Manager - Venture Engagement

Location

Trenton, NJ | United States

Job description

Job Summary  

The Venture Programs Engagement Manager is responsible for shaping the Authority’s efforts to accelerate engagement and catalyze investment into New Jersey's innovation ecosystem. The successful candidate will drive execution and management of products owned by a collaborative team of experts identifying and evaluating key stakeholders, providing research support, and enhancing program processes.  

The successful candidate will lead  and develop relations hips with corporat ions , entrepreneur s and investor s coordinating with the Venture Investment Manager across the team’s product portfolio including , but not limited to, the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund (NJIEF), New Jersey Innovation Fellows (NJIF), Venture Fund Investment s (LP investments) , Life Sciences Fund, S ocially and Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI) Seed Fund, the Black and Latino Seed Fund program , Diversity Finance Advisory Board and the NJEDA’s engagemen t in the Golden Seeds initiative plus NJ Founders & Funders . Core responsibilities for the job include building strong relationships with key industry stakeholders , emerging innovation entrepreneurs that may benefit by investor engagement , and public and private sector partners; overseeing the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund annual auction process to raise $300 million of investment capital; monitoring, enhancing, and increasing the effective outcome of strategic commitments put forward to the benefit of New Jersey’s innovation economy.  

The applicant should have a first-hand insight of investor and/or corporate relations and business development . Program and project management experience within the investment industry is a plus . The Manager l eads and drives collaborative projects , supervises Product Officers/Analysts/ Interns, and will have responsibilities related to career development of the direct reports in addition to delivering on the overall goals for the Venture Programs within the Innovation Impact D ivision . T his person is responsible to maintain a general working knowledge of other NJEDA Programs and Departments in order to support, promot e, and manag e other offerings effectively to enhance external and internal relationships.  

$99,120 - $123,900

Note: The NJEDA currently offers a hybrid work schedule for up to 2 days of telecommute work from home. To participate, you will be required to have high speed home internet access and a managers approval. This program does not supersede the "New Jersey First Act", which requires newly hired NJEDA employees to establish and then maintain, principal residence in the State of New Jersey.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary agent to encourage collaboration among priority stakeholders for the benefit of the venture ecosystem in New Jersey. These efforts may include representing the Authority at industry events, coordinating company research, and acting as a company liaison within EDA.
• Interface among senior strategic and financial leaders at major employers in New Jersey with key industry participants and early-stage businesses to foster strategic engagement in the innovation economy in conjunction with the Strategic Sector Development team.
• Orients and drives overall venture programs goals as an effective vehicle for economic development in the venture capital industry in New Jersey.
• Oversees Product Officers/analysts in the effective implementation of the Venture Programs Department: compliance, Standard Operating Procedures, KPI development and tracking for respective venture programs under management, to include, for example, the New Jersey Innovation Evergreen Fund corporate engagement, expansion of NJ Founders & Funders, NJ Innovation Fellows, and Golden Seeds initiatives in conjunction with product owners.
• Manages the qualification process to ensure submitted applications contain accurate company data and full documentation required for the due diligence process.
• Supports varying projects to advance the business goals of the Office of Economic Transformation as requested by the Director.
• Builds, develops, mentors and coaches direct reports to develop skills and behaviors that enhance performance. Sets staff goals and objectives, reviews staff semi-annually and annually against individual plans. Helps develop and implement training and succession plans for the team.
• Maintains relevant program statistics including departmental KPIs, assures the web and marketing materials remain current and accurate.
• Advises Authority leadership, Governor’s Office members, and other sister agency members on policy and technical matters related to program topics and initiatives.
• Helps to institutionalize best practices; defines and implements needed systems and policies.
• Designs and launches new products to effectively deploy allocated venture program budgets.
• Demonstrates a leadership and ownership mindset, including suggesting new ideas for how to improve the division. Shares best practices with other departmental managers.
• Promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer focused work environment among division, EDA staff and external customers. Acts as a primary point of contact and collaborates with other departments, such as Closing Services. IT, Accounting, and other government partners etc.
• Establishes a standard training program and supervises the training of new hires on program guidelines and internal controls and keeps team updated on new policies and procedures. Shares best practices with other departmental managers.
• Ensures department practices and processes are in compliance with EDA policies and guidelines and are consistently applied.
• Must complete annual and semiannual self-assessment as required.
• Performs other duties and special projects, as assigned.

