Program & Experience Design Lead - Venture Café

The role

Lead the weekly Thursday Gathering at Venture Café Cambridge, curating and running an open community event for innovators. Also design other programs, including outreach to underserved communities, and lead communications and marketing.

What you will do

• Curate and lead the weekly Thursday Gathering, which draws 300-500 people per week
• Be the chief curator of high-quality content and experiences based on monthly themes
• Grow a pipeline of community organizations and partners to offer content
• Build the Venture Café Cambridge brand with the Director
• Create and run programming that reaches underserved communities
• Lead communications and marketing across website, social media and mailing lists
• Oversee event delivery, logistics, and staff and volunteer coordination
• Track and report program attendance, quality, marketing and impact metrics
• Represent Venture Café Cambridge at local events and in the innovation ecosystem
• Support additional programs and share insights with the global network

Required qualifications

• Experience in innovation, the arts, and/or entrepreneurship, ideally in programming, leadership, or advocacy
• Understanding of the innovation process
• Knowledge of Cambridge's innovation ecosystem, stakeholders, networks and organizations
• Experience in event conceptualization, curation, planning and execution
• Strong organizational, project management and task management skills
• Excellent hospitality and problem-solving skills
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, active listening, and public speaking confidence
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate across sectors
• Appreciation for design, aesthetics and attention to detail
• Familiarity with social media and community engagement
• Independent thinking and sound judgment
• Comfort with technology

Nice to have

• Familiarity with Google Workspace, WordPress and Mailchimp

Benefits

• Allocated budget for training customized to the role and organization's objectives

Before you apply

• Physical demands include lifting and moving AV equipment, tables and chairs

About the company

Venture Café Cambridge is part of Venture Café Global Institute, which began in 2009 within the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) and now convenes a global community. It operates as a neutral connector for innovators in Cambridge.