Executive Director, Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship

Working Title: Executive Director, Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Business

Department: 100464 - Center for Entrepreneurship

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The JMU College of Business, home to the GCFE, offers bachelor's and master’s degrees and graduates approximately 700 undergraduate and 100 graduate students each year, led by 150 full-time faculty. Founded in 1985, the GCFE has a compelling mission: to engage, inspire and train the entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow through outstanding education and hands-on, real world learning experiences. The GCFE is located in the center of a new 210,000-square-foot College of Business Learning Complex, a $100 million building completed in 2020.

The new Executive Director of the GCFE will arrive at an exciting time. The current Executive Director has overseen tremendous growth during their tenure, including the creation of the Idea Power Pitch program and the Bluestone Seed Fund, a donor-backed, equity investment vehicle that invests in early-stage JMU-affiliated startups through a competitive pitch process. In addition, the GFCE has expanded the Madison Inc. incubator program and the Dukes Venture Accelerate program. In this environment, the next Executive Director has the opportunity to work with an experienced Advisory Board, ready partners internally and externally, and a supportive administration to build on a strong foundation and continue the upward trajectory of a dynamic Center leading entrepreneurship efforts at JMU.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will be responsible for providing leadership and vision for the GCFE with a focus on continuing to grow an entrepreneurial mindset across campus. The position is primarily administrative in nature although the successful candidate will teach one class each semester in entrepreneurship with the Management Department. Because the GCFE has an established and active Advisory Board comprised of highly successful and knowledgeable volunteers, the selected candidate will be able to leverage board members and other relationships to further expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem at JMU. For example, Management 310, Business Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs, is funded by alumnus Shy Pahlevani and culminates with the Hisaoka-Pahlevani Social Impact Challenge.

Applicant Instructions:

WittKieffer is assisting James Madison University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by May 2. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal at: https://candidateportal.wittkieffer.com/login?returnUrl=%2Fdescription%3FjobID%3D23011

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. The leadership profile is available to view in the WittKieffer candidate portal.

Nominations and inquiries may be directed to Greg Duyck and Julia Bradley at JMUGilliamExecDir@wittkieffer.com.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.