Startup Program Manager Jobs in Springfield, OR (NOW HIRING)

Director, Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship
Job no: 536288
Work type: Officer of Administration
Location: Eugene, OR
Categories: Business Administration/Management, Executive/Management/Director
Department: Lundquist College of Business
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $125,000 - $165,000 per year; commensurate with experience
Compensation Band: OS-OA12-Fiscal Year 2025-2026
FTE: 1.0
Application Review Begins
February 27, 2026; position open until filled
Special Instructions to Applicants
To be considered, please submit:
1. A current resume/CV that clearly demonstrates how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Where applicable, applicants may also address preferred qualifications and professional competencies. Including relevant work history with dates of employment and educational background will help us evaluate how you meet the qualifications for the position.
2. Three (3) professional references with contact information. References will not be contacted without prior notification.
Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet all preferred qualifications.
Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience and the application of fair, equitable, and consistent pay practices at the University. Oregon Equal Pay Act (OEPA).
To request a copy of the full position description, please email CBSOHR@uoregon.edu.
Department Summary
Founded in 1989, the Charles H. Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship (LCE) has supported innovative students, faculty, researchers, and programs for over 35 years. The center's mission is to serve as the hub of student-oriented entrepreneurial activity at the University of Oregon. Thus, LCE supports a wide range of curricular programs for the entire UO student body, including an undergraduate concentration and minor in entrepreneurship, as well as a graduate specialization. In addition, the center supports student clubs and student advising, and it facilitates a number of co-curricular programs and resources such as speaker series, hackathons, pitch competitions and seed-funding opportunities. Together these activities have fostered a number of successful startup ventures and have dramatically enhanced the innovation mindset and skill sets of a wide array students. This has led the center to be ranked in the top 25 in both the Princeton Review and Poets & Quants in recent years .
Although LCE has an explicit cross-campus mission, it is formally housed in the Lundquist College of Business. Lundquist College of Business is one of seven schools housing academic programs on the University of Oregon campus. The college works cooperatively with other UO colleges and schools to prepare students for a broad range of career paths. It is also a major partner for the Knight Campus to Accelerate Scientific Impact providing programming for their faculty and students, and successfully raising large joint gifts.
Position Summary
The Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship seeks a director with experience leading entrepreneurial endeavors and a passion for supporting entrepreneurship among students, faculty, and the community. The director will be expected to work to refine and execute the center's strategic objectives including but not limited to:
• Working in collaboration with senior leadership in the Lundquist College of Business and across the UO to identify, build, and manage student-oriented innovation and entrepreneurship resources, programs, and opportunities.
• Managing the center, including the budget, metrics, and personnel.
• Building relationships with a diverse array of stakeholders both internal and external to UO.
• Working with students, particularly in the form of advising.
• Planning and leading programs/events and managing communications associated with the center.
The director will be expected to leverage their own personal experience, as well as the knowledge and experiences of academic and business community partners, to evaluate existing programs and identify new opportunities that will best prepare students to succeed in their endeavors. The director will need to understand the breadth of opportunities and activities within the college and the university and ensure the Lundquist Center is deeply integrated with partners across the university. Additionally, the director will be engaged in cultivating relationships and demonstrating the impact of the center, which in turn will lead to fundraising opportunities that advance the center's mission and goals.
The director will need to be a skilled connector and translator between faculty, students, and business partners, and will also need to demonstrate a passion for removing barriers to entrepreneurship so that the entire community may benefit. This position is part of a highly collaborative team that includes the Lundquist Dean's office, several engaged faculty members, and other key stakeholders across campus.
Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, AND
• Seven or more years of demonstrated experience that includes:
o Deep and active engagement with innovation, entrepreneurship, and/or commercialization (i.e., where these activities constituted the majority of the applicants job);
o Conceptualizing events, programs and/or resources that align with an organization's strategic goals, and planning and executing on these events, programs and/or resources;
o External relations (may include building partnerships, fundraising, managing volunteers, stakeholder engagements, and strategic communications); and
o Experience advising, mentoring and/or teaching students and/or entrepreneurs.
• Supervision of a team (including but not limited to performance management, professional development growth, and development of performance metrics). OR
• A combination of education and experience (as described above) totaling 11 years.
Professional Competencies
• Entrepreneurial leadership: Ability to lead the building and expansion of student-facing entrepreneurial programs and resources. Ability to assess effectiveness of these programs and resources and to adjust accordingly.
• Partnerships: Ability to act as a key team player alongside other innovation leadership and faculty at the university. Ability to maintain strong partnerships with on- and off-campus partners to create and execute on programs and initiatives.
• Higher education and entrepreneurship knowledge: High level of programmatic and institutional knowledge, including an understanding of entrepreneurship pedagogy, university-based entrepreneurship programs, startups, and innovation.
• Inclusion: Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with all individuals, recognizing and respecting the many and varied identities of each person.
• Communication: Ability to craft a communications strategy, including timing, content, and channels (e.g., social media, mailing lists, newsletters, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications
• A relevant graduate degree from an accredited college or university
• Experience working with or in higher-education institutions.
• Volunteer management experience including the ability to identify, recruit and manage volunteers.
FLSA Exempt: Yes
All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit our website.
The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please email us or call 541-346-5112.
UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.
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Advertised: January 15, 2026 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close: