Managing Director for Ion Startups and Investor Engagement (Finance)

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Ion is Houston's HQ for innovation, powered by Rice University, and is the namesake building of the 16-acre innovation district in midtown. Designed to connect entrepreneurs, academia, investors and corporations to address global challenges, the Ion offers high-quality programming and events, coworking and office space and community amenities. Programming and activation are led by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Rice University's nationally recognized entrepreneurship initiative. Rice Alliance supports startups throughout their growth journey and offers educational resources, training and platforms for entrepreneurs and innovators.

The Managing Director for Ion Startups and Investor Engagement will be responsible for leading the strategic vision to attract startups and investors to the Ion, and supporting startups on their journey. Their mission is to attract and inspire leading tech startups to scale in Houston and at the Ion. They will develop a strong programming and community strategy that fulfills the Ion's vision as a global hub for innovation. As advocates for Houston, they drive a collaborative ecosystem through the Ion, working with partners to accelerate the city's entrepreneurial growth. They will develop and implement strategies to increase investor activity in the Ion and the resources needed for startups to scale quickly. This would include launching an Ion Startup Incubator, a program to support and mentor Ion affiliated startups to accelerate their growth and rate of success. The Managing Director will create and implement initiatives to build, nurture, and expand relationships between startups and mentors, investors, and corporate partners, while creating a strong sense of community in the Ion and serving as a magnet to draw individuals and companies into the Ion District. They will lead a team including an Associate Director for Programs and a Program Manager.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is either a former founder or investor themselves or has worked closely with successful startups and understands deeply what is necessary to scale quickly. They should take a founder-first approach and be wildly optimistic about the potential of Houston startups to grow here. They should be both visionary and an executor. This candidate will need to be a true collaborator and excited about working alongside other visionaries and leaders for the greater good of Houston. They should have a vision for the necessary programming and be ready to quickly launch a robust startup suite of resources, including a mentoring program.

They will often represent the Ion at various networking opportunities around Houston and host regular networking events at the Ion. They should understand the unique needs of startups and what programming will help them further their ventures and how best to engage investors with these startups.

The ideal candidate should have existing knowledge of the Houston entrepreneurial ecosystem and have relationships with key stakeholders in the entrepreneurial community.

The ideal candidate should have previous experience leading one or more organizations (e.g., startup development organizations, startup or VC) which have supported founders and investors in the ecosystem and connected these founders & investors with corporations, mentors, service providers and others in the ecosystem.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at the Ion. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

Hiring salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
• 5+ years experience with startups (preferred as a founder) and/or as a startup investor

Skills:

• Entrepreneurial with a track record of innovative thinking, analysis and practical activities
• Capacity to think analytically and creatively and to develop new and innovative approaches to external affairs
• Ability to be an effective and coherent leader with the capacity to lead highly motivated and autonomous staff in an effective and flexible way
• Exceptional public speaker
• Exemplary verbal, visual and written communication skills
• Ability to build sustainable relationships

Essential Functions:

• The Managing Director is the point of contact for startups and investors interested in the Ion and creates the vision for programming related to startups and investors, adding value and building a community at the Ion for these stakeholders
• Aligns vision with Rice Alliance leadership to direct the strategy to attract startups and investors to the Ion and maintains these relationships
• Creates and leads a formal Ion Incubator
• Works directly with Rice Real Estate Company and Industrious (the Ion's coworking operator) to negotiate space for startups and investors that are key to creating a concentration of these players at the Ion. This includes a strategy and outbound process for attracting and retaining these groups
• Establishes priorities in coordination with leadership, monitoring progress and analyzing outcomes.
• Works closely with leadership at Rice Alliance to cultivate and engage key external Ion stakeholders to advance the Ion's strategic priorities, including identifying stakeholders to serve on key taskforces/committees
• Fosters and enhances relationships with stakeholders to increase awareness of the Ion's vision, mission, goals, and community impact
• Leads a team including an Associate Director of Programs and Program Manager to achieve the Ion's startup and investor goals
• Performs other job-related duties as required

Additional Functions

• Assists with pursuing federal, state, local, and industry funding as appropriate to advance the center's mission
• Represents the Ion at various events in the Houston entrepreneurial ecosystem, including frequent evening events
• Gives tours of the Ion for startups and investor groups, and other groups as needed

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.