Hybrid Program Director & Startup Portfolio Lead

University Of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

The University of Michigan's Innovation Partnerships seeks a Program Director and Portfolio Manager for the Accelerate Blue Foundry. You will own the end-to-end program cycle, from technology nomination and entrepreneur recruitment to mentor-guided sprint and post-program follow-through, coordinating across licensing, ventures, and investigators.

This is a hybrid, high-visibility role requiring strong leadership, stakeholder management, and the ability to move a complex portfolio toward fundable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, science, engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in program or operations management, startup or venture operations, technology commercialization, accelerator or incubator management, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to run complex, multi-stakeholder programs end to end and to operate independently, balancing competing priorities and exercising sound judgment.
• Strong organizational, project management, and communication skills, including the ability to make and communicate decisions and to keep many parties aligned.
• Familiarity with startups, entrepreneurship, and the venture funding process.
• Proven ability to build and manage relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders, including faculty, entrepreneurs, and external partners.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the dedicated operational owner of the Accelerate Blue Foundry, running the full annual cycle: nomination, screening, matching, mentor-guided sprint, Pitch Day, and post-program follow-through.
• Design, build out, and refine the program curriculum and manage calendars, milestones, and deliverables.
• Coordinate across Licensing Managers, Mentors-in-Residence, Principal Investigators, and entrepreneurs to maintain alignment and clear expectations.

Skills

Program leadership

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Job description

The University of Michigan's Innovation Partnerships seeks a Program Director and Portfolio Manager for the Accelerate Blue Foundry. You will own the end-to-end program cycle, from technology nomination and entrepreneur recruitment to mentor-guided sprint and post-program follow-through, coordinating across licensing, ventures, and investigators.

This is a hybrid, high-visibility role requiring strong leadership, stakeholder management, and the ability to move a complex portfolio toward fundable