Eshelman Innovation is hiring: Strategic Consultant – Venture Stu...
Eshelman Innovation - Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 27517
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Overview
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Overview
Strategic Consultant – Venture Studio Program Development
The Strategic Consultant will be a seasoned professional who has significant work experience in strategy consulting, venture building, or innovation management.
Role Type: Temporary - Independent Contractor
Hours: 15-20 hours per week (with regular work hours from 9am-5pm)
Compensation: $4,000- $6,000 per month (depending on experience)
Work Site: This is a hybrid position, and our ideal candidate would be local to the RTP area.
Position Overview:
We are seeking a dynamic, strategic, and entrepreneurial consultant to join our team. This role is ideal for a self-starter with a passion for innovation, talent development, and early-stage venture creation. You’ll play a pivotal role in supporting the evolution and expansion of Eshelman Innovation’s Venture Studio, while also leading programs that connect top talent with world-class digital health research and real-world startup opportunities.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Leadership
- Collaborate with EI leadership to shape and evolve the strategy for the venture studio and Eshelman Innovation as a whole.
- Identify and evaluate new growth opportunities and operational improvements across EI programs.
- Contribute to building a long-term vision and roadmap for EI’s impact in the university and broader innovation landscape.
- Program Management
- Oversee all aspects of a pilot EI program that pairs high-potential early-career venture builders with principal investigators (PIs) to take UNC research to market.
- Recruit, vet, and support talent and research teams throughout the program lifecycle.
- Manage program operations, stakeholder communications, and evaluation metrics.
- Design and manage systems that match students with hands-on innovation opportunities (unpaid and paid internships) across EI ventures and programs.
- Cultivate relationships with students, faculty, startup teams, and external partners to expand and strengthen EI’s innovation talent network.
- Build infrastructure to track, evaluate, and support student engagement over time.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
- Proven experience in strategy consulting, venture building, or innovation management.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders—from students to university researchers to entrepreneurs.
- Experience working in or with early-stage startups and a solid understanding of venture creation.
- Demonstrated interest in higher education, technology commercialization, or university innovation ecosystems.
- Comfort with ambiguity and enthusiasm for building new programs from the ground up.
- Familiarity with the entrepreneurial ecosystems in North Carolina, particularly at UNC-Chapel Hill.
What You'll Gain:
- A front-row seat to the venture-building process at a leading research university.
- A key leadership role in growing a mission-driven innovation engine.
- Deep experience in startup operations, university tech transfer, and talent development.
- A chance to shape the future of translational science and entrepreneurship at UNC and beyond.