Venture Support Staff (Student Wage)

University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 22,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

The Foundry at the University of Virginia, UVA's entrepreneurship hub, is seeking students for Venture Support roles to advise, connect resources, and help Founders maintain momentum while balancing studies.

Ideal candidates are customer-oriented, with strong communication and teamwork skills, eager to take initiative, and able to work independently with minimal supervision. 10–20 hours/week, in person, with flexibility for UVA events. Compensation: $17/hour.

Qualifications

• Experience in customer-facing roles or service is desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated initiative and willingness to take on new tasks.

Responsibilities

• Document programs and events for The Foundry.
• Assign advisors and mentors to support student Founders.
• Manage communications with student Founders and venture teams.
• Support planning of events and workshops.
• Connect students with UVA resources and maintain resource lists.
• Contribute to outreach and representation of The Foundry on Grounds.
• Assist with miscellaneous projects as needed.

Skills

Customer-facing experience

Strong communication

Independent work

Initiative

Teamwork

Education

Undergraduate student at University of Virginia

Job description

Overview:

The Foundry, UVA's hub for entrepreneurship and student Founder advising, is seeking critical thinkers with a passion for entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and unlocking other people's potential. Venture Support (VS) staff contribute to advising sessions, connect students to vital resources, and help Founders keep momentum as they balance entrepreneurship with their education. VS team members gain exposure to the full breadth of entrepreneurship at UVA while having the opportunity to engage with more student Founders, startups, and ventures than any other student group on Grounds.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

• Documenting programming.
• Assigning advisors and mentors supporting student Founders.
• Managing and maintaining lines of communication with student Founders and venture teams.
• Assisting with events and workshops.
• Connecting students with resources and maintaining resources managed by The Foundry.
• Special projects as needed.
• Outreach and at-large promotion and representation of The Foundry on Grounds.
• Documentation of events, workshops, speakers, etc. as needed.
• Hands-on experience in entrepreneurial advising and consulting.

Ideal candidate:

• Strong interest in entrepreneurship, startups, and innovation.
• You love to support others and help them thrive, not just do your own thing.
• You are comfortable (preferably experienced) in a customer-facing role, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• You can work independently, complete tasks, and start new ones with minimal supervision.
• You have a "what's next?" mindset and actively seek more work from your supervisors when a task is complete.
• Prior experience in business, consulting, entrepreneurship, design, or related fields through employment or coursework.
• Prior experience in a teamwork environment.

Preferred background: Customer-facing experience and prior coursework or experience in business, consulting, entrepreneurship, design, or a related field.

Overall, this is a strong fit for a student who enjoys helping others, wants direct exposure to UVA's startup community, and takes initiative without needing close supervision.

Schedule: 10-20 hours per week, in person. Weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., with occasional evening or weekend events.

Compensation: $17 per hour.

Scheduling: Flexible and can accommodate academic commitments.

Education: Current undergrad UVA student
Experience: None
Licensure: None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.