Director, Innovation Initiatives

Working at Yale means contributing to a better tomorrow. Whether you are a current resident of our New Haven-based community, eligible for opportunities through the New Haven Hiring Initiative, or a newcomer, interested in exploring all that Yale has to offer, your talents and contributions are welcome. Discover your opportunities at Yale!

Overview

The Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY) mission is to inspire students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to seek innovative ways to solve real-world problems. Our unique innovation center welcomes students from all backgrounds to explore entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship across a wide spectrum of innovation—from venture‑backable startups in areas like AI and deep tech, to policy and civic initiatives that drive meaningful systems change, to transformative creative innovations such as documentary films and immersive media that shape culture. We serve students from across Yale’s campus through non-academic programs, funding, and mentoring. The Director of Innovation Initiatives at the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY) reports to the Managing Director and designs and leads a broad range of projects and priorities related to student innovation. These efforts include short- and long-term strategic planning, the evaluation and implementation of systems and resources to support programming initiatives, and the creation of policies and procedures for best practices in student experiential education in innovation and entrepreneurship. The Director of Innovation Initiatives also leads efforts to advance Tsai CITY's mission of inspiring students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to seek innovative ways to solve real-world problems. The Director’s leadership in the design and implementation of student programs and initiatives involves close collaboration with the Tsai CITY team, as well as Yale and external partner organizations. The Director is responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to build and sustain a robust set of programs and resources for student innovators, and for collecting all metrics related to the programs in the Director's portfolio. The Director will communicate and obtain consensus for planned program strategy with key stakeholders and champion Tsai CITY opportunities around campus.

Position Focus:

The Director of Innovation Initiatives will lead the development and implementation of programming that advances innovative thinking across campus. This role supports the design, delivery, and evaluation of programs that equip students with frameworks for creative problem-solving, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world impact, independent of venture creation.

Working closely with faculty, campus centers, and external partners, the Director will expand pathways for students to engage in innovative thinking through co-curricular programs, intensive learning experiences, and collaborative initiatives. The position will contribute to the development and delivery of learning experiences that introduce students to innovation practices and approaches and will help develop methods to assess the impact of innovation programming over time.

This role oversees full-time staff, manages participation requirements for co-curricular certificates, and strengthens connections between academic coursework and experiential learning opportunities. The Director will cultivate partnerships across campus and manage program resources to support a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and creative problem-solving. Support the development and delivery of learning experiences that introduce students to innovation and creative problem-solving approaches, translating key concepts into workshops and applied programming for students across disciplines. Develop and facilitate partnerships with faculty, campus centers, and external organizations to expand opportunities for students to engage with multiple pathways of innovation beyond traditional entrepreneurship. Design and implement collaborative initiatives with campus partners that connect innovation programming to emerging areas of student interest and societal challenges. Develop and maintain systems for long-term program evaluation and impact measurement, assessing how innovation programming contributes to student learning, participation, and broader institutional goals. Track and analyze program outcomes, using data and feedback to refine programming, strengthen partnerships, and inform future strategic initiatives. Manage staff and student workers, including hiring, coaching, and supporting direct reports in their portfolio of programming. Work collaboratively with the student community to collect, synthesize, and respond to student needs through thoughtful, strategic feedback collection.

Essential Duties:

1. Oversees the advancement and growth of the program. Gives direction and leadership supporting the philosophy, mission, strategy, and annual goals and objectives. Assumes primary accountability for disseminating and publishing all program information to create public awareness and support of the program. 2. Works closely with leadership, internal and external colleagues, and community residents to further develop and implement strategic plans. 3. Identifies, solicits, and cultivates community partnerships and collaborations to assist in the development and growth of the program. Develops the metrics to identify and measure the success of the program. Responsible for measurements of grant success and related evaluation. 4. Assists in identifying and evaluating potential future funding sources, and contributes to the submission of grants and contracts supporting the program, including the annual submission and writing of all content areas and budgetary sections of grant applications. Develops and manages the program’s operating budget. 5. Develops the administrative infrastructure of the program. Manages human resource and administrative functions of the program, including staffing and hiring, supervision, performance development, counseling and discipline, if warranted. Oversees and manages information systems, facilities, and space needs. 6. Investigates, identifies, implements, and oversees the maintenance of systems to gather, track, and report information to support the initiatives of the program. Tracks all program activities and regularly informs leadership of progress on each initiative. Recommends structural or programmatic adjustments, changes or additions based on full knowledge of missions, goals, and objectives. 7. Initiates, designs, and manages the compilation of program communications; identifying outreach potential, and promoting philanthropic and collaborative support of the program. Contributes to the development and assists in the management of content on the program’s website and monitors all changes and additions to the editorial content. 8. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and manage complex programs from concept through execution.

2. Strong facilitation and teaching skills with the ability to translate innovation frameworks into engaging learning experiences.

3. Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives involving faculty, students, and external partners.

4. Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple initiatives simultaneously.

5. Strong relationship-building skills and ability to collaborate across departments and organizations.

6. Experience developing systems for program assessment, data collection, and long-term impact measurement.

7. Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and represent the program across campus and with external partners.

Preferred Skills and Abilities:

1. Experience designing and managing experiential learning programs in higher education or innovation-focused environments.

2. Demonstrated experience teaching or facilitating innovation, design thinking, or creative problem-solving frameworks.

3. Experience building partnerships across academic departments, campus centers, and external organizations, particularly in support of interdisciplinary initiatives that connect curricular and co-curricular learning.

4. Familiarity with program evaluation and impact measurement methodologies.

5. Experience managing program budgets, funds, or grant-supported initiatives.

6. Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work independently while fostering productive partnerships; commitment to engaging respectfully with individuals from a wide range of disciplines, experiences, and perspectives.

7. Comfort working with project management and collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Airtable, Luma, Google Drive, Salesforce, MS Office) and the ability to quickly learn new digital tools.

Principal Responsibilities

Job Posting Date

06/17/2026

Job Category

Professional

Bargaining Unit

NON

Compensation Grade

Administration & Operations

Compensation Grade Profile

Supervisor; Senior Associate (P5)

Salary Range

$68,000.00 - $120,500.00

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

Hybrid

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

Salary offers are determined by a candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education in relation to the position requirements, along with the role’s grade profile and current internal and external market conditions.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.