal is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis under provincial, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances.