Program Manager, ChicagoNEXT
World Business Chicago
Program Manager, ChicagoNEXT
World Business Chicago (WBC) is a non-for-profit economic development organization chaired by the Mayor of Chicago and overseen by a board of directors made up of Chicago’s most prominent business and civic leaders. WBC’s core functions are to lead Chicago’s private sector business attraction and retention efforts; market and promote Chicago as a global business destination; provide leadership and engagement opportunities to elevate Chicago’s visibility; and to perform research and industry specific analysis to further its mission of job growth and economic development for the region.
Under Mayor Emanuel’s leadership since 2011, WBC has overseen the development and implementation of the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, a broad-based, inclusive plan for economic development that serves as a blueprint for how to drive growth in the Chicago region. The Plan outlines ten distinct strategies for increasing GRP, jobs, productivity, income and wages, and is intended to be a living, breathing process that evolves over time.
Strategy Seven of the Plan calls for fostering innovation in mature and emerging sectors and supporting entrepreneurship. In 2012, Mayor Emanuel created ChicagoNEXT, a council for technology and innovation within WBC to drive initiatives inside this strategy. ChicagoNEXT focuses on driving growth in Chicago’s tech economy by 1) increasing access to capital for early-stage startups; 2) expanding the talent pipeline recent graduates in STEM fields, and 3) connecting resources and opportunities in innovative industries including BioScience, CleanTech, FinTech and Web/Mobile.
Position Summary
World Business Chicago (WBC) is seeking a Program Manager to aid the ChicagoNEXT team in the management of current and future initiatives. The Program Manager for ChicagoNEXT will support the organization’s mission, vision and values, reporting to the Director of ChicagoNEXT and receiving leadership, engagement and direction from ChicagoNEXT’s Chair and additional leadership.
The Program Manager will have familiarity with Chicago’s technology community and substantial knowledge of at least one of the industry areas of focus, with some experience working with startup firms. The Program Manager will have excellent organizational and communication skills, and an ability to thrive in complex environments and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
The Program Manager will work closely with the various organizations that currently exist in Chicago’s technology ecosystem and should be proactive in developing and implementing ideas to help make Chicago an even better city in which to build technology companies.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assist in the definition of project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical feasibility
- Ensure that all projects are delivered on-time, within scope and within budget
- Successfully support, and in some cases manage, multiple relationships with various stakeholders in Chicago innovation and technology ecosystem
- Maintain comprehensive project documentation
- Support WBC leadership in reporting and communicating progress to various stakeholders
- Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors to impeccably execute projects
DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to work effectively across a variety of skill areas, including project management, communications, content creation, event planning and execution
- Awareness of and experience working within Chicago’s technology community
- Commitment to work collaboratively with all constituent groups, including WBC staff, board members, government stakeholders, and outside advisors
- Self-starter with the able to work independently as well as with a team; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives
- Excellent writing/editing and verbal communication skills
- Commitment to deliver against deadlines; ability to handle high priority and pressure situations
- Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with executive level leadership
- Entrepreneurial approach is a must, and experience working in a start-up environment with evolving priorities and processes preferred
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s Degree required, preferred in one of the following areas: business, technology (computer science or engineering) public policy, political science, journalism, or other relevant field
- Minimum of 3 years work experience in a relevant field
Competitive compensation commensurate with experience. World Business Chicago is an equal opportunity employer.
TO APPLY
If interested, please send a cover letter, resume, and list of 3-5 professional references with references’ contact information to:
Carrie Simmons
World Business Chicago
177 N. State St., Ste. 500
Chicago, Illinois, 60601