AVP & Executive Director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship Office of the Vice President for Research

CMU seeks an accomplished strategic and results-focused leader to serve as the Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship to guide CMUs entrepreneurial ecosystem into its next era of bold ambition innovation and impact. Reporting to Vice President for Research Theresa Mayer the Executive Director will work to leverage the extensive assets of the university to generate excitement momentum and meaningful engagement in the practice of entrepreneurship and startup creation launch and growth. The Executive Director will work collaboratively across CMU to engage faculty students staff alumni and external partners including investors industry leaders and mentors to deliver the Swartz Centers vision and mission and secure CMUs position as a globally leading university for entrepreneurship.

This is a pivotal time for entrepreneurship at CMU. Long renowned for its translational excellence and impact in key areas of interdisciplinary science and technology research such as AI computer science engineering and robotics CMU is now poised to strengthen its support and commitment for innovators and founders across all domains. During its first decade the Swartz Center established itself as a vibrant and successful university-wide hub with programs events networks and funding to support student and alumni engagement ideas and startups. The next Executive Director will be charged with significantly expanding its reach and impact by building more robust pathways for CMU faculty postdocs graduate and undergraduate students to translate research and compelling ideas into world-changing startups with a key goal of working collaboratively across colleges and schools to identify potential founders and create an environment that fosters the creation and growth of startups with unicorn potential privately held startups valued at over $1 billion.

The Associate Vice President and Executive Director is a highly visible newly expanded role with strong support from university leadership and CMUs Board of Trustees to shape the future of entrepreneurship within a culture that prizes ambition creativity and interdisciplinary excellence. CMU seeks a leader who will not only steward its entrepreneurial mission but will elevate it by transforming ideas into impact enabling the CMU community and positioning the Swartz Center as a defining force in entrepreneurship for years to come.

Priorities Opportunities and Expectations

The next Executive Director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship will boldly advance CMUs success by:

• Developing and executing a cohesive and ambitious campus-wide strategy to realize CMUs role as a global leader in entrepreneurship and startup success.
• Elevating CMUs entrepreneurial culture visibility ambition incentives and narrative to make entrepreneurship and startup creation launch and growth central to the universitys identity.
• Ensuring that the Swartz Center is CMUs flagship resource for entrepreneurship by engaging with colleges and schools to deliver highly impactful visible and accessible events services programs and resources for all the universitys students staff faculty and alumni.
• Strengthening alumni mentorship networks and relevant infrastructure particularly in the areas of AI software deep tech hardware and biomedical ventures.
• Building a founder-first environment that provides exceptional training mentoring facilities and access to funding at all stages of start-up development derisk launch invest and grow.
• Collaborating across the CMU academic colleges schools and departments to enhance incentives student fellowships promotion and tenure recognition faculty leave IP structures to mobilize students and faculty into action.
• Expanding relationships with a broad range of top-tier investors and companies in Pittsburgh and beyond. Driving student faculty staff and alumni ambition to create and build start-ups with unicorn potential.
• Establishing a data-centric approach to measure outcomes and impact and to tell CMUs story of success both internally and externally.
• Raising philanthropic funding to expand Swartz Center entrepreneurship activities and programs and to increase the amount of CMU early-stage grant support and resources for startups with the most potential for launch and growth.
• Using the Swartz Centers distinctive mission and platform to leverage the expertise networks and experience of CMUs Trustees alumni partners and friends to accelerate CMUs entrepreneurship agenda.
• Developing and incentivizing an ambitious team ensuring that roles and structure are aligned with the Centers mission and are in line with best practices in governance and data infrastructure.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

IDEAL EXPERIENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS

CMUs next Executive Director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship will be a successful leader with many of the following attributes characteristics and experiences:

• Credibility as a successful tech entrepreneur and/or investor with a track record of building and scaling organizations that drive impact and value.
• Intellectual stature and curiosity with a bias for action and results to achieve an outsized impact for CMU entrepreneurship and startups.
• Deep appreciation of and passion for CMUs goals to have a transformative impact on society through education research creativity and entrepreneurship.
• Able to thoughtfully lead and influence within an academically rigorous culture rooted in excellence and interdisciplinary outcomes and across colleges and schools with diverse portfolios and goals.
• Capable of articulating and implementing an ambitious vision for the future of entrepreneurship at a leading research university through an action-oriented collaborative cross-college/school approach.
• Can leverage strong and active contacts with a broad range of investors companies alumni and universities to advance Swartz Center goals.
• Able to serve as a compelling and visible ambassador and fundraiser to further elevate the profile of the Swartz Center and CMUs culture of entrepreneurship.
• Capable of recruiting retaining and leading high-performance matrixed teams through action collaboration and influence.
• Prior experience as executive and/or operational leader in the context of significant complexity and commensurate scope and scale

THE SEARCH PROCESS

Spencer Stuart a global executive search and leadership advisory firm has been retained by Carnegie Mellon University to help identify and recruit the new Executive Director of Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. All inquiries nominations and applications (CVs and letters of interest) should be sent electronically and in confidence to:

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical prescription dental and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance.

Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs fitness center access and much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available explore our Benefits page.

At Carnegie Mellon we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials we evaluate the role and responsibilities your valuable work experience and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; its about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization! Apply today!

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