Engineering a world of possibilities

Colorado School of Mines (Mines) invites applications and nominations for its next Director of the McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This center was launched to elevate an entrepreneurial mindset among our students and faculty and provide them with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to be successful at advancing their ideas, innovations and improvements within existing companies and through companies they might create.

We believe that those skills, knowledge and experiences can be differentiators in the careers of our graduates and will prepare them for greater success, impact, and leadership opportunities – all ultimately benefiting their companies, the economy, and general societal prosperity.  

Context

The McNeil Center is one of the three pillars of the Mines’ Entrepreneurship & Innovation (E&I) Ecosystem, along with the Labriola Innovation District and the Beck Venture Center. The former provides unique state-of-the-art makerspace resources and project team collaboration spaces, while the latter provides resources for students, faculty, and alumni who are ready to launch new companies and ventures. The McNeil Center has a presence in both locations; its office is located in the Labriola Innovation District where students meet to work on projects for key design courses. Some of the McNeil Center’s courses and workshops are delivered in the classroom in the Beck Venture Center.

The Mines E&I ecosystem also collaborates closely with the Mines’ academic programs and Research and Technology Transfer Office to increase opportunities that students, faculty, and alumni have to take their ideas to reality and beyond, and to expand the impact that Mines has on the world.

Mines was established in 1874 and is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary. The Mines E&I ecosystem was launched under Mines’ MINES@150 strategic plan and supported financially by the associated Campaign for MINES@150. The actions and investments made under the MINES@150 plan have been focused on positioning Mines for success in what was anticipated to be a highly disruptive and much more competitive future for higher education. Mines leveraged its size, location, unique expertise, industry and government partnerships and passionate alumni base to build on its history of producing distinctive industry-ready graduates. Some notable MINES@150 accomplishments include an expanded and more relevant portfolio of academic programs, adding business acumen and a deeper awareness of challenges facing society and industry to its core education. Mines is also doubling down on hands-on learning and professional development, launching an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, achieving R1 status, significantly expanding the facilities that support its mission, and hiring over 150 new full-time faculty. 

Organizational Location

The McNeil Center Director reports directly to the Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives; the Director also works closely and collaboratively with Directors of the Beck Venture Center and Labriola Innovation Hub, academic program leaders, faculty, students, companies and funding agencies, and the Colorado School of Mines Foundation.

McNeil Center Director Leadership Responsibilities

The McNeil Center Director will plan and execute strategies to:

• inculcate an entrepreneurial mindset among our students and faculty and provide them with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to be successful at advancing their ideas, innovations and improvements within existing companies and through companies they might create,
• increase awareness of the McNeil Center’s mission and offerings among all students and faculty,
• increase engagement of students and faculty and external partners in the McNeil Center’s efforts,
• prepare those students considering commercialization for the expectations for, and transition to working with the Beck Venture Center, and
• raise external funds to support the McNeil Center’s activities.

This will involve:

• teaching formal credit-bearing courses, and workshops and seminars as needed,
• offering design challenges and hackathons,
• collaborating with directors of the Beck Venture Center and Labriola Innovation Hub, academic program leaders, faculty, students, companies and funding agencies, and the Colorado School of Mines Foundation,
• coordinating educational content with aligned initiatives that already exist at Mines - for example: Cornerstone Design, Capstone Design, and other design/build courses and programs,
• providing training and sharing best practices with faculty who will integrate the entrepreneurial mindset and experiences into their courses,
• developing relationships with and writing proposals to funding agencies, companies, and donors to secure funding for entrepreneurship and innovation programming and other strategic initiatives, and
• securing input and feedback from students, faculty, industry representatives, alumni, donors and university leadership relative to the McNeil Center’s activities and direction, and
• supervising staff, developing budgets, overseeing center spending, and ensuring regular and accurate financial reporting.

It is recognized that the successful candidate might come to this position from either a career rooted primarily in the private sector or in academia or may have experience in both. For that reason, two sets of minimum qualifications are listed below.

Minimum Qualifications for Applicants with a Private Sector or Commercial Background:

The successful candidate will be an energetic, creative, engaging, inspiring, and naturally collaborative leader with at least a bachelor’s degree and more than five years of experiences relevant to the mission of the McNeil Center, including:

• as an entrepreneur
• as an instructor in topics relevant to the mission of the McNeil Center
• as an advisor to teams of individuals on efforts relevant to the mission of the McNeil Center
• as a member of, or collaborator with a university
• as a strategic planner
• as a leader of a multi-person team

It is up to the applicant to synthesize and describe how their experience is relevant to the mission of the McNeil Center, the expectations of its director, and Colorado School of Mines’ goals.

OR

Minimum Qualifications for Applicants with an Academic Faculty Background:

• Advanced degree in a STEM field, Entrepreneurship, Business/Economics, or a closely related discipline from an accredited program
• Commitment to excellence in instruction and curriculum development at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Excellence in advising students and teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters’ degree in related field.
• Proven relationship building skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in securing external funding
• Knowledge and application of skills navigating team dynamics.
• Ability to influence departments and large organizations to implement a strategic vision.

Other

At the discretion of the Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and with concurrence of an academic department, it is possible that the McNeil Center Director might also have a courtesy faculty appointment in one of Mines’ academic departments.

Equal Opportunity 

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, affirmative action, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a diverse student body and workforce. 

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequity or concerns for safety. 

Annual Rate 

Pay will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. It will be comprised of an academic year base salary plus director stipend and partial summer support, with total funding from the university ranging from $120,000 - $152,000, and with the opportunity to fully fund summer months with external funding.

For this role, that includes: 

• Flexible health and dental care options 

• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus. 

• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution 

• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents) 

• Free RTD Ecopass 

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state-of-the-art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits. 

How to Apply 

Interested applicants should apply online as soon as possible but before January 31, 2025. If you submit your application after January 31, 2025, it may or may not be considered.

How to Apply: Applicants must submit (1) a letter of application; (2) statement of teaching (see below); and (3) a curriculum vitae or resume. References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and applicants will be informed before that contact is made. Applicants should indicate their desired ranking in their letter of application.

Teaching Statement: Mines is committed to high-quality, hands-on, and project-based learning. Candidates should cover their in-person and hands-on teaching pedagogy and be prepared to describe any experience they have in online education.

Contact Dorie Gelber, Human Resources, at [email protected] with any questions about this opportunity. 

Background Investigation Required Prior to Start

Accommodations - It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities to promote diversity and inclusion at Mines. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment. 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at [email protected] or 303.273.3250 for assistance. 

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting