Assistant​/Associate Director Center Entrepreneurship & Outreach

Position Function:

The Assistant/Associate Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the university’s venture development initiatives. This position is responsible for expanding Mississippi State University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting technology-based startups, growing Bulldog Innovation Labs, managing CoWork at The Hub, co-leading the Venture Catalyst accelerator, and building strong partnerships across the university.

This position serves as a key liaison between faculty, students, researchers, industry partners, and the Office of Technology Management to increase startup outcomes, startup formation, and entrepreneurial engagement across all colleges. This position will play key role in the expansion of the E-Center offerings, including: investment fund, new accelerator programs, and programs that are run jointly with other colleges and departments.

This new position will be expected to teach one of two courses per year.

• Growth in technology-based startups supported through Venture Catalyst.
• Increase in faculty and student participation in entrepreneurship programs.
• Expansion and utilization of Bulldog Innovation Labs and CoWork at The Hub.
• Increased collaboration with academic colleges and interdisciplinary programs.
• Growth in technology spinout companies’ Successful execution of entrepreneurship events, accelerators, and educational programming.
• Increased external partnerships, mentors, investors, and ecosystem engagement.
• Grant writing and submission

Salary Grade: 15

Please see Staff Compensation Structure for salary ranges.

Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach helps students, faculty, and staff start and grow successful companies. We help entrepreneurs link with our more than 100,000 living alumni, learn tactical business skills, and launch companies that will help define tomorrow's markets. Through this mission we facilitate student creation of their own dream job, strengthening a culture of entrepreneurship among the Bulldog family.

• Lead recruitment, and support of startup companies, with a focus on technology-based companies.
• Manage and expand the Venture Catalyst Accelerator, including mentor engagement, curriculum development, and venture coaching.
• Provide guidance to faculty, graduate students, and student entrepreneurs on startup pathways, customer discovery, business model development, and startup formation.
• Assist startups with investor readiness, SBIR/STTR opportunities, and early-stage fundraising.
• Develop programming specifically designed to support deep technology and research-based ventures.

• Lead Bulldog Innovation Labs as the university’s innovation and hub for technology startup ecosystem.
• Expand programming that supports product development, prototyping, makerspace activities, and interdisciplinary innovation.
• Develop partnerships with faculty and academic departments to integrate Innovation Labs into coursework, research, and experiential learning.
• Oversee equipment utilization, safety procedures, and operational planning.

• Manage daily operations and strategic growth of CoWork at The Hub.
• Recruit entrepreneurs, startup companies, community partners, and innovation-focused organizations to utilize the facility.
• Build an entrepreneurial community through networking events, workshops, office hours, and educational programming.
• Develop membership growth strategies and increase utilization of coworking resources.

• Build partnerships across all colleges to integrate entrepreneurship into teaching, research, and student…