Job Description
Who We Are
MSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (E-Center) empowers students to plan, launch and grow successful local and global companies based on new ideas or MSU invented technology. Our companies are graded in the real world – by success or failure with actual, paying customers. We use applied learning to strengthen our pipeline of entrepreneurs from K-12 to college students to graduates. We have broad involvement of alumni and friends to help mentor, coach and invest in our startups. Our priority on generating a track record of exits and profitable local businesses makes us a national leader in this field and motivates ever increasing investor interest in these areas. These companies contribute to a thriving young professional community, cementing Starkville as the startup hub of Mississippi and propelling our expansion throughout the Southeast.
Where You Fit
The Student Engagement Associate is predominantly responsible for building and maintaining a vibrant population of students interested in entrepreneurship. Many of the students we engage with do not yet have an idea or are not ready to “take the plunge” into a venture. Your primary role is to build a community that surrounds the E-Center, especially for those students who may not be ready to work on an idea yet, but that still want to be involved. You will be responsible for maintaining communication and activities for this population of students as well as developing new ideas to better engage these students. This position supports Goal 3 of our ‘21-31 strategic plan and reports to the program coordinator.
Expectation
This is a broad role with significant responsibility, high expectations, and considerable freedom. Your day-to-day activity will be often somewhat undefined and you must be a self-starter. While assigned to a specific team, you are expected to assist with all aspects of the CEO. Sometimes this includes seemingly mundane, yet necessary, tasks like cleaning workspaces, organizing files, and running errands. Other times it includes meeting and having lunch with actual billionaires. Our student team must handle both situations with enthusiastic professionalism. We are focused on driving team wins. Like team sports, we expect you to help us win the game, by working to the best of your abilities to help ultimately form startup companies that exit the program successfully.
Primary Responsibilities
- Promote, organize, and implement fun social and educational activities to engage E-Center students.
- Plan and maintain a schedule of activities that span the academic calendar year.
- Maintain regular communication using mailing lists and social channels with students.
- Coordinate with other E-Center staff to integrate external speakers and guests into programming.
- Research and develop new ideas from other programs to involve students.
- Serve as a member of the eClub student organization.
- Greet office guests with concierge-level service, answer questions, and direct to proper individuals.
- Track teams and students; enter into departmental CRM tool; regularly update
- Assist with paperwork, answering telephones, filing correspondence, running errands on campus, stuffing envelopes, making copies, cleaning workspaces and researching topics online.
- Make suggestions on how to streamline processes or increase efficacy of program
- Complete other duties as requested by professional staff
Minimum Qualifications
- Currently enrolled at Mississippi State University, majoring in a [technical] [business] discipline.
- Maintains good academic standing with at least a 2.5 GPA
- Exceptional soft-skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Work experience directly relating to student recruitment OR leadership experience in a social organization
- Currently working on a new startup or prior experience with a startup company
- Completion of the MGT 3323 Entrepreneurship course (grade B or higher)
- Exceptional soft-skills and an understanding of a “white glove” service environment
Position Details
- Type: Part-time (up to 20-hr/wk)
- Pay Range: $10-15/hr (commensurate with experience)
- Benefits: Not Eligible
- Restrictions: Currently enrolled MSU students in good academic standing