Leadership Opportunities – UMGC Ventures

Seeking the Next CEO of UMGC Ventures

UMGC Ventures is an innovative business model for higher education that funds, develops and launches new innovative ventures that help higher education institutions compete more effectively in a rapidly changing market. UMGC Ventures is a 501(c) (3) supporting organization created by University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC).

Since 2017, UMGC Ventures has successfully launched and managed two portfolio businesses: AccelerEd, a technology solutions provider that supports the digital transformation of learning experiences worldwide; and HelioCampus, a data and analytics business that went through a successful exit in 2020, and for which UMGC Ventures retains an equity investment.

UMGC Ventures supports higher education by responding to the needs of the market and creating innovative solutions. UMGC Ventures is also at an important pivot point in its evolution and is seeking a CEO to define and lead its next phase of opportunity and growth.

The Opportunity

The CEO of UMGC Ventures will have broad responsibility for the overall portfolio, including AccelerEd as a portfolio company. The priority focus will be on establishing new business and product opportunities to support future growth. The CEO of UMGC Ventures will partner closely with UMGC leadership, and others in the University System of Maryland network, to unite and align on a strategic direction that expands on the mission of the university. The ideal candidate in this role is an entrepreneur who has an extensive track record of creating and delivering on transformational initiatives. This individual has strong skills in higher education and across a range of disciplines—strategic planning, partnership engagement, growth outcomes, technology leadership and new program development and launch.

The CEO of UMGC Ventures is a dynamic leader, charged with identifying and supporting strategic and collaborative initiatives across the workforce, industry, education and innovation ecosystem. The primary responsibility of this role is to incubate and execute on new workforce strategies that will drive benefits for students and expand on the mission of the university, while also creating new commercial models for the university. The leader in this role is able to leverage the core capabilities that exist within portfolio product teams at AccelerEd and inside the university, with the goal of helping students reach their ambitions and meet labor demand. The ideal candidate will have a mix of startup, edtech, business and higher ed experience.

The UMGC Ventures CEO will have oversight of all finance, HR and business operations as well as the Portfolio President & CIO of AccelerEd.

This position reports to the Chairman of the Board of UMGC Ventures.

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Responsibilities

Advance the mission, vision and short- and long-term goals of UMGC, as the lead partner, and its stakeholders throughout the state of Maryland, working in concert with the UMGC Ventures Board and the UMGC President.
Identify and evaluate emerging trends and technologies, and lead the implementation of new innovative services and solutions that have student and university value and commercial appeal.
Establish partnerships that can benefit the university’s larger ecosystem, and serve as the lead advocate for innovation, commercialization and external partner engagement.
Build a compelling vision and direction for UMGC Ventures, cultivating new ways to drive differentiation and value for students in an increasingly evolving higher ed landscape.
Possess a “start up” mindset for assessing product market fit, partnership alignment, and any go-to-market strategies, informed by market research and sound business planning.
Develop and execute on a strategy and roadmap that aligns to overall business objectives and metrics.
Investigate new market opportunities and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the higher education and workforce landscape.
Act as a critical intermediary between Ventures, AccelerEd and UMGC on specific initiatives.
Oversee all budgets and governance on behalf of UMGC Ventures and its portfolio, with regular report outs to the UMGC Ventures Board.
Possess a highly collaborative leadership style, and build a company culture that combines the best of for-profit drive, non-profit mission and public good.
Create and manage annual P&L performance for UMGC Ventures and its entities.

Qualifications & Knowledge

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in business administration or other related degree. Master’s degree preferred.
Fifteen (15) years or more of senior level supervisory management and budgeting experience in higher education, with a specific focus on digital innovation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
A successful track record of leading, launching and commercializing new digital program and product initiatives.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Working background and knowledge in workforce development and training, needs assessment.
Hands-on involvement in developing and implementing a variety of industry specific non-credit and short-term credit programs.
Demonstrated experience in effectively promoting workforce development programs to the business community.
Ability collaborating with instructional designers, faculty and others on creating and implementing non-credit and credit-blended course/program designs.

Physical Requirements

This job operates in a professional environment including on-site and remotely. The employee may be exposed to various components of an office environment such as florescent lighting, pollen, dust, recycled air, cooling fans, semi-enclosed areas, central heating, seasonal warmer temperatures and office noise. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to work varying hours on Monday through Friday given the schedules.
Ability to work additional hours as project demands (including evenings and weekends as necessary).
Occasionally required to move 5 – 40 pounds.
Ability to remain in a stationary computer position for extended periods of time.
Ability to use hands and fingers to type.
Ability to reach with hands and arms for using a computer.
Willingness and capacity to work in a cubicle environment at a workstation, and to come and go repeatedly throughout the day as is necessary, to perform various responsibilities.
Capacity to communicate and enunciate adequately, in person or via telephone, in a manner which can be understood by others.

This job description indicates in general the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of an incumbent. An incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required.

UMGC Ventures supports higher education institutions and corporate partners by providing innovative solutions that are student-centric, agile, and proven to improve performance. We are committed to enabling globally accessible, affordable and quality adult education.