Skills and Abilities  

• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple in-depth dialogues with external stakeholders including venture capital and private equity firms / managers  
• Must possess a solution-oriented mindset, to allow creative thinking  

• Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with a broad range of audiences including senior management, business, and industry partners, as well as individual customers and prospects  
• Strong relationship management and networking skills with a proven track record of market making and attention to follow-up  
• Ability to multi-task and manage multiple competing priorities upon agreed upon timelines is critical  
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; proficient in grammar, spelling, and editing and foster communications with business professionals and EDA staff  
• Ability to prioritize workload, must be highly organized, detail-oriented, handle various tasks simultaneously and work independently within limited time constrain t s with little or no supervision  
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality and deal effectively and diplomatically with business professionals and EDA staff  
• Demonstrates a leadership and ownership mindset within the Venture Programs team and the board organization supporting the Director and EDA senior leadership  
• Consideration for setting and managing to established timelines  
• A proven track record of engaging with the entrepreneurial community with ability to understand the business model for early-stage technology companies and their specific needs 
• Ability to learn and understand EDA and State programs which support the innovation ecosystem  
• Strong work ethic, ability to be proactive and responsive in a team environment  
• Exceptional analytical skills with a keen focus on details and audit trails.  
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality and deal effectively and diplomatically with business professionals and EDA staff  
• Demonstrates respectful behavior and promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative and customer focused work environment among division, EDA staff and external customers  
• NJEDA utilizes Microsoft as the core application platform and proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite is preferred  

Preferred Qualifications  

Education and Experience Requirements  

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in a relevant field such as innovation, business , economics, finance, or policy   

• A strong track record of professional success in a relevant industry including: business development, asset management or banking  
• 7-10 y ears of practical business experience with significant stakeholder exposure ( or)within a similar position in another related field  
• Experience in p roduct development, public policy development and basic financial principles  
• Minimum of five years of experience in a client-oriented work environment that required development and engagement with a broad professional network  
• Minimum of three years of program or product development or market engagement skills  
• Five years m anagement/supervisory experience  

Physical Demands  

• Occasional attendance at events outside normal working hours  
• Ability to work outside normal business hours, as needed  

Travel  

• As necessary to events, meetings, businesses, etc.  

Certificates and Licenses Required  

• License: Staff are required to possess a valid driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essentials duties of the position  

Note  

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job description. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope, general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job . This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.  

Your employment at NJEDA is voluntary and subject to termination by you or NJEDA at will, with or without cause, or with or without notice, at any time . Nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to conflict, eliminate, or modify the employment-at-will status of NJEDA employees .  

This position is considered exempt and is excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights and protections afforded nonexempt workers under the FLSA.  

NJEDA reserves the right to amend/revise this job description as necessary to meet current and changing business needs.  

Equal Opportunity Employer  

NJ SAME Program  

Position Requirements  

• Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your own expense and must be submitted prior to a start date . If this cannot be provided within 21 days of an offer the offer will be rescinded.  
• Must comply with the “New Jersey First Act” which requires employees hired after September 1, 2011, to reside in New Jersey. Non-New Jersey resident employees must relocate to New Jersey within one year of their date of hire and provide proof of residency to Human Resources.  
• Must complete an Outside Activity Questionnaire (disclosure of outside office or employment) on an annual basis.  
• Must review the required NJEDA Ethics Guidelines.  
• Those guidelines to can be found here:  

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Salary