ABOUT THE SCHULICH VENTURE ACADEMY:
This first-of-its-kind academy provides specialized 6-week certificate programs (30 learning hours) created for the Venture Ecosystem. Designed by leaders who have built and powered great Canadian startups, these programs equip founders and their teams with the knowledge base and strategies they need to scale their companies and increase their VC/investor readiness.
Our four SVA program directors are prominent figures in the startup/venture ecosystem:
- Venture Talent by Jenny do Forno, Chief People Officer at TouchBistro and ex-Head of Talent at OMERS Ventures
- Venture Operations by Izabella Gabowicz, VP of Ops at Q2 and ex-COO at Sensibill
- Venture Finance by Leen Li, CEO of Wealthsimple Foundation and ex-CFO at Wealthsimple
- Venture Capital by Prashant Matta, General Partner at Panache
Established in 2024, the Schulich Venture Academy has already trained more than 100 high potential founders and start-up executives, with another 70 participants scheduled to receive training in its 3rd sold-out cohort launching this March. The SVA was recently awarded over $3M in government funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to support the rapid expansion of the program.
The SVA was created by Schulich’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This office, also known as Schulich Startups, supports students and alumni in launching and growing their own start-up companies across a wide variety of sectors, with a growing presence across North America. Schulich Startups’ mission is to power the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. With a global vision to inspire students and new ideas in social impact, sustainability, and self reliability, Schulich Startups aims to forge powerful partnerships throughout the wider innovation ecosystem, globally and regionally. The office is driven by the purpose to unlock growth for students, alumni, and founders by attracting world class speakers and mentors and creating breakthrough Work Integrated Learning placements.
JOB PURPOSE:
The Program Director of the Schulich Venture Academy (SVA) will be responsible for all aspects of the execution and strategic direction of the SVA program, including meeting or exceeding identified targets around funding and growth. The candidate will create and lead strategies and plans for national and international expansion of the program.
Reporting to the Associate Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Schulich School of Business, the Program Director will manage a team of 3 full-time staff that support sales, marketing and operations of the SVA, as well as the team of instructors that create and deliver the curriculum. The candidate will recruit new instructors and oversee the creation of 3 additional course tracks. They will also be responsible for the creation of supplementary programming for companies that are working in the AI, Cleantech, or Electric Vehicle industries.
The candidate will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with major partners, funders, and other stakeholders who are involved in the program. They will execute all required funder reporting and ensure compliance with funder contracts. They will also be responsible for building and executing on a strategy for the long-term sustainability of the program following the 5 years of secured grant funding. This will include ideas around the commercialization and growth of the program.
They will work closely with Schulich’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship on the larger entrepreneurship-related goals of the office and the school. This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, where the selected candidate will be expected to be physically present in the office a minimum of 3 days per week. The candidate will be expected to attend industry events in promotion of the SVA program on weekday evenings (frequently) and weekends (infrequently).
MAJOR DUTIES:
- Develop and implement a strategic vision and comprehensive growth strategy for the SVA, including identifying opportunities for expansion, diversification of program offerings, and long-term sustainability.
- Recruit, onboard, and manage an elite team of instructors, providing ongoing support and ensuring consistency in the delivery of the SVA curriculum.
- Oversee the continuous improvement of the SVA curriculum, ensuring the relevance of its content, the effectiveness of instruction, and the alignment of new programs with the needs of scaling startups.
- Lead and manage the SVA team, overseeing team activities, assigning tasks, providing mentorship and guidance to team members, and adjusting workloads when needed.
- Cultivate and manage key relationships with existing and potential partners, including accelerators, investors, corporate partners, and other stakeholders within the startup ecosystem.
- Identify and pursue funding opportunities to support the SVA’s growth and expansion.
- Manage relationships with major program funders, including preparing regular funder reports and ensuring compliance with funder agreements.
- Track finances against the approved program budget, including monitoring expenses, tracking revenues, and elevating changes or discrepancies that need to be addressed.
- Serve as the public face of the SVA, representing the program at industry events, conferences and other relevant forums.
- Assist in the creation and execution of the marketing and communications strategy to attract high-potential participants and partners.
- Develop and implement a system for evaluating the effectiveness of the SVA program, collecting data, analyzing results, and preparing impact reports for circulation to the startup ecosystem and program funders.
- Collaborate with non-SVA program staff at the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship on relevant projects and opportunities.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business or a related field. MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5+ years of experience in program management (ideally with strong experience within the startup ecosystem).
- Experience in creating and implementing long-term strategic plans for sustainable program growth.
- Experience managing high-performing teams, including full-time and part-time staff.
- Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including internal university teams, instructors, and external partners.
- Demonstrated understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by scaling companies.
- Proven track record of developing and implementing successful programs, preferably educational in nature.
- Experience managing relationships and reporting with government funders.
- Experience managing budgets within a complex financial infrastructure.
- Familiarity with best practices around impact evaluation and continuous improvement
- Strong knowledge and network based in Ontario’s startup community.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: In order to apply for this role, send your updated resume and cover letter to Chelsea Gray at cbgray@schulich.yorku.ca. Please indicate ‘Program Director - SVA’ in the subject line of your email.
