Studio / Fund Director (UNC - Eshelman Innovation)

High Alpha Innovation co-creates advantaged startups that solve compelling problems. Part strategic advisory, part venture builder, our team is a diverse mix of highly-experienced company creators, designers, and strategists who work with world-class entrepreneurs, corporations, and universities to build, invest in, and scale venture studios and advantaged startups.

Founded in 2020, High Alpha Innovation, through its trusted Build Team, helps our partners get started on their venture building journey, developing an enduring mechanism for venture creation, managing organizational tension, creating advantage for the companies they are launching with us, increasing the odds of startup success, and securing additional resources and funding. High Alpha Innovation and Eshelman Innovation (UNC) have partnered to deploy and scale the venture studio model across the state of North Carolina. 

The Studio / Fund Director role will help lead the vision to work on healthcare challenges relevant to North Carolinians, create solutions (startups) based in the state, and manage an ecosystem that can spur development. Candidates must be located in North Carolina. Candidates must also have experience in the healthcare industry (e.g., subject matter expert understanding of payor / provider challenges) and exposure to digital solutions (e.g., involvement in software startups). Ideally, candidates will have an existing network in the North Carolina innovation and investment ecosystem. 

In this role, you will leverage your network and partnerships to provide startups with access to industry experts, potential customers, strategic partners, and investors. As a trusted advisor, you will leverage your deep understanding of business design principles, ecosystem development, studio operations, venture building, fund management, and investor relations to drive transformational change, ensure successful execution, and maintain alignment with strategic objectives. 

Job Responsibilities 

First 6-9 months will focus on:

Ecosystem Development

• Develop a deep understanding of the local ecosystem in several key markets of North Carolina, including their complex business needs and economic development goals
• Influence key stakeholders and studio advisory board members to drive consensus 
• Create advantages for our portfolio companies by developing trusted relationships with entrepreneurs, executives, industry leaders, universities, subject matter experts, and investors that may result in customers, pilots, investments, and/or other collaborations

Venture Studio Fundraising

• Build strong and trusted relationships with current and prospective Fund investors, develop a pipeline of prospective investors, and support fundraising for future investment opportunities
• Generate and nurture new Limited Partner (LP) relationships for the Fund through 1:1 calls and authorized group meetings/events
• Manage and execute the fundraising process through final close, meeting with prospective LPs

After initial close, focus will increasingly shift toward:

Program Oversight

• Partner with High Alpha Innovation leadership, UNC’s Eshelman Innovation team, and regional hub partners to identify the themes and problems that will be explored through the Build process at the studio
• Lead and nurture relationships with senior executives and partners around the state while developing alignment on their complex business needs
• Manage the practice of the studio, including the deployment of tool and methodologies, development of people, and creation of proposals for new programs
• Lead meetings, facilitate discussions, and influence key stakeholders to drive consensus and achieve project objectives
• Oversee the identification and definition of complex business problems, applying analytical frameworks and methodologies to develop innovative solutions
• Oversee and manage multiple programs and projects, ensuring their successful execution, on-time and on-budget delivery, and alignment with strategic objectives
• Act as a thought leader, providing guidance and support to program teams, ensuring effective problem-solving and decision-making
• Design and execute workshops with UNC Eshelman Innovation and regional hub partners to clarify goal outcomes, develop opportunities, and shape new solutions
• Mentor and coach team members, fostering their professional growth and development
• Guide team on business design methodologies, problem-solving approaches, and effective project management techniques

Studio Operations

• Partner with High Alpha Innovation’s Build and Go to Market teams to leverage best practices and shared capabilities
• Partner with UNC Eshelman Innovation team and key constituents across the state
• Partner with High Alpha Innovation CFO regarding budget and operations
• Partner with the Go to Market Talent team to hire Entrepreneurs in Residence/Founders for the NewCos
• Partner with High Alpha Innovation internal HR to hire program team members, coach and develop them in alignment with company best practices

Venture Studio Fund Management

• Develop an investment perspective on startups developed and pitched in the Studio and provide recommendations to (1) the Studio regarding which companies to launch and (2) the Fund Investment Committee regarding which companies to fund
• Partner with High Alpha Innovation Finance team on fund financial management (e.g., capital call schedule)
• Oversee Investor Relations for the Fund, including communications with LPs and reporting requirements for private & public investors

Skills Needed 

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience with at least five of those years in management consulting, corporate innovation, venture investing, startup operations, or product management
• Demonstrated business acumen, including financial modeling, strategy, operations, and/or product management
• Experience leading large, cross functional teams and problem solving processes
• Experience in the healthcare industry, including exposure to provider systems, payors, and venture-backed healthcare startups 
• Demonstrated success in managing partner relationships with senior-level leaders in large corporations 
• Business development acumen & desire to engage and expand professional network
• Exposure to/experience working in large organizations (e.g., corporations, universities)
• Experience advising C-Suite/executive-level professionals
• Intellectual horsepower needed to think across industries & technology domains to identify the highest-value opportunities
• Ability to interpret and communicate complex business ideas to different audiences, in addition to listening to the perspectives of others and changing your hypotheses based on new information
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment with minimal direction
• Effective at facilitating and implementing change
• Outstanding communication skills (both verbal and written) with the ability to adapt style based on audience
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and dynamic communication skills needed to quickly build trusting collaborative relationships and instill confidence in their work with all stakeholders
• Strong mentoring and coaching experience with excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Preferred Experience

• Broad network of senior leaders in the healthcare and venture community
• Experience with early-stage companies with a demonstrated understanding of how these businesses are built and what makes them successful

Benefits

• Competitive salary plus equity plan
• Medical, dental & vision Insurance with employer HSA contribution
• Company paid STD/LTD and Life Insurance 
• Unlimited PTO plan to encourage a healthy work - life balance 
• 21 paid company holidays 
• 401k with company contribution
• A remote first culture. Work from anywhere in the continental United States 
• Company provided laptop plus a monthly technology stipend to help cover additional working expenses 
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial environment with a proven venture studio playbook
• The opportunity to create, build and grow innovative products with world class founders

WHAT WE VALUE :

WE BUILD

We make decisions with imperfect information and quickly move forward. We take action. We are comfortable with discomfort, and we measure our results in terms of what we build.

WE ARE BOLD

We seek, uncover, and speak truth. We are endlessly curious, we dream big and we lead through vision. Our ideas change the world.

WE CREATE OPPORTUNITY

We aim to create as much opportunity for as many people as possible, and we believe startups are a powerful vehicle for doing so. By creating opportunity, we create joy for ourselves, our loved ones, our corporate partners, and if we’re doing it right -- the world.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

High Alpha Innovation is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. We do not just accept diverse backgrounds, we celebrate them. Our company, the work we do, and our partners benefit from the value of a diverse team. No team member's value lies alone in their diversity, and because we value diversity so highly, we reiterate that all hiring and employment decisions are made on merit, performance, competence, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.