Description

The Hunter Hub under the President's Office invites applications for a Coordinator, Founders & Venture.This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Created with a transformational gift from the Hunter Family Foundation in 2017, the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking (the Hunter Hub) is UCalgary community innovation hub that transforms lives and economies through fostering entrepreneurial thinking in students, faculty and the community. Our mission is to create and support game-changing innovators and accelerate their ideas from conception to impact. Located in the President office, the Hunter Hub contributes directly to the University of Calgary strategic vision to be the most entrepreneurial University in Canada.

Reporting to the Manager, Founders and Venture Initiatives, the Coordinator will play a key role in the Founders & Ventures team to support the design and implementation initiatives that enable teams to progress from idea exploration to structured execution pathways, including venture creation, pilot opportunities, commercialization, and external growth. The Founders & Ventures team supports self directed teams and founders who are building initiatives outside of formal program environments, and who are seeking to test, validate, and shape their work through applied action.

This is a one-year term position with the possibility of extension. Work hours are 8:30am-4:30 pm; the position may occasionally involve flexible work hours (i.e. early mornings, weeknights, weekends) to accommodate Hunter Hub operational needs.

Innovation Sandbox (formation stage) and Innovation Forge (execution stage) represent two critical environments within this ecosystem:

Innovation Sandbox supports early-stage exploration, validation, and informed decision-making. It is where ideas are first tested, assumptions are challenged, and direction is discovered, not assigned. By prioritizing entrepreneurial learning over linear progression and clarity over premature success, it ensures that every innovation journey begins with evidence, reflection, and honesty. In doing so, it strengthens the entire ecosystem by ensuring that what moves forward, whether into venture creation, systems change, or institutional adoption, is grounded in real insight and meaningful intent.

Success at this stage is defined by clarity. While some teams may progress into venture readiness pathways, many will pursue alternative forms of impact such as institutional implementation, practice or systems change, nonprofit or mission driven delivery, or informed pivots. All of these are valid and successful outcomes.

Innovation Forge supports ventures advancing toward pilots, partnerships, market entry, and funding

Together, these initiatives provide a structured yet flexible pathway for founders to move from insight to execution.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Program Coordination & Delivery

Support the day-to-day functions of the initiatives like Innovation Sandbox and Innovation Forge Coordinate program schedules, sessions, milestones, and deliverables Manage participant intake, onboarding, tracking, and reporting Maintain clear participation requirements, expectations, and completion or exit pathways Ensure consistency and quality across programs as they evolve and scale Contribute to the continuous improvement of workflows, templates, and documentation Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of operational processes and participant management systems supporting the Founders & Ventures portfolio, ensuring scalability, consistency, and alignment with strategic program objectives Develop and maintain performance measurement frameworks, operational metrics, and reporting tools, analyzing trends and providing recommendations to leadership regarding program effectiveness, resource allocation, and process enhancements Coordinate administrative initiatives involving multiple internal and external stakeholders, establishing operational processes, managing competing demands, and implementing solutions that support the successful delivery of founder and venture programming

Participant Intake & Coordination

Coordinate eligibility, intake, and onboarding processes for venture intent founders and teams working outside of structured programs Track participant and venture engagement, attendance, and progress Maintain accurate records of participation, milestones, and outcomes Assist with transitions between stages (e.g., Sandbox Forge) and exits

Resource & Asset Coordination

Coordinate access to shared program assets, including: Workshops and learning sessions Mentors, advisors, and domain experts Prototyping, validation, and execution resources Manage these assets as program infrastructure, including: Maintaining records of availability, eligibility criteria, and engagement parameters Coordinating access based on program sequencing and participant needs Tracking utilization, demand, and bottlenecks Identifying gaps or inefficiencies and surfacing them for program improvement Maintain clear boundaries between coordination and execution; this role does not conduct prototyping, customer interviews, or validation activities directly, and does not provide coaching or content expertise

Operational Support & Reporting

Maintain tracking systems for program metrics, participation, and outcomes Support reporting on program performance and insights Assist in identifying process improvements and supporting implementation Contribute to maintaining clear participation requirements and expectations

Internal Coordination & Engagement

Coordinate with internal Hunter Hub teams to support alignment across programs Support logistics for internal events, showcases, and ecosystem engagements Assist with participant sourcing and awareness through campus-facing activities Ensure clear communication across stakeholders and program participants Collect insights on founder engagement patterns and emerging needs for internal use Contribute operational insight to program planning, iteration, and strategic discussions Perform additional duties as required to support the Founders & Ventures portfolio and the Hunter Hub mission

Skills & Attributes

Strong orientation toward systems, structure, and consistency Highly organized, detail driven, and reliable Comfortable enforcing program requirements, timelines, and boundaries Ability to manage multiple programs and asset streams concurrently Clear interest in program delivery and systems, not advisory or coaching work Professional, internally focused, and collaborative Pride in enabling early stage rigor and seeding well directed, meaningful impact

Qualifications / Requirements:

Bachelor degree in business, entrepreneurship, innovation, education, or a related field (or equivalent experience) 25 years of experience in program coordination, innovation programming, entrepreneurship education, or startup support Strong organizational and process management skills Experience managing cohorts, participant flows, and shared assets Comfort engaging with founders and early teams from an operational and coordination perspective

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in university based or research adjacent innovation environments Experience in entrepreneurship, innovation programs, or startup environments Familiarity with venture development stages (formation to execution) Experience coordinating mentors, advisors, or external stakeholders Knowledge of the Alberta and/or Canadian innovation ecosystem

Application Deadline: July 09, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Operations Administration Job Family, Phase 3.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About The University Of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.