Associate Director, Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs

Department

Booth Polsky Center: Entrepreneurship Programs

About The Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.

Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.

Chicago Booth Is Proud To Claim:

• an unmatched faculty.
• degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
• a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
• strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.
  
  

As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.

For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UChicago’s mission is to advance innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world. It aims to create entrepreneurial leaders through a broad range of experiences, including classroom learning, experiential learning, leading-edge research, and community outreach.

The Associate Director of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs is a key role on the Booth Entrepreneurship Program team at the Polsky Center, requiring an entrepreneurial mindset, program management experience, and strong attention to detail. This position plays a critical role in shaping the undergraduate experience in entrepreneurship through the launch and administration of the Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as the management of key co-curricular programs.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the development and execution of the Undergraduate Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This includes working closely with the Entrepreneurship Minor Steering Committee to ensure a smooth rollout in the 2025-26 academic year and ongoing program success; developing and implementing metrics for program assessment; using data and student feedback to enhance the minor; and collaborating with the Polsky marketing team to increase visibility and awareness of the minor among students and faculty.
• Advises and supports students pursuing the minor by providing guidance on entrepreneurship course offerings, experiential learning opportunities, and Polsky Center resources.
• In consultation with the Faculty Advisor and Senior Instructional Professor for the minor, coordinates the capstone reflection paper process, ensuring students complete required deliverables that connect their entrepreneurial studies to their broader academic pursuits. Additionally, in coordination with Faculty and Academic Services at Booth, manages the minor declaration and course petition processes, working with relevant academic advising offices and other University stakeholders. This also includes providing information to relevant stakeholders to ensure the College Course Catalog is accurate.
• Under the direction of the Director of Entrepreneurship Programs, leads the management and execution of the College New Venture Challenge (CNVC), UChicago’s premier undergraduate startup accelerator. This includes overseeing all program management and program logistics, including the application process, info sessions, team building events, finals event, and class. Partners with Booth faculty and Polsky Center leadership to identify growth opportunities for CNVC.
• Builds community and engages undergraduate students by developing and managing relationships with undergraduate entrepreneurship-related student organizations, serving as their primary Polsky Center liaison. Works with student leaders to support programming, workshops, networking events, and competitions that enhance undergraduate involvement in entrepreneurship.
• Oversees student outreach and recruitment efforts to grow participation in Polsky programming among undergraduates, including drafting a weekly undergraduate entrepreneurship newsletter.
• Partners with Polsky staff to integrate undergraduates into the broader UChicago entrepreneurial ecosystem, connecting them to resources such as mentorship, funding, and programming.
• As requested, and where appropriate, assists with other initiatives at the Polsky Center.
• Solves problems in areas such as academic and administrative policy, student admissions, curriculum research and development, and budget development. Advises various campus-wide and program committees in various aspects of student life.
• Recommends process improvements for programs that relate to critical student-life improvement, including emergency management, accommodations for students with disabilities, and/or the administration of health care services and programs for students.
• Performs other related work as needed.
  
  

Education:

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.
  
  

Experience:

• A minimum five years of experience managing programs and/or events.
• Working in higher education and/or with diverse university constituents.
• Advising or mentoring students and managing student-facing programs.
  
  

Technical Skills Or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
  
  

Preferred Competencies

• Exceptional event planning and project management skills, with the ability to execute high-impact programming efficiently and effectively.
• Strong relationship management skills, working across diverse stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, and alumni.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.
• Excellent communication, including professional verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter, work independently, and take initiative. Identify opportunities for improvement.
• Strong analytical skills with experience collecting and using data to evaluate program effectiveness.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions. Thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for supporting entrepreneurship and fostering student success. Familiarity with the entrepreneurial ecosystems, including startup development, venture funding, and experiential learning models.
  
  

Working Conditions

• Travel between Hyde Park campus and downtown Gleacher Center. This position is based on the Hyde Park campus, with 90% or more of time spent in Hyde Park.
• Travel domestically or internationally.
• Flexibility to occasionally work late or start early for Polsky Center events, as well as attend events on weekends.
• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.
  
  

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
  
  

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$70,000.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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