Are you a partnerships / fundraising / sales super hero interested in giving back to St. Louis and/or Kansas City? Are you passionate about inclusive innovation, startups and entrepreneurship? Do you approach challenges with a can-do attitude? We are looking for a results-oriented, proactive communicator, to be the face of Venture For America in St. Louis and Kansas City.
As the Director of St. Louis and Kansas City you will be responsible for all VFA operations in the two cities. You will increase local funding, support our Fellows in their professional journeys, and execute new strategic initiatives for the organization. You will be based in one city and expected to travel to the other city at least quarterly.
What you’ll do:
Fundraising (35%)
Establish relationships with current VFA funders and secure new funding for the organization, raising $500,000+ annually
Manage the city’s local Advisory Boards and recruit new, diverse members to help determine VFA’s strategic direction
Company Partnerships (35%)
Meet with 80+ startup leaders annually to identify, vet, and onboard Company Partners to hire VFA Fellows, with a focus on increasing the number of female- and minority-founded company partners
Work directly with incoming VFA Fellows to identify ideal roles based on their skills and industry interests
Programs and Fellow Support (20%)
Meet regularly with Fellows and serve as a sounding board in their career progression
Organize monthly (or more frequent) events for Fellows including speaker series and community-building exercises
Execute and innovate local programming for Fellows
Teamwork (10%):
Contribute actively to an exceptional team of high-performing Community Directors working towards similar goals across the country
Participate in VFA’s recruitment and selection process, support VFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, and assist with at least one week of our Training Camp, as is expected of all VFA Team Members
What you may have already done:
Earned a bachelor’s degree
Worked for 5+ years and have a proven track record of growing an organization / company through partnerships, fundraising, and / or sales
Achieved results while working autonomously with little direction
Coached diverse, recent college graduates to navigate challenges in work and personal life
Written grant proposals to foundations and corporate donors
Worked for a startup or in an organization supporting startups
Have experience supporting diverse entrepreneurs
Have developed a working knowledge of the St. Louis or Kansas City startup communities
Have experience in fundraising in St. Louis or Kansas City
The good stuff:
High performers at VFA are given substantial opportunity to grow and develop
You’ll earn a competitive salary, commensurate with experience
We offer a great benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), commuter benefits, flexible spending account, and gym, tech, and professional development stipends
We have a generous vacation policy, plenty of paid holidays, and regular work from home Fridays
VFA is a dynamic startup environment with varied responsibilities and a different challenge each day (we mean it – always plenty of interesting problems to work on!)
You’ll work alongside an inclusive team of exceptionally motivated, high-caliber people
About Venture for America
Venture for America is a nonprofit startup that recruits, selects, and trains highly talented recent college grads, places them at startups in emerging US cities for two years of hands-on experience, and provides them with access to the network and resources to become company builders and job creators. The Fellowship is highly selective, as is our team, and we’re looking for people who can jump in and make a huge impact.
How to apply:
To apply, please fill out our application. If you seem like a good fit, we will contact you with next steps.