Vice Chancellor for Economic Development

University of Colorado; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 325,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Colorado Boulder seeks an entrepreneurial leader to serve as its inaugural Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, the campus's principal external-facing relationship builder and strategic negotiator for large-scale investments.

Reporting to the Chancellor, you will lead engagement with corporate leaders, state government, communities across Colorado, and philanthropic partners to advance statewide competitiveness, talent development, and societal impact through research

Qualifications

• Eight+ years of senior leadership experience in economic development, innovation, or related field.
• Proven ability to secure multi-party partnerships with government, industry, and philanthropy.
• Strong executive relationship-building and strategic negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a new Office of Economic Development focused on executive engagement and external corporate relationships.
• Serve as the Chancellor's principal advisor and lead negotiator on statewide competitiveness and innovation strategy.
• Negotiate talent development commitments as part of major corporate investments and statewide initiatives.
• Coordinate with CU System Office of Government Relations on relationships with state agencies.
• Cultivate and solicit philanthropic partnerships to strengthen Colorado's innovation ecosystem.
• Translate research and expertise into economic and societal impact across sectors.

Skills

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Diplomatic negotiation

Public-sector collaboration

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Requisition Number: 75585

Location: Boulder, Colorado

City: Boulder

State: Colorado

Employment Type: University Staff

Schedule: Full-Time

Posting Close Date: 26-Oct-2026

Date Posted: 19-Oct-2026

Job Summary

Vision

The inaugural Vice Chancellor for Economic Development will position CU Boulder as Colorado's indispensable partner for innovation, economic competitiveness, and societal impact-the campus that state leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and major philanthropists turn to first to help shape the state's future.

By building transformational partnerships and attracting strategic investment, the Vice Chancellor will ensure that CU Boulder's excellence in research and education translates into stronger industries, thriving communities, expanded opportunity for Coloradans, and enduring prosperity. Every partnership secured will strengthen the university's existing research, innovation, education, and outreach enterprises, amplifying their impact rather than creating parallel structures.

The Vice Chancellor attracts major corporate, public, and philanthropic investment to the university and the state while ensuring CU Boulder plays a leading role in shaping Colorado's long-term economic competitiveness, innovation ecosystem, and workforce strategy.

Position Summary

The University of Colorado Boulder seeks an outstanding, entrepreneurial leader to serve as its inaugural Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, the campus' principal external-facing relationship builder and strategic negotiator for large-scale corporate investment, statewide economic competitiveness, talent development, translation of CU Boulder research and expertise into societal impact, and philanthropic partnership.

Reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving on the Chancellor's Cabinet, the Vice Chancellor leads CU Boulder's engagement with corporate leaders, state government, communities across Colorado, and philanthropic partners on initiatives of sufficient scale to require the Chancellor's office at the table-including anchor corporate partnerships, major infrastructure investments, statewide innovation strategies, and talent development initiatives pursued with industry, educational institutions, and public-sector partners.

The Vice Chancellor attracts major corporate, public, and philanthropic investment to the university and the state while ensuring CU Boulder plays a leading role in shaping Colorado's long-term economic competitiveness, innovation ecosystem, and workforce strategy.

Role Philosophy

As Colorado accelerates its economic trajectory across sectors like quantum science and technology, space, sustainability, biotechnology, and earth sciences, the Vice Chancellor for Economic Development builds and stewards CU Boulder's relationships with the leaders who shape Colorado's future: corporate executives making investment and location decisions, state officials establishing innovation and competitiveness priorities, civic leaders across Colorado, and philanthropists whose investments strengthen communities and expand economic opportunity.

The role's currency is trust, strategic relationships, and the transformational partnerships and investments those relationships make possible.

Success is measured by major corporate partnerships secured, statewide innovation and competitiveness strategies influenced, philanthropic investment generated, enduring relationships established with communities across Colorado, and new public and private investment in workforce development. Each of these outcomes is then transitioned to the campus unit best positioned to deliver-including Academic Affairs, Advancement, Sustainability, the Research & Innovation Office, and the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement. The Vice Chancellor succeeds by creating opportunities that enable the rest of the university to expand its impact.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The University of Colorado was established in 1876. The flagship university within the University of Colorado system and one of only 38 public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder serves more than 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students and employs a workforce of more than 8,000 faculty and staff members.

