Discover

The Opportunity

Toronto, ON
Other
Experienced
Full-time

Applications are due by Friday, October 22nd by 5 pm EST

As the Director, Global Ecosystem Engagement you will report to the Chief Accelerator Officer, Hussam Ayyad, and will be responsible for building relationships with startup founders, investors / VCs, advisors and innovation partners across the global innovation ecosystem to generate awareness of HLB's Accelerator offerings. 

You will play a key role as the first point of contact for startup founders, and will be responsible for selling founders on the HLB Accelerator offering, building out the startup recruitment function and for actively recruiting applicants to HLB's Accelerator offerings. 

To raise awareness in the global community, you will develop and deliver initiatives (e.g. events, marketing activities) that promote HLB's Accelerator offerings. As the Director, Ecosystem Engagement you will also be responsible for building and developing relationships with global ecosystem partners such as innovation centres, advisors, investors and VC's. Through hands-on due diligence of the startups in the pipeline, you will also help to identify opportunities for potential investment by Highline Beta and its venture capital fund.

If you are a self-starter who can multi-task and context switch between running and attending events, developing and deepening partner relationships and executing special projects to build out processes needed, with strong analytical and business skills to be able to evaluate startup business ideas and founders, this is the role for you. 

Highline Beta was founded with the mission of building better ventures. Our thesis is this: by unlocking the assets within large companies, we can help them grow beyond their core through internal and external innovation. 

We're blending a corporate innovation business with a venture capital business, giving us the best of both worlds. We're building a team of exceptional people that are excited by the prospect of working at a company that's doing something different and delivering incredible value.

We love building businesses. We love the mission of finding meaningful problems to solve, and then solving them with the right solutions. We love helping others achieve their goals, whether it's an innovation leader inside a large company, or a founder that's scaling her startup. Everything is a puzzle that needs to be figured out, and we spend our time at Highline Beta putting the puzzles together.

We work across a host of different industries, and believe in our mix of entrepreneurial chutzpah and rigorous innovation methodologies to get us to the answers we're looking for. We help some of the world's biggest companies find and shape new business opportunities that will propel them to continued growth. For example, we helped AB InBev launch the 100+ Sustainability Accelerator program, which has completed two cohorts with thirty eight startups. AB InBev has continued to work with over 50% of the startups beyond the accelerator program, which has also helped startups raise $200M in capital and grow their businesses, all while helping AB InBev achieve their sustainability goals.

Our team at Highline Beta is customer-obsessed doers who are driven by outcomes over outputs. You will be collaborating with a team made up of Program Directors like Lead Program Director Oksana Salamaszek and Program Director Veronika Kvon, as well as Senior leadership team members like Chief Accelerator Officer, Hussam Ayyad and Chief Development Officer, Valerie Swatkow.

What you'll do

Responsibilities

  • Generate a pipeline of high potential emerging startups who could be candidates for HLB Accelerator offerings
  • Build systems, programs, and partnerships that strengthen recruitment abilities
  • Develop sourcing strategies for Accelerator programs based on specific corporate client / HLB requirements
  • Develop and execute initiatives that engage startups in the HLB ecosystem (e.g. events, marketing, etc.)
  • Implement sourcing strategies to secure the highest quality Accelerator programming participants
  • Support the Accelerator team to evaluate applicants and facilitate selection of participants
  • Develop startup selection criteria based on program requirements
  • Meet with founders as the first point of contact with HLB and manage all founder communications through the engagement process (from application to graduation from the program)
  • Lead due diligence on startups
  • Develop relationships with partners in the global innovation ecosystem
  • Research global landscape to identify potential high value relationships
  • Contact and meet potential partners to spread awareness of the HLB Accelerator value proposition
  • Maintain a current and accurate database of partners
  • Execute targeted initiatives to promote awareness of the HLB Accelerator offering
  • Support and engage Highline Beta Alumni and portfolio companies
  • Create and maintain Digital Assets and information packages that raise awareness of HLB, especially with net new partners
  • Develop and execute programs that engage Highline Beta Portfolio and alumni companies

What you'll need

Qualifications

You have a strong reputation and existing network within the startup ecosystem

  • You have experience working, serving and/or managing founders on their growth journey
  • You have strong relationship building skills
  • You have strong project/program management experience
  • You have a high degree of proficiency in CRM
  • You have exceptional communication skills both written and verbal

Bonus if you have…

  • Experience in client-facing, account management, and/or working with senior stakeholders
  • Experience working with start-up frameworks/methodologies
  • Interest in innovation, business, corporate innovation, growth
  • Strong collaborator with a ''can-do'' attitude and passion for excellence
  • Experience working in startup or accelerators
  • Experience working in VC/other venture financing

We're looking for

Core Skills

Teamwork Selling Driven By Results Self Directed Relationship Management Project Management Judgment Communication Business Modeling Building Relationships

A little bit about us

Highline Beta

At Highline Beta, we celebrate our inclusive work environment and welcome members of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations and will work with you to meet your needs. If you are a person with a disability and require assistance during the application process, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Are you interested?

Work With Us

  1. Interview Process
  1. Phone screen with Lisa Partridge, People Operations and Community Director
  2. Remote role alignment interview with Hussam Ayyad
  3. Remote case-study & cultural alignment interview with cross-functional HLB team members
  4. Remote final Interview with Hussam Ayyad
  5. Conduct reference & security checks
  6. Offer

Following the advice of Canadian health authorities, to mitigate the risk of potential spread of COVID-19 and support social distancing, all recruiting activities including interviews and new hire onboarding will be conducted virtually.

Working with Us

  • Competitive salary and employer-paid health benefits, including paid parental leave and access to Inkblot Therapy
  • Stock Options
  • Bonus based on performance of role and company
  • 4 weeks of vacation per year plus additional flex days if needed
  • A diverse team who is committed to inclusion

Salary: $120,750

Highline Beta is an accelerator builder, a venture studio and a corporate innovation firm. We identify and build new venture & growth opportunities.

  • We are advisors and builders.
  • We are passionate about innovation and growing businesses.
  • We are genuinely curious.