Director of Innovation and Social Impact; Blum Center Developing Economies

Job

Location:

Main Campus-Berkeley

Full Time

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and providing space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

We invite applicants who are inspired by our Principles of Community and who are eager to be part of our exciting Strategic Plan, which charts Berkeley's next era of excellence.

Learn more about some of our accomplishments at Points of Pride.

The Blum Center leverages the talent, energy, and innovations of the University of California, Berkeley to address the difficult challenges in low-resource communities in California and across the world. Our interdisciplinary problem-solving approach draws on students and faculty from over 70 disciplines, including engineering, social sciences, and business, to develop, test, and scale technologies and scalable solutions for economic development and to improve lives.

The Director of Innovation & Social Impact is responsible for all aspects of the Blum Center's entrepreneurship ecosystem, anchored by Big Ideas@Berkeley, the campus' flagship student innovation contest. Since its launch in 2006, Big Ideas has become UC Berkeley's premier platform for turning bold student vision into real-world impact and starting first-time innovators on the path to becoming entrepreneurs.

Big Ideas serves as a launching pad for students across all disciplines who are tackling society's most pressing challenges - from energy and sustainability to healthcare and artificial intelligence for economic development. The return on investment has been extraordinary: for every $1 awarded in Big Ideas seed funding, student teams have gone on to secure an additional $385 in follow‑on funding and investment.

Beyond the numbers, that leverage reflects something even more powerful - the results of Big Ideas' rigorous mentorship, hands-on training, and a community that equips students not just to win competitions, but to build enduring ventures.

The First Review Date for this job is:
August 6, 2026 - Open until filled

30% Manages, plans, and administers the Blum Center's social innovation programs, including the Big Ideas Contest, the Mastercard Foundation Impact Fund, the Civic Innovation Challenge, and other programs as appropriate. Coordinates and engages with campus, researchers, entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, government officials, and industry to support student success. Develops and participates in extensive outreach to encourage participation.

15% Manages all social impact program operations to envision and build a robust system of competition and post-competition student resources; develops additional student opportunities to enhance an ecosystem that assists students in pursuing their innovations. Conceptualizes, coordinates, and continually improves virtual and in-person opportunities, including information sessions, writing & budgeting workshops, practitioner-in-residence engagements, partnership networking, pitch sessions, and celebration events.

10% Prepares short-and long-range planning for operations and improvements to processes. Identifies, directs, and actively pursues new opportunities to secure sponsor ships and funding.

10% Represents the Center on innovation issues to the campus and broader university community. Responsible for comprehensive and proactive network management. Initiates and manages efforts to engage faculty and professionals to serve as mentors, judges, sponsors and partners, and ensures productive and collaborative relationships. Leads efforts at maintaining relationships with alumni, judges, mentors and other partners, and provides opportunities for them to participate in Center activities.

10% Closely collaborates with Blum Center team members to integrate Big Ideas and related innovation programs with Blum Center education and research initiatives to maximize student opportunities and resource sharing. Supports professional development of all Blum Center students interested in social impact, innovation for low-resource settings, and entrepreneurial pursuits.

5% Ensures administrative operations adhere to the annual budget.

5% Provides analysis for highly complex projects. Develops,…