Job Description

Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of AucklandThe University of Auckland is New Zealand’s pre-eminent University, with a turnover of $1.6bn, including research revenue of over $300m generated across eight diverse faculties and two research institutes. With over 9,000 staff and 50,000 students, the University of Auckland is one of New Zealand’s most significant and complex entities.Job DescriptionTe Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunityThis role is ideal for someone who enjoys working directly with founders and early-stage ventures. As Venture & Founder Development Specialist, you'll design and deliver founder programmes that help students, researchers and staff explore opportunities, test ideas and progress towards venture creation.Working closely with the Venture & Founder Development Lead, this is a highly hands-on role focused on managing and delivering high-quality programmes, managing founder cohorts and creating practical learning experiences that help early-stage ventures progress.Manage the design, delivery and continuous improvement of designated founder and venture development programmes.Design and facilitate practical founder-development experiences that support customer discovery, experimentation, validation and early-stage venture development.Manage founder cohorts and create engaging learning experiences that support venture progression.Coordinate mentors, facilitators and ecosystem contributors to give founders access to relevant expertise and support.Build strong relationships with researchers, students, founders, academics and external startup ecosystem partners.Support researchers and research-derived opportunities to navigate early-stage venture development and connect with appropriate commercialisation pathways.Use programme data, participant feedback and emerging venture practices to improve programme quality and outcomes.Connect founders with appropriate next-stage pathways, including commercialisation, investment opportunities, accelerators and other venture support.