The university offers more than 90 degree programs and 4,000 academic courses, and in fiscal year 2025 was awarded over $760 million in sponsored research funding. Our mission is to serve as the state of Colorado's comprehensive graduate research university with selective admission standards, offering a comprehensive array of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs. CU Boulder's institutional priorities in carrying out this mission is to foster the success of all students, faculty and staff; scale research and creative work excellence; achieve global leadership in sustainability impact; and align our resources and infrastructure to our mission.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Strategic Priorities

• Build and steward CU Boulder's enduring civic relationships across Colorado, ensuring community priorities and differential regional needs inform campus partnerships, investment decisions, talent strategies and statewide competitiveness strategies with attention to how opportunities and benefits are distributed across Colorado.
• Recruit and steward major corporate partnerships and transformational public and private investments requiring executive-level leadership and statewide coordination, aligning industry, government, federal laboratories, higher education, and communities around shared opportunities in priority sectors.
• In coordination with CU System's State Office of Government Relations, position CU Boulder as a preferred partner on innovation, industry engagement and statewide economic competitiveness with the Governor's Office, the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), the General Assembly, and other state agencies.
• Cultivate and steward major philanthropic partnerships and investment, in partnership with Advancement, to strengthen Colorado's innovation economy, expand opportunity, and advance CU Boulder's societal impact.
• Secure new public and private investment in talent innovation, including employer-supported education, talent pipelines, workforce incentives, credential pathways, internships, work-based learning, and employment opportunities, in partnership with Academic Affairs, Student Life, community colleges, and the Schools and Colleges.
• Translate CU Boulder research, education, and expertise into economic and societal impact by strengthening partnerships that accelerate innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and regional prosperity across sectors like quantum science and technology, space, sustainability, biotechnology, sustainability, and earth sciences.
• Accelerate Colorado's quantum economy and CU Boulder's integrated quantum innovation ecosystem through strategic engagement with industry, the Colorado Quantum Incubator, Elevate Quantum, federal laboratories, public-sector partners, CUBIT and the university's research and innovation enterprise.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Build and lead a new Office of Economic Development focused on executive engagement, strategic partnerships, and external corporate relationships.
• Serve as the Chancellor's principal advisor and lead negotiator on statewide competitiveness and innovation strategy.
• Handle executive relationships with federal laboratories, industry leaders, philanthropic organizations, and regional economic organizations.
• Establish the university's long-term strategy for civic engagement and regional partnership across Colorado.
• Negotiate talent development commitments as part of major corporate investments and statewide initiatives and coordinate implementation with Academic Affairs, community colleges, and other educational partners.
• Lead philanthropic cultivation and solicitation for initiatives that strengthen Colorado's innovation ecosystem and economic competitiveness in partnership with Advancement.
• Work together with CU System Office of Government Relations regarding relationships with state agencies.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary range for this full-time position is $325,000-$360,000, plus a recruitment incentive and moving allowance (if applicable).

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Minimum of eight years of senior leadership experience with significant responsibility for strategic planning, partnership or economic development, and advancing complex initiatives or related work.
• Master's degree, JD, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the responsibilities of the position.

What You Will Need

• Outstanding executive relationship-building skills with corporate leaders, elected officials, philanthropic organizations, and community partners.
• Political foresight and diplomatic judgment in the areas of state government, corporate boardrooms, and national policy discussions.
• Demonstrated ability to develop economic and workforce strategies that expand opportunity, address barriers to participation and consider how the benefits of institutional and economic investment are experienced across communities.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trust while leading complex partnerships across communities and constituencies with differing levels of institutional power, resources, interests and access to decision-making.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Distinguished executive experience in economic development, innovation strategy, state government, corporate investment, or philanthropy.
• Demonstrated success securing large, complex, multi-party partnerships involving government, industry, philanthropy, and research organizations.
• Experience negotiating workforce and talent development initiatives as part of major corporate or public-sector investments.