Department Summary:

This position supports Drake University's Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and its Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship Outreach. Housed in Drake's Zimpleman College of Business, these Centers do amazing work with students, local entrepreneurs, and outreach efforts that extend across the private college system and state.

Job Summary:

The program manager will provide day-to-day management of the Buchanan and Pappajohn Entrepreneurship Centers, specifically implementing, executing, and managing program strategies, communication, and relationships with internal and external partners.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Managing projects with external and internal entities, persons, and collaborative programs in academic settings
• Experience in strategic planning, identifying, revising, and implementing processes in higher education settings

Preferred Qualifications:

Master Degree preferred

Job Duties:

• 20% - Strategy—Support college leadership in collaborating across campus to leverage existing resources and programs, and help leadership build new entrepreneurship opportunities. Execute strategies that will 1) position Drake to be a recognized leader and innovator, 2) produce changemakers who will bring positive impact to businesses and community, 3) establish Drake as key resource for serving Central Iowa’s economic development and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and 4) foster the development of interdisciplinary programming and curricula in areas related to creativity, ideation, go-to market strategies, and change management. - (Essential)
• 20% - Programming—Implement existing funded programs to serve students and members of the community. Execute core entrepreneurial programs to deliver on mission. This work centers on implementation responsibilities including performing measurable and reportable tasks related to program objectives, and managing relationships with program participants, program partners, and internal and external stakeholders. This position also participates in program planning and enhancement by identifying, revising, and implementing processes to increase effectiveness and programmatic outreach. This role also is responsible for Center’s data compilation, integration and analysis for reporting to funders. - (Essential)
• 20% - Fundraising and Donor Stewardship—Report on programs funded by current donors to the Dean. Administer Centers’ budget including preparing and submitting budget and directing purchases and expenditures and other day-to-day processing responsibilities related to executing budgets as they pertain to goals and activities of programs within the Centers. This role works with the Zimpleman College of Business staff and University grant accounting to ensure compliance with reporting requirements internally and externally. - (Essential)
• 20% - Community Outreach and Engagement—Collaborate with Pappajohn Centers across Iowa, represent Drake University at community and industry events, recruit partners for Business for Good lab. Manage contractors, interns, student employees, and volunteers of the Centers. This role is responsible for developing position descriptions, scheduling, and guiding and monitoring the work of the interns student employees, and volunteers. It also has responsibility for securing personnel information and academic final projects of interns and students pursuing internships. - (Essential)
• 20% - Day-to-Day Operations—Manage the implementation of the centers’ programs. Assist in the development and implementation with marketing communications and promotion initiatives in alignment with program priorities and Centers’ mission. This includes tactical execution of program events, developing marketing communications content for social media and other communications channels, overseeing the execution of marketing materials related to project deliverables and Centers promotion (including content sourcing, vendor management, and coordination with University Communications and Marketing). - (Essential)

Salary and Benefits:

At Drake, we are proud to offer our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts. If you are exploring a job with Drake University, we invite you to spend a little time with our Drake Benefits Guide 2025. One of our popular policies provides a tuition waiver for Drake employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Drake also participates in not one, but two tuition exchange programs available to dependent children. Tuition Benefits