Executive Director - Center for Democracy & Free Enterprise

At Marymount University, we believe meaningful work happens when talented people come together with shared purpose. We serve not only our students—but one another—creating a culture where teamwork, adaptability, and resilience are part of everyday practice,Located in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes from Washington, D.C., Marymount offers a dynamic and forward-looking environment where innovation is encouraged and flexibility is valued. We understand that higher education is evolving, and we embrace change with creativity, responsiveness, and a solutions-oriented mindset.

Our faculty and staff thrive in a community that prioritizes communication, cross-functional collaboration, and service-driven leadership. Whether working directly with students or supporting them behind the scenes, every role contributes to a shared mission: helping students grow, succeed, and lead with purpose and confidence.

Position Summary Marymount University seeks a founding Executive Director to shape and lead the Center for Democracy and Free Enterprise as a national platform for leadership development, entrepreneurial capacity, and expanded participation in capital and ownership systems.

This role is for a builder. The Executive Director will translate the University's vision for the center into an operational, financially sustainable, and nationally recognized model that connects talent with enterprise, capital, and opportunities in institutional leadership.

The Executive Director will serve as the chief architect, operator, and external ambassador responsible for strategy, partnerships, fundraising, and execution.

About the Center The Center for Democracy and Free Enterprise forms ethical leaders and renews the nation's founding promise that opportunity, enterprise, and self-government belong to all. Grounded in Marymount's Catholic tradition and its commitment to educating the whole person, the Center treats enterprise and economic participation not as ends in themselves but as pathways to opportunity, service, and human flourishing.

The Center prepares students to lead with both competence and conscience: to build and steward enterprises, to widen access to capital and ownership and to participate in democracy as responsible citizens. It creates direct pipelines from the classroom to the marketplace, equipping students to launch startups and new ventures that make meaningful contributions to society and open avenues of growth for America.

It is private enterprise, innovation, and entrepreneurship that will increasingly shape the country's future. Marymount intends for its graduates to help build it. In doing so, the center advances Marymount's vision of becoming a leading Catholic university recognized for innovation and student success.

Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership & Center Development Design and implement the Center’s multi-year strategy aligned with the University’s mission

Build a scalable model integrating leadership development, entrepreneurship, and market access

Establish the Center as a national exemplar of applied, nontraditional academic programming

Define success metrics tied to leadership outcomes, enterprise creation, and economic participation
2. Program Design & Execution Launch integrated programs focused on:

Leadership development

Entrepreneurial capability

Capital and market fluency

Ownership pathways

Ensure programming is practical, experience-based, and connected to real economic systems

Oversee curriculum partnerships, external engagement, and applied learning experiences
3. Partnerships & Ecosystem Building Build strategic relationships with:

Corporations and industry leaders

Investment firms and capital networks

Entrepreneurs and founders

Policy and institutional leaders

Create pipelines connecting students to internships, mentorship, funding, and enterprise opportunities
4. Fundraising & Resource Development Lead all fundraising efforts, including:

Major gifts and naming opportunities

Corporate partnerships

Foundation grants

Translate the Center’s mission into a compelling investment case for donors

Partner with university advancement to secure long-term financial sustainability
5. Institutional…