The University of Minnesota is seeking a highly qualified, motivated, and creative leader to serve as the Executive Director of its Office for Business and Community Economic Development. The Office for Business and Community Economic Development (OBCED) is a social enterprise whose goal is to leverage the assets and resources of the University to create programs and services that provide innovative solutions to real-world socio-economic problems impacting urban communities.  OBCED’s social enterprise approach to solving problems in Minnesota’s urban areas can be summarized as sustainable economic activity that also has a social impact. For OBCED, social entrepreneurship integrates social goals and social problem solving into its core business and operational model. To support this approach OBCED uses a blended value business model that combines a social-value-generating structure with a revenue-generating business component to create multiple revenue streams to support its programs. Through OBCED, the University takes advantage of its unique opportunity to impact urban vitality through economic development activities, support, and relationship building.

OBCED’s Executive Director provides vision, leadership, and management oversight for OBCED’s programs and services, including but not limited to the AIR Program, Business Development Assistance, Community Health Initiative, Junior Entrepreneurs of Minnesota, Management and Technical Assistance Program, Supplier Diversity Program and the Technology and Empowerment Center. This position requires a high degree of independent judgment and discretionary authority in situations that involve system-wide University policies and practices. More information about OBCED can be found at https://diversity.umn.edu/bced/

The Executive Director reports to the Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity and is a critical member of the Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) leadership team. The Office for Business and Community Economic Development is one of several units in OED; together, (OED) is responsible for the University’s system-wide equity and diversity initiatives and programs, and for infusing the core values of equity and diversity into all aspects of teaching, learning, research, service, and outreach. In addition to OBCED and its administrative office, OED includes the following units housed on the University’s Twin Cities campus: the Disability Resource Center; the Office for Conflict Resolution; the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action; the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life; the Institute for Diversity, Equity and Advocacy; the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence; and the Women’s Center. More information about the Office for Equity and Diversity and each of these units can be found at https://diversity.umn.edu/home

The University of Minnesota is one of the most comprehensive public universities in the United States and is the state’s land-grant university, with a strong tradition of education and public service. It is also the state's primary research university, with faculty of national and international reputation. Founded in 1851, the University of Minnesota has five campuses: the Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, Crookston, and Rochester—and also includes extension offices and research and outreach centers throughout the state.

Duties and Responsibilities:

This is a full-time academic administrative appointment that requires strong leadership, exceptional judgment, superb communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse individuals, constituencies and communities, both on and off campus. The Executive Director is responsible for providing overall leadership, vision and strategic direction for the Office for Business and Community Economic Development and the  Technology Empowerment Center located at the Robert J. Jones  Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC). Major duties will include planning, developing, implementing, managing and evaluating operations as well as overseeing budgets and programs that advance the University’s public service and outreach mission as well as its urban agenda. The Executive Director must have the ability to:

●      Serve as a critical member of the leadership team in OED, working together to create and sustain a campus environment that values and actively supports an inclusive and diverse University community.

●      Provide leadership and oversight for all aspects of OBCED’s operation including hiring, supervising, mentoring and evaluating staff, the strategic direction of community-economic initiatives and educational efforts, and all aspects of budget management.

●      Develop and implement a strategic plan for the University focused on sustainable community-economic development.

●      Work in relationship with and provide leadership to University officers, deans, senior administrators and department directors to implement the University’s strategic plan for community-economic development.

●      Plan, develop, implement, and evaluate innovative community-economic development initiatives to achieve OBCED’s and local campus and collegiate strategic, mission driven goals and objectives.

●      Build, manage and grow impactful public and private partnerships that support OBCED’s strategic, mission driven initiatives.

●      Work with corporations, governmental agencies, nonprofits, funders and community members to build partnerships that support the University’s equity and diversity, public service and outreach mission.

●      Maintain a liaison with and/or serve as a member of groups or task forces in local, state, and federal agencies that promote economic and community development, coordinating projects with agencies as deemed necessary and appropriate.

●      Partner with Purchasing Services to understand purchasing needs and advocate for contracting opportunities to support the Supplier Diversity Program.

●      Attend professional development workshops and conferences to keep abreast of national trends and developments in the field of economic development, and to represent the interest of the University on matters related to economic development.

●      Report to the University’s Board of Regents, senior leaders, faculty, staff and student groups on the vision for and the strategy and outcomes of efforts to support the University’s equity and diversity, public service and outreach missions as well as its urban agenda.

Essential Qualifications:

●      Master’s degree and 10 years of experience including a minimum of three years of executive level management experience, or the equivalent combination of professional experience and education.

●      Substantial experience working with business development, community relationships and partnerships, and economic development issues.

●      Demonstrated ability to establish working relationships with other organizations and economic development practitioners.

●      Experience working in a large, complex institution with multiple departments and business units with competing interests.

●      Demonstrated experience in, and an ongoing commitment to advocating for and working effectively with and across diverse communities:  including people of color, underrepresented groups and new immigrant populations; American Indians; people with both visible and invisible disabilities; women; people of various gender and sexual identities and expressions; and first-generation students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. 

●      Exceptional listening, written, and oral communication skills.

●      Experience with budget preparation and oversight. 

●      Strong work habits, organizational skills, ability to coordinate multiple tasks with competing and changing priorities and strategic focus.

●      Effective supervision of professional staff; strong interpersonal skills and familiarity with a variety of approaches and styles in working with conflict.

●      Experience working in, with and across diverse communities, including individuals and groups with varied lived experiences and holding differing world-views.

●      Demonstrated experience in working with individuals across all employee groups and with individuals holding different levels of institutional access and authority.

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to the efforts of a diverse team of leaders engaged in equity and diversity in a higher education setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

●      Experience working in a university setting.

●      Experience working closely with senior-level college and university administrators and faculty.

●      Experience overseeing economic development activities for an institution of higher education.

●      Knowledge of procurement sourcing and contracting processes.

●      Experience with proposed legislation, regulations, programs and practices pertaining to small, socially and economically disadvantaged firms, e.g. woman-owned, minority owned, veteran owned, etc., engaged in or seeking to engage in contracting with government entities, universities and or corporations.

●      An understanding of or familiarity with disparity studies; compliance monitoring good faith efforts evaluation; and business certification programs such as Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE), Minnesota Small Business Program (Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-owned), CERT Certification, Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC), and Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC - WOSB certification).

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed beginning July 1, 2019, and will be accepted until the position is filled. Application must be made electronically through the University of Minnesota’s Online Employment System at https://employment.umn.edu/. The requisition number is: 330891. Please submit the following documents online: (1) a current resume, (2) a list identifying three references who can speak to your experience and skills as they relate to this position with the following information about each person available for this professional reference: their contact information, their title and position, how long they have known you and in what capacity, and (3) a letter describing how your background, skills and interests qualify you for this position.