Venture For America is changing the face of entrepreneurship. We scour the country for talented recent college grads who are eager to make a meaningful impact in their careers and in the community. We then place them in startups – in industries from edtech and clean energy to consumer goods – in cities across the U.S. and help unlock their limitless potential as creators and builders by providing access to programming, funding resources, and an expansive network. Visit our website to learn more.

 

As the Baltimore Community Director, you will be responsible for all VFA operations in Charm City. You will support our Fellows in their professional journeys, cultivate a community for Baltimore Fellows and Alumni, increase local funding, expand our network of innovative Company Partners, and execute new strategic initiatives for the organization. 

 

What you’ll do:

Programs and Fellow Support (25%)

  • Meet regularly with Fellows and serve as a sounding board in their career progression

  • Organize monthly (or more frequent) events for Fellows to connect with the Baltimore community and each other, including a speaker series and cohort-bonding activities

  • Work closely with the Fellow City Leadership Council to strengthen the program

  • Recruit new mentors and volunteers to support the VFA program


Company Partnerships (35%)

  • Meet with 75+ startup leaders annually to identify, vet, and onboard Company Partners to hire VFA Fellows

  • Help Company Partners identify talent needs and advise them throughout the VFA hiring process

  • Work directly with incoming VFA Fellows to identify ideal roles based on their skills and industry interests

  • Place at least 20 Fellows at Baltimore based Company Partners in the class of 2021

 

 Fundraising (30%)

  • Strengthen relationships with current VFA funders and secure new funding for the organization, achieving revenue in $300,000 in philanthropic donations and earned revenue in both 2021 and 2022. 

  • Build and manage a Regional Advisory Board. Identify and recruit new, diverse members to help determine VFA's strategic direction and connect VFA more deeply with the local community

  • Write compelling proposals and illustrative reports to funding organizations under strict deadlines

  • Develop a fundraising path to city sustainability 

 

Fellow Recruitment and Selection (10%)

In addition to the responsibilities unique to Community Directors described above, all VFA team members devote a portion of their time to Fellow recruitment and selection, which occurs on an ongoing basis between August and March. Activities include:


  • Participating in local recruitment events

  • Evaluating written fellowship applications

  • Conducting candidate interviews

  • Facilitating Selection Days

  • Hosting Selection Days in your city as necessary, including fundraising for the event, securing a venue, and recruiting Selection Day judges


You will also support VFA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, as is expected of all team members.


What you may have already done:

  • Worked for 5+ years and have a proven track record of growing an organization/company through fundraising, partnerships, and/or sales

  • Have developed a deep knowledge of the Baltimore startup and/or philanthropic community

  • Achieved results while working autonomously with little to no direction

  • Coached diverse, recent college graduates to navigate challenges in work/personal life

  • Written grant proposals to foundations and corporate donors

  • Worked for a startup or in an organization supporting startups and/or have experience supporting diverse entrepreneurs


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


How to apply:

To apply, please fill out our application. If you seem like a good fit, we will contact you with next steps.
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