Demo

Managing Director, Boston

Activate
Boston, MA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/14/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/22/2026
About Activate Global

Activate empowers scientists and engineers to reinvent our world by bringing their research to market. We partner with leading funders and research institutions to offer the Activate Fellowship, providing the funding, community, mentorship, network, and time that scientists need to become entrepreneurs.

The results are game changing: Activate Fellows have launched 197 new companies since 2015. These companies have raised $4B in follow-on funding, created more than 2,800 U.S.-based jobs, and defined several new market categories. Activate supports fellows in Berkeley, CA; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Houston, TX; and across the U.S. through Activate Anywhere.

Position Summary

Activate is looking for a Managing Director to mentor a community of Activate Fellows in the Boston area by serving as their primary entrepreneurial advisor. In this role, you will drive key fellowship programmatic efforts, lead the selection of new fellows each year, and connect your community of fellows with resources, support, and each other to enable their entrepreneurial success. This role will be responsible for representing the Boston fellow community to the larger Activate Global team and to external stakeholders across academia, industry, finance and government. The Managing Director will report to Activate’s US Fellowship Leader. Join us as we work to create the world’s leading platform supporting the earlier stages of science entrepreneurship!

Primary Responsibilities

  • Serve as Managing Director and primary advisor for a cross-disciplinary community of entrepreneurial fellows.
  • Drive successful outcomes for each individual fellow, providing mentorship, support, network connectivity, and resources.
  • Oversee core elements of the fellowship, including review and selection of fellows, and bi-weekly in-person and virtual educational programming.
  • Build and maintain relationships with universities, research institutions, and other talent pipelines to attract strong applicants to future fellowship cohorts.
  • Lead ecosystem engagement efforts for the Boston region, including strengthening relationships with key innovation partners and supporting visibility for Activate and its fellows.
  • Build collaborative, cross-functional relationships with staff and partners to ensure the program operates effectively and efficiently.
  • Represent Activate at an executive level with public- and private-sector stakeholders from across the technology innovation ecosystem.
  • Engage with current and potential government and philanthropic sponsors.
  • Partner with Boston’s local Program Manager to provide best-in-class support to the fellows.

The Ideal Candidate…

  • Has an advanced degree in the physical or biological sciences and a minimum of 10 years experience in research, development, management, and commercialization of science-driven technologies.
  • Has entrepreneurial experience as the leader of a new company or business unit.
  • Has led high-performance technical teams and has demonstrated a commitment to nurturing talent through mentorship.
  • Has a strong network and reputation among stakeholders from across the innovation ecosystem (academia, industry, finance, and government) and in the Boston area.
  • Strongly exhibits objectivity, empathy, and inclusiveness in leadership.
  • Is an excellent communicator and collaborator.
  • Can manage a complex, dynamic portfolio of projects and stakeholders.
  • Believes that groundbreaking science has the power to change the world—but only if it reaches the people and places that need it most.
  • Supportive of a broad range of finance and business models for advancing hard-tech to market.
  • Would be excited to wake up each day asking the question, “what can I do to make our fellows successful?”

About The Role

This is a full-time position with a competitive starting base of $215,000 with a generous benefits package that includes professional development, $2,000 in annual wellness funds, flexible paid time off, healthcare coverage for employees and dependents, with 90–100% of premiums covered, and the opportunity to join a retirement plan with a 3% match beginning after 3 months at Activate.

This position is based in Cambridge, MA. Because we operate an in-person community, our team typically works from the office at least part of each day.

Encouraging Applications from All Backgrounds

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a welcoming workplace for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Activate Global, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Salary : $2,000

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Managing Director, Boston?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Managing Director, Boston career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$208,896 - $274,954
Income Estimation: 
$250,952 - $333,704
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Activate

  • Activate Ferndale, MI
  • Company Overview: At Activate, we are renowned for crafting extraordinary experiences that make a lasting impact for some of the world's most influential b... more
  • 11 Days Ago

  • Activate Berkeley, CA
  • About Activate Global Activate empowers scientists and engineers to reinvent our world by bringing their research to market. We partner with leading funder... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Activate Ferndale, MI
  • Executive Assistant, Business Development Company Overview At Activate, we are renowned for crafting extraordinary experiences that make a lasting impact f... more
  • 2 Days Ago

  • Activate Ferndale, MI
  • Company Overview At Activate, we are renowned for crafting extraordinary experiences that make a lasting impact for some of the world's most influential br... more
  • 4 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Managing Director, Boston jobs in the Boston, MA area that may be a better fit.

  • Boston University Boston, MA
  • Category Boston University Medical Campus --> Faculty Job Location Boston, Massachusetts Tracking Code 26599936880203 Posted Date 2/3/2026 Minimum Salary $... more
  • 9 Days Ago

  • Boston University Boston, MA
  • Category Boston University Medical Campus --> Professional Job Location Boston, MA, United States Tracking Code 26599936800108 Posted Date 1/8/2026 Salary ... more
  • 12 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!