This is a full-time university staff appointment. Open to post-doctoral researchers, early-career professionals, and others meeting the experience requirements.
Compensation: Up to $110,000/year
Term: June 2026 – June 2027 (LTE, one-year appointment, potentially renewable)
Reports to: Executive Director | Location: Madison, WI
The Associate Director is the operational and strategic hub of the Lab, coordinating and facilitating across all tracks and can be hands-on when needed. With four graduate student Leadership Fellows owning execution in their areas, the Associate Director sets direction, maintains quality, coaches student innovators and entrepreneurs.
The right person has enough technical fluency to direct applied work, enough people instincts to develop Fellows students, and entrepreneurs, and has enough organizational range to keep multiple project tracks moving simultaneously.
What You’ll Own
- Direction and quality across the industry, research, venture, and engagement tracks
- Coaching relationship with student innovators across Discovery, Build, and Founder Lab
- Design and execution of BuildFest, Activation Sprints, and industry-driven challenges
- Oversight and direction of the Industry Projects Fellow and Research Translation Fellow
- Supervision of Events & Operations Associate, Student Engagement Associate, and Technical Builder team
- Co-development of the Lab’s next phase alongside the Executive Director
Who We’re Looking For
- 5+ years of relevant professional experience in industry, research, or applied settings; a post-doctorate or equivalent academic experience also qualifies
- Experience at the intersection of technology, applied work, and real-world problem solving
- Technical fluency in AI, software systems, data platforms, human-centered design, or similar — and genuine passion for pursuing frontier technology use cases
- Demonstrated experience coordinating or leading programs, projects, or teams in a fast-moving environment
- Genuinely energized by working with and developing students
- Joint appointment with a UW academic unit is possible and can be discussed during hiring
Deadline, June 13, 2026. Send resume and a brief note to sandra.bradley@wisc.edu