Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship, Director Derby Entrepreneurship Cntr

THE OPPORTUNITY

Tufts University’s Gordon Institute((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).)is seeking an exceptional leader to shape the future of entrepreneurship education as the Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center(). This is a strategic leadership role designed for someone who combines authentic entrepreneurial experience with academic leadership and genuine collaborative instincts.

You’ll lead entrepreneurial education at Tufts, both academic and co-curricular, at a pivotal moment. The entrepreneurship program has established a strong foundation since graduating its first undergraduate minor 25 years ago, and is now poised to continue expanding its impact even more broadly across the university as the entrepreneurial mindset is recognized as a life skill for all. This aligns well with Tufts Gordon Institute’s strategic goal to integrate entrepreneurship across TGI’s graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as the rest of the university, continue to elevate and promote academic excellence, scale impact, and position Tufts as a leader in entrepreneurship education.

We need a visionary who has a bias to action, thinks big, and builds with others.

This role is for a strategic thinker who executes, a practitioner who applies their knowledge and experience to teaching, and a leader who brings out the best in others.

Your time breaks down into three pillars of equal importance:

40% Academic Leadership & Teaching:Design and teach entrepreneurship courses to high academic standards. Affirm academic excellence while maintaining real-world relevance. Mentor students through projects that bridge classroom learning and new business creation. Contribute to scholarship in entrepreneurship education. Develop curriculum collaboratively with faculty across the university, building on existing work and with an understanding of innovative pedagogy.

40% Co-Curricular Programs & Student Engagement:Build on existing experiential programs including the Tufts New Ventures Competition, the Tufts Venture Accelerator, founder mentorship, student ventures, social enterprise initiatives, and add new programming to broaden reach. Continue to foster a vibrant entrepreneurial community that spans all disciplines across the New England ecosystem. Move with urgency and entrepreneurial spirit. You’ll have operational support from current Derby Entrepreneurship Center staff members, as well as operations and administrative support from the TGI and Tufts teams.

20% External Engagement, Fundraising & Board Leadership:Secure funding through a diversified approach, including grants, individual donors, corporate partnerships, foundation funding, in partnership with University Advancement erage and manage the existing dedicated Board of Advisors with influential entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders who support students and fundraising. Develop relationships in partnership with University Advancement with key alumni and stakeholders to bring real-world expertise into our programming.

Represent Tufts at conferences and in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Network with peer directors at peer institutions.

You’ve lived entrepreneurship.You’ve launched companies, built teams, raised capital, managed pivots, scaled organizations. You understand startup challenges from real experience, not theory. This credibility is essential, students will trust you because you’ve walked the walk.

You’re a strategic thinker who gets stuff done.You see 3–5 years ahead and develop bold visions for what the Derby Entrepreneurship Center can become. You also move fast, make decisions with available information, and drive impact. You’re scrappy and resourceful, but also rigorous and thoughtful. No analysis paralysis, you learn by doing and iterate rapidly.

You’re a dedicated teacher who values academic excellence.You can engage students, mentor generously, and create transformative learning experiences. You’re grounded in experience on how entrepreneurship is learned. You’re committed to raising academic standards while valuing…