Strategic Initiatives Program Manager - Position Summary 

mHUB is seeking a Strategic Initiatives Program Manager to support the design, planning, and execution of special projects and strategic initiatives in partnership with mHUB’s leadership team. We are seeking an individual who has experience leading high-profile initiatives and implementing project management processes in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments. The role offers a wide range of professional experiences across early-stage entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, venture capital, real estate, and economic development. You’ll be a great fit for this role if you are passionate about technology-based economic development, cross-sector collaboration, and/or entrepreneurship and have experience working in impact-driven settings, such as policy/government or nonprofits.  

The program manager will be responsible for planning and executing a portfolio of initiatives and projects successfully. You’ll be joining the organization at a time of rapid growth, with the opportunity to incubate new programs and initiatives that have significant potential to accelerate this growth rate and greatly increase the impact mHUB has in hardtech innovation and technology-based economic development. New programs and initiatives may include, but are not limited to, leading development of new grant-funded climate & energy tech programs, coalition-building to drive manufacturing-based economic development and conducting market research and assessments for new strategic growth opportunities.  

The Strategic Initiatives Program Manager will report directly to and work in close partnership with the Chief of Staff to execute the priorities of the Office of the CEO.  

About mHUB 

mHUB is a leading independent hardtech and manufacturing innovation center located in Chicago, Illinois. Our mission is to enable U.S. hardtech innovation and commercialization by fueling collaboration and providing an accessible, hyper-resourced environment to develop, fund and accelerate clean energy, health, sustainability, and manufacturing entrepreneurship. Since launching in 2017, the mHUB community has generated more than $1.57B in revenue, launched more than 1,600 products, hired more than 5,500 employees, and raised over $1.89B in capital. To date, mHUB has invested in 46 startups across sustainable manufacturing, climate and energytech, and medtech.   

mHUB's three business units – Incubator, HardTech Development Services, and Accelerated Incubation / Product Impact Fund – connect startups, innovators, researchers, manufacturers, and investors to spur innovation.  The mHUB team is an ambitious, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven team committed to helping entrepreneurs find a path to success and supporting economic growth in Chicago, the Midwest, and the U.S. We are builders and problem solvers, excited about the potential in hardtech and manufacturing entrepreneurship and by bringing businesses and products to life.  

Description of Responsibilities 

• Partnering with the Chief of Staff and CEO to manage organizational priorities to ensure that strategic initiatives are designed, communicated, and executed in an efficient and effective manner. 
• Develop and implement project management processes for strategic initiatives, including designing and managing project plans, tracking decisions and risks, and providing regular status reports. 
• Organize internal and external stakeholders required to successfully implement strategic initiatives, including building stakeholder engagement plans, convening project meetings, and managing communications. 
• Develop and execute strategies to secure public and private funding to support strategic initiatives and programs, including funding to support economic development activities, new industry-specific programs in climate, health and manufacturing, and other organizational priorities.  
• Prepare deliverables and communications to effectively communicate the priorities of the organization and cultivate new partnerships and programs.  
• Monitor federal, state, and local policy priorities to identify opportunities to increase mHUB’s growth and impact by aligning new programs and initiatives to these priorities 
• Collaborate internally with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless project execution and internal alignment. 
• Partner with the Chief of Staff to lead mHUB’s economic development and coalition-building initiatives in key industries and sectors, including climate & energy, health & medical device, and manufacturing. 
• Strategize with the Chief of Staff and mHUB leadership team to identify strategic growth opportunities and resolve problems as they arise.  
• Represent mHUB in engaging with external partners across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. 

Qualifications 

• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple high-priority projects at the same time. 
• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail. 
• Ability to think strategically, work independently, align projects with organizational goals, and make decisions that contribute to overall business success. 
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners and donors. 
• Expert level written and verbal communication skills. 
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability.  
• A quick learner and highly resourceful team-player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently. 
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 
• Forward looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions. 

Education and Experience Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree with minimum 3-5 years of work experience, preferably in program or project management 
• Master’s degree in policy, public affairs, urban planning or business preferred 
• Experience with securing public and private funding via grant and funding solicitation preferred 

Work Details, Salary and Duration 

• This position is full-time and open for immediate hire 
• This position will be onsite/in-person at mHUB’s facility in Chicago 
• Salary range is $65,000 - $75,000, commensurate with experience 
• Competitive benefits package 

If Interested 

To apply submit the following items: 

• Cover letter 
• Resume 

 Applications can be submitted by email to info@mhubchicago.com.