Summary

The Program Manager of the Spark Innovation Center reports to the Director of the Spark Innovation Center, and is responsible for supporting design, development, and delivery of programs created to support technology-based startups in the Greater Knoxville metropolitan region of East Tennessee. The person selected for this full-time position will assist with management of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, play a key role in the Spark Incubator Program, and will be encouraged to develop and deliver additional programming and other information to make the Greater Knoxville region a nationally recognized hub for advanced technology startup businesses. It will be critical for the person selected to quickly and effectively establish working relationships with the current Spark Innovation staff and Incubator program companies. The person selected will also be involved with the interface of Spark with other key constituents and strategic partners in the region including (but not limited to) Oak Ridge National Lab, UT Research Foundation, Tennessee Valley Authority, members of the Innov865 Alliance, state and local government officials, the investor community, the local and regional corporate community, and the press. Prior productive working relationships across the entrepreneurial and/or investment community is a strong benefit.

The Spark Innovation Center is a program of the Cherokee Farm Development Corporation (CFDC), headquartered at the UT Research Park in Knoxville, Tennessee. CFDC is a subsidiary of the UT Research Foundation, and facilitates place-based innovation and research collaboration across the region. The Spark Innovation Center was created to leverage the unique science and technology resources of the region to help high-tech, high-impact startups to grow, succeed, and stay in East Tennessee. Spark supports startups developing technologies in 5 key areas, aligning with the UT Research Gateways: •Energy and Environment •Advanced Materials and Manufacturing •Future Mobility •Artificial Intelligence •Human Health and Wellness To date, Spark has supported 29 startups through its Incubator and Cleantech Accelerator. These companies have collectively raised over $77 million in external funding and created 108 new jobs. 82% of these companies maintain an active presence in East Tennessee, and 72% have employees physically located in the region.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

•Support the development and delivery of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator Program, a 12-week business accelerator hosted annually at the UT Research Park. This includes recruiting and scheduling speakers and instructors, event planning, communication and coordination across stakeholders, and supporting the delivery of the program curriculum in partnership with several supporting organizations. •Work closely with the Spark Director and other key partners on strategic planning for the Spark Innovation Center activities moving forward, ensuring that the program meets its full potential as a strategic asset in the region’s dynamic technology-based ecosystem. •Team with colleagues across the regional ecosystem to deliver Spark innovation Center programming, including planning and execution of both virtual and in-person meetings and events. •Manage communication around events, resources and updates to the Spark Innovation Center startup network. •Support the Spark Director in seeking Federal, state and local funding opportunities to enable the Spark Innovation Center to grow and support additional entrepreneurial startups in the region, including both programmatic efforts and physical workspaces. •Support metric tracking and reporting efforts for resources currently received for the Spark Innovation Center, including grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, Launch Tennessee, the City of Knoxville, the Appalachian Regional Commission and others. •Participate in appropriate CFDC and Spark meetings, including the preparation and presentation of requisite materials and information. •Be an “ambassador” for the Spark Innovation Center across the region, participating in meetings and delivering presentations to associations, entrepreneur organizations, UT entrepreneurship, engineering and business classes, and press conferences, to name a few.

Preferred Qualifications

•Experience working with entrepreneurs and with managing startup support programming and events. •A Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in an engineering, science or business discipline, 1 to 3 years of related work experience. •Must have excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills for effective interaction with entrepreneurs, technologists, university leadership, industry partners, and program sponsors. •Must possess strong organizational skills, including the flexibility to simultaneously handle several assignments; the ability to manage projects from concept to completion; and the ability to prioritize actions and meet multiple deadlines. •Experience with project and program management as well as event planning. •Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Project Management tools such as Asana. •Familiarly with business and accounting principles and practices. •Ability to work in a team-based environment, marshaling resources from multiple organizations to meet the needs of client companies, and sharing the credit for successes achieved. •Enthusiasm for supporting entrepreneurs, advancing new technologies, and building an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

We ask anyone interested to Submit a Cover Letter & Resume to info@tnresearchpark.org