Rice University

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume 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 to grow.

The Associate Director of Ion Programs, under the direction of the Managing Director for Ion Startups and Investor Engagement, will be responsible for developing and implementing high-impact entrepreneurial and innovation programs at the Ion. This role will envision and produce world-class initiatives that accelerate entrepreneurs on their startup journey. Ion programs are critical for attracting and retaining startups and investors in the Ion and Houston community. These programs are expected to include a variety of formats involving various stakeholders, including startups, corporates, investors, mentors, service providers, academic institutions, and other members of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Associate Director will lead a Program Manager in this endeavor.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate takes a founder-first approach and understands how to implement a journey map for startups at the Ion that is relevant for both first-time founders and seasoned entrepreneurs. The candidate should have experience with entrepreneurial programming and event planning and be excited about both strategic planning and detailed implementation. This candidate should feel comfortable working alongside founders, investors, C-suite executives, and city and academic leadership. They display confidence and poise and are skilled communicators and team player with experience in program creation and entrepreneurship, with a high level of attention to detail. They will often represent the Ion at various networking opportunities around Houston and host regular networking events at the Ion.

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

Workplace Requirements:

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

Hiring Range:

Hiring salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

• Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 4+ years of experience in program creation and administration (with a preference for experience in entrepreneurship and/or venture capital programming, conferences)

Skills:

• Ability to assess and fill programming gaps with limited supervision and oversight
• Strong attention to detail
• Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, and planning skills
• Excellent oral, visual, and written communication skills
• Event planning and execution experience
• Vendor management experience
• Ability to influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively, and resolve conflicts
• Strong financial expertise in budget planning and financial forecasting
• Strong analytical, listening, and problem-solving skills
• Strong knowledge of the unique needs of startups and investors and the Houston entrepreneurship ecosystem preferred
• Ability to build sustainable relationships
• Comfortable with public speaking

Essential Functions:

• Initiates and oversees high-impact Ion-led programming: creates and executes programming with the assistance of the Program Manager and events staff. This will include evening programming.
• Organizes all aspects of program management, including speaker sourcing and coordination, event themes and descriptions, attendance at events, and more.
• Maintains and strengthens relationships with programming partners
• Supports the implementation of a new Ion mentor program
• Establishes priorities in coordination with leadership, monitoring progress and analyzing outcomes
• Fosters and enhances relationships with stakeholders to increase awareness of the Ion's vision, mission, goals, and community impact
• Manages the full range of faculty and staff lifecycle activities, including job descriptions, postings, searches, hiring, and onboarding
• Independently manages faculty and staff contracts, appointments, reappointments, leaves, etc.
• Leads and coordinates all aspects of the school’s promotion and tenure process
• Oversees the maintenance of HR records
• Acts as the subject matter expert for the school regarding the interpretation, implementation, and compliance with policies and regulations
• Anticipates problems and formulates plans/strategies to resolve and/or prevent them
• Recommends actions and/or resolves complex issues
• In consultation with HR, manages employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, while ensuring fair and consistent treatment of all employees
• Performs all other duties as assigned

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 in the evenings
• Gives tours of the Ion 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.