Job Information
The University of Chicago Manager, Strategic Initiatives - JR29610-3800 in Chicago, Illinois
This job was posted by https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov : For more information, please see: https://illinoisjoblink.illinois.gov/jobs/12663761 Department
SING Polsky Science & Technology - Administration
About the Department
The Polsky Center\'s mission is to advance innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world. Through education, resources, and programs, the Polsky Center commercializes discoveries, partners with companies, and attracts venture capital. The Polsky Center runs a top-ranked business accelerator, the Edward L. Kaplan, \'71, New Venture Challenge; operates a multi-disciplinary co-working space called the Polsky Exchange; and manages the George Shultz Innovation Fund that invests in early-stage ventures. Finally, the Polsky Center houses the University of Chicago\'s technology transfer unit, which manages all University-based intellectual property originating from faculty research and discoveries that can be licensed to industry partners and investors.
Job Summary
The Manager, Strategic Initiatives, will play a critical role in advancing the Polsky Center\'s mission by supporting high-impact strategic initiatives and programs. Reporting to the Chief of Staff of the Polsky Center, this position will oversee the development, launch, execution, and communication of cross-functional strategic projects that support the Polsky Center and University priorities across innovation and the commercialization continuum. This role manages academic, research, clinical or administrative programs of the University. The Manager will primarily work with the Chief of Staff, but will also support the Managing Director on some special projects, in addition to partnering with colleagues broadly across the Polsky Center on projects.
This role will have the opportunity to drive both short-term and longer-term efforts. Projects will vary based on current priorities, and will generally fall into three categories:
UChicago Science Incubator: In May 2025, the University is launching a new 22,000 square foot science incubator to support early-stage science startups with an emphasis on life sciences, quantum, clean tech, and data science and AI. The incubator will offer wet lab space, office space, shared equipment and lab operations, and a robust set of programming. The manager will work across internal teams to identify existing programming to offer to science incubator members, develop and manage new programming to fill any identified gaps, manage the logistics of hosting networking and thought leadership events in the space, develop presentation materials for senior University leadership on the science incubator, conduct budget analyses, etc.
Internal operations: The manager will work with the Chief of Staff on projects to support the Polsky Center\'s internal operations, with a particular focus on human resources, finance, and cross-team collaboration. Projects could include supporting the development and execution of internal processes such as 360 feedback and performance discussions, developing onboarding materials for new staff members, benchmarking technology transfer operations, etc.
Special projects: The manager will work on a variety of cross-cutting special projects that align with strategic priorities and do not fit neatly within the existing organizational chart. These could include projects such as driving grant applications to secure investments in quantum, analyzing past IP license revenues, developing partnership models with external stakeholders, etc.
The Manager role will require strong skills in flexible problem-solving, project management, collaboration, analysis, and written and verbal communication.
Responsibilities
Supports high-priority projects for the Chief of Staff and Managing Director that align with the future direction of the Polsky Center, in particular for proje ts that span multiple teams or are a pilot of new efforts.
Oversees the launch and ongoing programming of the UChicago Science Incubator, ensuring alignment with the Polsky Center and University\'s goals and objectives.
Supports internal communications on, and oversight of, the UChicago Science Incubator, including preparing internal presentations.
Identifies funding opportunities and leads grant writing efforts, including coordinating across subject matter experts to support growth areas and strategic initiatives.
Conducts financial modeling and analysis to evaluate program sustainability and provide insights for strategic decision-making.
Monitors progress on multiple strategic projects and ensures timely delivery of outcomes.
Conducts research, analyzes data, and presents findings to inform strategic decision-making
Works closely with other Polsky teams to ensure strategic alignment across initiatives.
Develops and tracks key performance indicators to measure the success of strategic initiatives and programs, providing regular updates to leadership.
Organizes and supports events related to strategic initiatives.
Builds relationships and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders.
Analyzes program budgets and recommends or makes budgetary recommendatio