Venture Capital Director

Socket.dev; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Tulane University seeks a Venture Capital Lead to source, evaluate, and manage venture investments for Tulane Ventures, reporting to the Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer. You will own the full lifecycle from sourcing to portfolio management and LP reporting.

As the fund grows from $10M to $25M, you will drive expansion, lead IC prep, manage a larger portfolio, and represent Tulane Ventures to founders, co-investors, LPs, and external stakeholders, shaping fund performance and growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Engineering, Life Sciences or related field
• 8 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, startup finance, corporate venture, technology commercialization, or startup operations
• Advanced financial modeling
• Cap table analysis
• Investment memo preparation
• Due diligence experience
• IC preparation, experience and leadership

Responsibilities

• Investment judgment and intellectual curiosity
• Executive communication and negotiation skills
• Relationship management and ecosystem network building
• High attention to detail
• Ability to operate independently with limited supervision
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Ability to manage multiple transactions simultaneously
• Solid writing and financial analysis background
• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and provide relevant conclusions/recommendations
• Excellent computer skills

Skills

Investment judgment

Executive communication

Relationship management

Attention to detail

Independent work

Project management

Entrepreneurial mindset

Portfolio management

Financial analysis

Data interpretation

Computer skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Business/Engineering/Life Sciences

MBA, CFA, JD or STEM degree

Tools

Carta

AngelList

Affinity

PitchBook

Crunchbase

Salesforce

Job description

The Venture Capital Lead is a senior investment professional and institutional leader responsible for all aspects of sourcing, evaluating, executing, and managing venture investments on behalf of Tulane Ventures. Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer/Managing Director, this role independently leads the full investment lifecycle—including deal sourcing, due diligence, Investment Committee preparation and strategy, portfolio management, fund operations, limited partner reporting, and institutional growth initiatives—while serving as a primary point of accountability for fund performance and portfolio outcomes.

As Tulane Ventures scales from its inaugural $10M SSBCI Fund to a $25M institutional venture fund, the Venture Lead will spearhead this expansion, applying deep investment expertise and institutional know-how to execute follow-on investment strategies, manage a significantly larger and more complex portfolio, and lead Investment Committee preparation and strategic decision-making. The Venture Lead will serve as a senior representative of Tulane Ventures to founders, co-investors, limited partners, and external stakeholders, driving fund performance and positioning Tulane Ventures for continued institutional growth.

Performance Standards

Annual success is measured by:

Investment Activity

• Qualified opportunities sourced
• Investments closed
• IC materials delivered and IC meetings/strategy executed
• Time from intake to investment decision

Portfolio

• Quarterly reporting completed
• Founder engagement
• Follow-on capital raised and follow-on investment decisions justified and made
• Portfolio KPI tracking and financial projection tracking

Fund Operations

• LP reporting delivered on time
• Audit completion
• Compliance and data quality
• SOP implementation

Strategic Growth

• Co-investor relationships established
• Pipeline partnerships developed
• Fund operational improvements
• Support of future fundraising initiatives

Responsibilities

• Investment judgment and intellectual curiosity

• Executive communication and negotiation skills

• Relationship management and ecosystem network building

• High attention to detail

• Ability to operate independently with limited supervision

• Strong project management and organizational skills

• Entrepreneurial mindset

• Ability to manage multiple transactions simultaneously

• Solid writing and financial analysis background

• Analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and provide relevant conclusions/recommendations

• Excellent computer skills

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Engineering, Life Sciences or related field

• 8 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, startup finance, corporate venture, technology commercialization, or startup operations

• Advanced financial modeling

• Cap table analysis

• Investment memo preparation

• Due diligence experience

• IC preparation, experience and leadership

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• MBA, CFA, JD or STEM graduate degree

• Experience with Carta, AngelList, Affinity, PitchBook, Crunchbase, or Salesforce

• Prior experience with SSBCI programs

• University venture fund experience

• AI-enabled investment research platforms

• Knowledge of tax-credit and tax-advantage programs relating to early-stage and state-sponsored investment

Tulane University is an equal opportunity educator and employer committed to providing an education and employment environment free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Legally protected demographic classifications (such as a person’s race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, shared ancestry, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws) are not relied upon as an eligibility, selection or participation criteria for Tulane’s employment or educational programs or activities.

Tulane University is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing an application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources by phone at 504-865-4748 or by email at [e-mail].