Program Manager, CDL-Seattle

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage science and technology-based companies.

The programs objective-setting process enhances the performance of technical founders who learn from the insights of experienced entrepreneurs, increasing their probability of success.

CDL is run as a partnership between CDL Global (based at the University of Toronto) and the business schools of nine leading universities.

The universities act as a convener of talent, bringing together mentors, world-class scientists, and economists to accelerate and enable investment.

CDL is a unique not-for-profit program. It does not charge participating entrepreneurs and takes no equity in their companies.

CDL-Seattle will launch at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and will accept 25 deep-science companies from within and outside UW for the 2021 / 22 stream.

CDL-Seattle will specialize in companies operating on the frontier of Biology and Computing. Companies which have that advanced beyond the concept stage apply (at no cost to them) to participate in CDL.

Once companies are selected for participation, they participate in a 9-month long program, with 5 intensive full-day sessions with CDL mentors every eight weeks.

At each session they assess progress and set new short-term objectives. Mentors are typically successful entrepreneurs from the local region or broader CDL community.

The Managers role and responsibilities extend beyond the Foster School. The success of CDL will depend on the directors ability to bring great technology-company founders together with superb mentors (entrepreneurs who themselves have founded and built great companies), venture capitalists, leaders of other area accelerators, technology corporations and UW technologists and economists.

To make this work, the manager must work widely across campus and build partnerships with the College of Engineering, School of Medicine and CoMotion to get their help to underwrite the program financially and encourage their faculty and students to participate.

The CDL educational curriculum will draw students from across campus and include non-Foster STEM PhD students, as well as MBAs and undergraduates.

As of 2021, the Allen School, College of Engineering and CoMotion are all committed as co-founders for the first three years.

The Manager also must work with other Washington state research institutions as companies in the program will draw from PIs far beyond the University of Washington.

The Manager will also need to be deeply involved in the Seattle entrepreneurial community, speaking at local and national events, and keep constantly in touch with the evolving state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Fund-raising is a continual activity, and CDL will be supported by several active multi-year donations, all of which will be raised by the Manager working closely with UW advancement.

The Manager will also be responsible for a high-school outreach program to engage URM high-school students to participate in CDL. RESPONSIBILITIES :

Leading Operations

The Program Manager works with a great deal of autonomy and independence in producing high-level donor events, such as recognition galas, stewardship celebrations and cultivation activities.

This position will work with the CDL community, University senior administrators, corporate relations professionals to create, produce, and evaluate annual events.

• Given general direction from the Director of Operations and in accordance with the best practices as described under CDL Global Standard Operating Procedures, this position is responsible for the planning of the Interview Day and four CDL Sessions held annually.
• This planning will be done in close consultation with the CDL Site Lead, specifically for determining seat arrangements;

the venture managers specifically for the submission of venture documents; and the Director of Operations to ensure coordination with time-synchronized evening events.

This responsibility includes designing the work-back plan that meets the Site Leads intent for attendance and participation, determines room allocation and a detailed time breakdown for the day, ensures the timely distribution of all related communications including individualized schedules, ensures the timely submission of documentation to Fellows / Associates / Scientists, completes all required coordination with venues and vendors, and ensures adequate preparations are completed through the employment of a sufficient number of student staff in advance.

After initiating the plan, this position will manage the up-to-the-last minute adjustments to scheduling and seating that will occur due to changes in availability and integrating opportunities as they emerge.

• During Interview Day and session execution, this position is overall responsible for all reception activities at the start of each day, ensuring the smooth execution of all small group meetings for sessions, and overall lead of all in-room co-ordination of during large group meetings during sessions.
• This position is responsible for implementation, maintenance, and improvement of the CDL Seattle technology stack in consultation with CDL Global and ensuring that the use of these systems for the purpose of external communications are compliant with all applicable legislation.
• Responsible for improving existing project management systems and current practices.
• Supports the Operations Manager in improving venture management work processes and execution of the annual recruitment campaign through a combination of sound business practices and innovative ideas.
• Responsible for planning and executing non-Session events such as Fellow and Associate Dinners or Venture Socials, including arranging for student staff support, when requested.
• This position will be prepared to be the lead for the planning and execution of any additional large-scale conferences, should these be added to the CDL Seattle program.
• Given the wide scope of these responsibilities, this position will need to consistently evaluate priorities and demands and assign resources and delegate tasks to his / her team to ensure operational continuity.
• Provide direct supervisor to the Event Coordinator, in addition to project guidance and mentorship to event managers across the CDL program.

Management & Administration

Responsible for all mentoring, supervising, and managing of the Operations Team, which includes an events manager and a pool of a minimum of eight student team members, which is required for the preparation and delivery of CDL Seattle Sessions and minor projects throughout the year.

This team is likely to grow to 2 staff and a pool of ten over the term of this position.

Direct and conduct full cycle recruitment, training and development, performance reviews and annual increases and termination.

Specific attention will need to be paid to maintaining a core group of recurring student workers that are genuinely interested in the CDL mission, well-versed in CDL practices, and attuned to the unique needs of the CDL program and its stakeholders.

This position will determine the number of hours required from this pool over any given period to meet the needs of CDL Seattle at large, confirming that a sufficient allocation of the budget is available to meet his / her proposal, and will be responsible for approving the hours of the labour used

Last updated : 2024-03-06