Director of Healthcare Entrepreneurship, Venture Lab - University of Pennsylvania

University Overview


The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.




Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.




The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.








Posted Job Title

Director of Healthcare Entrepreneurship, Venture Lab





Job Profile Title

Director C, Business and Finance, Innovation





Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.


The Director of Healthcare Entrepreneurship manages Venture Lab’s healthcare entrepreneurship portfolio in the Penn startup ecosystem. This role is critical to Venture Lab’s mission of expanding access to healthcare entrepreneurial and innovation resources to the wider Penn student community and will help to position Penn and Wharton as entrepreneurship and innovation leader in the global healthcare space.





Job Description


Within Venture Lab, the Director leads the development and delivery of programs and initiatives that collectively educate Penn student in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial approaches and prepare them to take leadership roles in healthcare. As part of this work, the Director will:1) Drive the strategic vision and goals of the portfolio in alignment with Venture Lab's overall strategy. In collaboration with the Executive Director, Vice Dean, and Wharton External Affairs, manage and communicate Venture Lab's priorities and fundraising needs to stakeholders, including donors.2) Administer the new healthcare vertical and focus on building the community/connective tissue among students, faculty, researchers, and other University schools and centers. Lead Venture Lab’s partnerships with Penn alumni, senior leaders at other Wharton departments and Penn schools, and third-party organizations that are engaged in delivering this portfolio.3) Manage the planning and implementation of co-curricular workshops, activities, events, learning materials, and alumni connection to Penn students as they explore, found, or fund ideas in healthcare entrepreneurship.4) Collaborate with Venture Lab team members to deliver learning grants, awards, and prizes to Penn students through existing and new funding channels.5) Assist with the development, funding, and execution by faculty of new healthcare entrepreneurship classes and research projects.6) Lead data collection, performance evaluation, and reporting of the portfolio's successes annually. Identify and implement approved quality and process improvements.




Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director serves on Venture Lab’s management team. As part of this role, the Director manages the total budget ($1.6M annually) for these programs, supervises one full-time staff member, and stewards $10M in new gifts that support this portfolio.




This schedule is University business hours, with some work during the early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and may require occasional travel. This position is located in Philadelphia and requires in-person work. After successfully completing the introductory period, this position is hybrid eligible, with some weeks requiring more in-person work as needed.




This position is contingent on continued funding.




Qualifications:



+ Master's Degree is required, with a preference for MBA, MD, or nursing degrees and either graduate or undergraduate healthcare or life sciences coursework. 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in the healthcare entrepreneurship and innovation space and/or higher education is required


+ Demonstrated track record of leadership ability, innovative thinking, and strong project and program management (on time, on budget execution) is required.


+ Demonstrated ability to interact comfortably and build and cultivate strong relationships with various constituent groups, senior leadership, students, alumni, and donors.


+ Must be organized and detail oriented with excellent written and verbal communication skills and a high degree of professionalism * Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.


+ Demonstrated experience in supervising direct reports (delivering performance feedback and making salary decisions) and managing a highly matrixed project team.


+ The successful candidate will have the ability to successfully design and execute programs in a time sensitive, high pressure environment.


+ Must possess experience with or ability to quickly learn and use the Venture Lab suite of technology tools: Google suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides), SurveyMonkey Apply, Monday.com, Brightspot, Eventbrite, and Typeform.


+ While schedule is generally business hours, some ability to work on evenings/weekends and to occasionally travel is needed. This position requires the ability to do a combination of remote and on-site work in Philadelphia on Penn's campus each week, year-round.







Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania





Department / School

Wharton School





Pay Range

$74,476.00 - $150,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.










Affirmative Action Statement Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.




Special Requirements Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.




University Benefits

+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.




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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay



The University of Pennsylvania's special character is reflected in the diversity of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community that draws on the strength that comes with a substantive institutional commitment to diversity along dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, veteran status, interests, perspectives, and socioeconomic status. Grounded in equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and affirmative action, Penn's robust commitment to diversity is fundamental to the University's mission of advancing knowledge, educating leaders for all sectors of society, and public service. The University of Pennsylvania prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.