The system office seeks a Visiting Senior Associate, to provide exceptional business development and new company support services to faculty and high-potential new companies derived from technology originated or developed by faculty, staff, and/or students of the University and other regional research institutions, federal laboratories, or other sources in the State or region. The Visiting Senior Associate will support the efforts of the CEO and the Directors in administering the Company and promoting these objectives. The position will be based in the Company’s office on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Additional responsibilities include:
Duties:
The Visiting Senior Associate will play a key role in sourcing and evaluating seed and early-stage venture capital investments in high-growth derived from technology originated or developed by faculty, staff, and/or students of the University of Illinois and other research institutions, federal laboratories, or other sources in Illinois and the Midwest. This will include working closely with the University’s technology managers, faculty and IllinoisVENTURES professional staff to screen and evaluate prospects presented to IllinoisVENTURES and the Illinois Emerging Technologies Funds. The Senior Associate will help catalyze the creation and accelerate the development of promising new business ventures that are capable of developing as attractive investment opportunities. The Senior Associate will also assist in fulfilling administrative and compliance-related obligations of the Company. Specific roles include but are not limited to:
1. Source new early stage investments including meeting with founders and entrepreneurs, attending relevant conferences and networking events, and calling on new prospects.
2. Play a leadership role in evaluating the market feasibility and potential of advanced and complex life sciences, medical, information and/or engineering-based technologies.
3. Develop due diligence packages for funding opportunities and support the creation of funding memos.
4. With prioritized opportunities, actively engage with faculty entrepreneurs to lead the creation of early-stage technology and commercial milestones, market research, strategy development, and investment pitches/packages.
5. Oversee undergraduate and graduate level students and interns.
6. Create and maintain appropriate reports and data on the IllinoisVENTURES portfolio and activities.
7. Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual financial reports, economic impact reports, portfolio company progress reports and other administrative and compliance-related projects as directed by the CEO and Managing Director and/or the Senior Director.
8. Continue to deepen industry knowledge and contacts to help drive investment strategy and effectively conduct due diligence.
Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a master’s degree in business, science or engineering that is relevant that to entrepreneurship, venture capital investing, or to the technology commercialization process with seven years of relevant experience (working with technologies and/or early-stage companies is desired). Other requirements include: business skills and a significant understanding of early-stage venture finance are critical qualifications; knowledge of or experience in forming and building new high-tech start-up businesses; creative problem-solving skills. An ability to formulate a plan to obtain the information that is necessary to evaluate a new technology’s potential and to execute on that plan; excellent written and oral communications skills. Engineering or life-sciences based Ph.D., together with a master’s degree in business and/or significant operating experience in a technology-based business preferred.
This is a full-time, 12-month Academic Professional position. For full consideration, candidates must apply and submit a letter of application, resume, and names/addresses/phone numbers of three professional references by June 29, 2018 at https://uajobs.hr.uillinois.edu/.
If interested, please apply here.
