Discover
The Opportunity
Applications are due by Friday, October 22nd by 5 pm EST
As the Program Director, Accelerator you will report to the Chief Accelerator Officer, Hussam Ayyad, and will be responsible to ensure an effective design, plan and execution of Highline Beta Accelerators' program operations over the full accelerator program delivery cycle, from Design to Demo Day and Evaluation. You will play a key role in spearheading the design, planning and execution of accelerator programs to help clients achieve their objectives and desired program partnerships. As the Program Director you will work with the Chief Accelerator Officer, to gather requirements to create a program theme and framework that meets the clients needs. You will lead the planning and execution of the in-person and virtual components of the accelerator program, as well as perform a variety of tasks associated with day-to-day program operations. If you're a natural project manager with strong communication skills who enjoys identifying the right people to talk to, building excitement about their accelerator program, amplifying the accelerator messaging and finding the right startups to participate in the programs, 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 an innovation consulting 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.
What you'll do
Responsibilities
- Lead the design, planning, and execution of the assigned program(s)
- Conceptualize the program theme and framework, including requirements management
- Create a robust plan including deliverables, timelines
- Manage all aspects of the assigned program(s) to ensure that all program activities are on schedule, within scope and on budget.
- Oversee the MarComm design, plan, and execution to align with all stakeholders needs and requirements
- Be the key person in managing client relationships with the client's main point of contact and other key members of their teams who may operate within different time zones across the globe (Europe and Asia Pacific included).
- Manage all associated legal and administrative documents to ensure a safe environment for execution of the pilots.
- Manage communications as the main point of contact for the assigned client teams and suggest/provide advice on the effective execution of accelerators
- Design and execute an effective accelerator program that will meet the unique needs of our corporate clients
- Provide consistent progress report to the client
- Collaborate with the sourcing director, select appropriate sourcing strategy to attract high quality startups to join the program
- Coach startups on a weekly basis to support their growth, which might include, but not limited to providing advice on pitch decks, product design, business model, customer definition, and other areas of improvement.
- Tailor all the programming to each cohort's needs; this might include but not limited to workshops, webinars, events, and office hours with specialists and mentors on different topics like HR, Sales, Funding, etc.
- Collaborate with the accelerator team to establish best practices, support the most pressing initiatives that contribute to the overarching team goals.
What you'll need
Qualifications
- You have a strong background in project/program management
- You have experience working, serving and/or managing founders on their growth journey
- You have experience with client-facing, account management and/or working with senior stakeholders
- You have experience working with startup frameworks/methodologies
- You have strong relationship building and management skills
- You have exceptional communication skills both written and verbal
- You are a strong collaborator, with a 'can-do" attitude with a passion for excellence
We're looking for
Core Skills
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
Interview Process
- Phone screen with Lisa Partridge, People Operations and Community Director
- Remote role alignment interview with Hussam Ayyad
- Remote case-study & cultural alignment interview with cross-functional HLB team members
- Remote final Interview with Hussam Ayyad
- Conduct reference & security checks
- 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: $105,000
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.