The Director of the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ACEI) serves as the strategic and operational partner to the Executive Director, translating vision into action across the Center’s programs, partnerships, and initiatives. The Director provides day-to-day strategic leadership for ACEI’s programs, systems, and operations, ensuring that the Center runs efficiently, delivers high-quality experiences, and achieves measurable impact aligned with its mission and strategic goals. The Director independently manages and executes the operations of the Center by defining, implementing, and revising operational policies and guidelines for the ACEI.

This position plays a central role in leading and managing ACEI’s portfolio of student and faculty programs, competitions, accelerators, and community partnerships. The Director oversees staff and operations, builds scalable systems and processes, supports donor and external engagement, and ensures alignment between strategic priorities and execution.

The ideal candidate combines strong strategic and operational expertise, data-driven decision-making, and relationship-building skills, and thrives in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education Administration, Operations Management, or related field
• Experience:
  • Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in program or operations management within higher education, entrepreneurship, innovation, or economic development settings.
  • Proven ability to manage complex projects and multiple stakeholders while maintaining high standards of quality and timeliness.
  • Experience supervising staff, managing budgets, and building efficient systems.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality.
  • Ability to work effectively across organizational functions including marketing, administration, and executive leadership
  • Ability to understand and navigate university entrepreneurship ecosystems including academic programs, research commercialization, and community partnerships
  • Ability to implement process improvements and organizational changes while maintaining program continuity
  • Ability to achieve program goals within budget and resource limitations through creative problem-solving
  • Ability to maintain high-quality participant experience across all programs and touchpoints

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree preferred in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, or Public Administration
• Experience:
  • Experience in startup ecosystems, accelerators, or innovation centers.
  • Demonstrated ability to design and implement impact measurement frameworks and use data to inform strategy.
  • Familiarity with CRM systems, project management tools, and survey platforms.
  • Knowledge of donor relations, alumni engagement, and advancement practices in higher education.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 14
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

• Program Leadership & Management
  • Oversee design, execution, and continuous improvement of ACEI’s programs, workshops, speakers, and signature events, including, but not limited to: Startup Coaches, pitch competitions (including Vol Court, the Graves Business Plan Competition, and the Boyd Venture Challenge), Startup Studio, Meet the Founder, Founder Fridays, Startup Straight Talk, ACEI Fellows, etc.
  • Develop, manage, and report on program timelines, budgets, staffing, and performance metrics.
  • Engage with UT faculty, colleges, and research centers to expand entrepreneurship initiatives and interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Identify, monitor, and report to ACEI and HCB leadership the operational perspective on strategies, changes, and issues necessary to enhance the overall effectiveness of ACEI service to the student learning opportunities.
• Operations, Systems, and Impact Measurement
  • Serve as ACEI’s operational backbone, ensuring effective systems for scheduling, budgeting, communications, and performance tracking.
  • Design and implement scalable infrastructure to support organizational growth and continuous improvement.
  • Build and maintain data systems to measure ACEI’s reach, outcomes, and economic impact.
  • Produce dashboards and impact reports to inform strategy, donor relations, and funding opportunities.
• Strategic Planning
  • Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement ACEI’s strategic plan, goals, and performance measures.
  • Develop and execute data collection procedures, and provide operational insights to inform strategic initiatives, grant proposals, and university-wide entrepreneurship efforts.
  • Identify and implement opportunities to enhance programs and improve impact.
• Budget Management
  • Participate in annual planning, budget development, and reporting processes.
  • Develops and administers budgets, ensuring appropriate classification of expenses, accurate forecasting, and compliance with fiscal policy.
  • Oversee management and appropriate expenditures of funds for all program-related events, services and operations.
• External Relations & Partnership Management
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director and HCB Advancement to support donor cultivation, alumni engagement, and corporate partnerships.
  • Design, implement, and oversee operations for ecosystem partnerships, including contracts, communications, and shared initiatives.
  • Represent ACEI at high-profile community and university events, public presentations, recruiting events, career fairs, ecosystem meetings, etc. reinforcing UT’s leadership role in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.