Manager, Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund, Mtech Ventures and I-Corps

Salary Range:  $68K- $82K with state employee benefits
Qualifications:  Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Finance/Business. Recent graduates with a minor or dual major in Environmental Sciences/Sustainability will be considered. Alternatively, 1-3 years of experience in the clean-tech industry and/or working in a clean-tech startup or experience  investing in clean-tech startups is desirable.

The University of Maryland seeks a full-time manager for the Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund, which invests in Maryland companies with innovative solutions that can help improve air and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed while supporting the State’s climate change goals.  A high-profile initiative in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the fund is an excellent opportunity for an individual to have a big impact on both the state and society.

This position will also have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with some of the most vibrant startups in Maryland by assisting with the management of the Mtech Ventures incubator. Based right on the university campus, Mtech Ventures helps startups thrive as they refine their business model, conduct customer discovery and acquire funding, offering them both affordable space and one-to-one mentoring.

Lastly, this position will play an important role in the university’s rapidly expanding I-Corps program. I-Corps is a National Science Foundation initiative designed to foster, grow and nurture innovation ecosystems both regionally and nationally. Through I-Corps, this position will support the university, state and regional entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems by serving as an instructor, mentoring teams, connecting resources, and supporting new program development.

If you are interested, please apply here. Further details are provided below.

Manage the Chesapeake Bay Seed Capital Fund (CBSCF) on behalf of MD Department of Natural Resources (DNR):

• Serve as the primary liaison between Mtech Ventures and Department of Natural Resources, maintaining an open dialogue .
• Source, evaluate and conduct due diligence on prospective Maryland-based early-stage water quality improvement and climate tech investments.
• Execute portfolio investments in collaboration with angel investors and institutional venture capital firms, with the goal of generating financial returns to reinvest into the CBSCF.
• Participate in board meetings as an observer.
• Manage relationships with attorney and equity manager to monitor investments by the CBSCF.
• Track potential investments, as well as portfolio company progress through communication and site visits, and provide quarterly reports to the Department of Natural Resources.
• Provide access to resources, introductions, feedback to companies.
• Identify opportunities to support portfolio companies through new or existing Mtech Ventures programming or introductions.
• Provide consistent communication with DNR on potential investments and portfolio companies.

Rabin Incubator Management & Administration

• Support the Director of Mtech Ventures in providing ‘hands-on’, one-on-one mentoring to startups in the incubator. Ensure that the Startup can access the wide range of resources made available by Mtech Ventures. 
• Monitor and Report progress via the Salesforce System.
• Work with Mtech IT to organize information systems database, Salesforce, and identify information to be uploaded to online system. 
• Assist the Director in streamlining and implementing incubator operational processes.
• Work closely with Mtech Marketing to develop and maintain Mtech Ventures marketing materials.
• Develop internal community among incubator companies to foster collaboration and knowledge transfer.
• Help incubator companies define their value propositions and support incubator companies in developing pitch materials.
• Establish value-added programming for incubator companies.

I-Corps Instruction and Activities

• Support UMD’s I-Corps Program by participating in recruiting and mentoring the teams, organizing and teaching I-Corps cohorts, and all aspect of team and program support.
• Provide support for UMD’s Innovation Extension, bringing workshops, mentoring, and I-Corps cohorts to partners throughout the state of Maryland, including TEDCO participants, HBCU partners, and other stakeholders and organizations in PG County, Baltimore, and beyond.
• Support UMD teams interested in pursuing National I-Corps at NSF or other federal agencies. Support other Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub activities including collaborations with Hub partner universities and national I-Corps.
• Build and grow an ecosystem comprising of Mentors, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), Angel Investors, Venture Capital firms, law firms, accounting firms, corporate investors, and resources that will serve the UMD community of startups. Assist the Director in managing EIRs.

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