Strategy Associate

mHUB; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

mHUB seeks a Strategy Associate to support organizational strategy, high‑impact initiatives, and executive communications for the organization at‑large, including mHUB’s incubator, innovation consulting, and VC/real estate activities. This role partners with senior leadership to translate vision into action with analytics, storytelling, and disciplined follow‑through.

You will be a strong fit if you thrive in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments and enjoy building plans, analyzing markets,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with 3–5 years in strategy, consulting, project management, public policy, economic development, venture, or related field.
• Experience supporting public or private funding strategies, grant writing, or capital formation preferred.
• Experience in entrepreneurial, mission-driven, or cross-sector environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Chief of Staff to manage enterprise priorities and ensure initiatives are designed, communicated, and executed with discipline.
• Develop cross-functional strategic initiatives with project plans, milestones, risks, and executive updates.
• Conduct research, market assessments, and competitive analyses to inform planning and growth.
• Develop business cases and briefing materials for executive decisions across nonprofit and VC activities.
• Draft executive and board materials and communications to synthesize complex information.
• Support CEO communications, including internal updates and thought leadership.
• Support development of the organization’s AI strategy and AI-enhanced products.
• Monitor policy and funding priorities to identify opportunities aligned with growth goals.
• Assist in funding strategies, grants, and capital opportunities materials.
• Organize stakeholders, convene sessions, and manage follow-up.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure high-priority initiatives align with goals.

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Technology and AI fluency

Analytical mindset

Written and verbal communication

Strategic thinking

Independent with collaboration

Problem solving

Curiosity

Ownership of admin work

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

mHUB is seeking a Strategy Associate to support organizational strategy, high-impact initiatives, and executive communications for the organization at-large, including mHUB’s incubator, innovation consulting, and venture capital and real estate investment activities. This role partners closely with senior leadership to help translate vision into action, bringing analytical skills, structure, and strong storytelling to the organization’s most important priorities.

We are looking for someone who thrives in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments and is excited to work at the intersection of innovation, venture capital and real estate investment, and economic development. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain visibility into executive decision‑making while contributing meaningfully to strategic initiatives that shape the future of manufacturing and hardtech‑based economic development.

You will be a strong fit for this role if you are intellectually curious, detail‑oriented, and energized by complex, high-impact work. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable building financial and market analyses and drafting thought leadership, synthesizing research and preparing board materials, and moving fluidly between analysis and communication. This role is ideal for someone who doesn’t mind getting into the details, building the decks, running the analysis, tackling administrative tasks, and managing the follow‑through to support how key decisions are made.

The Strategy Associate reports to and works in close partnership with the Chief of Staff to execute against the priorities of the Office of the CEO: supporting planning, market analysis, strategic initiative management, governance processes, and CEO/Managing Partner communications. This position is ideal for someone looking to deepen their experience in strategy, leadership operations, and organizational growth within a mission‑driven, innovation‑focused organization.

Description of Responsibilities

• Partner with the Chief of Staff to manage enterprise priorities, ensuring strategic initiatives are well‑designed, clearly communicated, and executed with discipline and follow‑through.
• Support the design and management of cross‑functional strategic initiatives, including developing project plans, tracking milestones and risks, and providing clear status updates to executive leadership.
• Conduct research, market assessments, and competitive analyses to inform strategic planning, new program development, and growth opportunities.
• Develop strategic frameworks, business cases, and briefing materials to support executive decision‑making across the nonprofit and venture capital funds.
• Draft executive- and board‑ready presentations, memos, and background materials that clearly synthesize complex information and surface key implications.
• Draft and refine CEO/Managing Partner communications, including internal updates, email management, mass communications, thought leadership pieces, and speaking materials, ensuring alignment between strategy and messaging.
• Support continued development and rollout of the organization’s AI strategy, including implementing best practices across the team and leading development of key AI‑enhanced products and features.
• Monitor federal, state, and local policy and funding priorities to identify opportunities that align with mHUB’s growth and economic development goals.
• Assist in the development of public and private funding strategies, including research, proposal support, and preparation of materials related to grants and capital opportunities.
• Organize and coordinate internal and external stakeholders required to advance enterprise initiatives, including convening working sessions, preparing materials, and managing follow‑up.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure seamless execution of high‑priority initiatives and alignment with organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Strong project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple high‑priority projects simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail; able to bring structure to ambiguity and follow through on complex, multi‑step initiatives.
• Technology and AI fluency to support continued adoption across the organization.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into clear insights and actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting executive‑level materials.
• Ability to move between strategic thinking and detail‑oriented execution, with a bias towards action and getting things done.
• Comfort working independently while maintaining strong collaboration with senior leadership and cross‑functional teams.
• Demonstrated proactive problem‑solving skills and the ability to anticipate needs before they arise.
• Intellectual curiosity, humility, and a willingness to take ownership of both high‑visibility and behind‑the‑scenes administrative and operational work.
• Comfort operating in environments where priorities evolve quickly and ambiguity is the norm.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, with 3–5 years of professional experience in strategy, consulting, project management, public policy, economic development, venture, or a related field.
• Advanced degrees in business, public policy, urban planning, economics, or related discipline welcomed, but demonstrated experience executing complex initiatives in real‑world environments is more important.
• Experience supporting public or private funding strategies, grant writing, or capital formation efforts preferred.
• Experience working in entrepreneurial, mission‑driven, or cross‑sector environments preferred.

Work Details, Salary and Duration

• This position is full‑time and open for immediate hire.
• This position will be onsite/in‑person 5‑days a week at mHUB’s facility in Chicago.
• Salary range is $85,000-95,000, commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package.