Overview

While the role is currently focused on StartX at Stanford, the opportunity exists to roll out the StartX model selectively at other campuses. This marketing executive will work together with the other StartX leaders on the marketing/branding aspects of the expansion strategy.

 The Head of Marketing for StartX represents a truly unique opportunity to work with Stanford’s best entrepreneurial talent as well as industry leading mentors and advisors to build a world-class brand and corresponding marketing campaigns.

 With a track record of success, including sizeable fundraising from top tier VCs and acquisitions by leading technology companies, StartX has built a program that is widely respected and participation in the organization is highly sought after by top entrepreneurial talent.

 The marketing leader and his/her team will be responsible for brand strategy/brand definition and management. The role is multi-faceted and includes marketing initiatives that are both internal – to founders/staff/mentors and external – to Investors and the overall public. He/she will be a resource for best practices for marketing and branding for the StartX team as well as StartX portfolio companies, with the goal of instilling better marketing practices throughout the StartX community.

 The responsibilities for this executive are a unique combination of strategic and tactical, therefore requiring a versatile team player who can roll up his/her sleeves as needed.

 With a new $3.6 million dollar grant and partnership with Stanford University and Stanford Hospital & Clinics (SHC), along with the creation of the Stanford-StartX Fund, an uncapped venture fund, the timing is ideal for a talented marketing executive to leverage this platform for brand building.

 The main objectives of the marketing organization include:

• To empower the founders who are part of the program to gain greater access to resources including press
• To build mindshare to facilitate the recruitment of high quality founders, mentors and advisors, and increase funding and partnership opportunities for the overall StartX community
• To create the StartX brand into a world-class name and feel

 Responsibilities

 Leading the marketing organization, this executive and his/her team will be responsible for managing and building StartX’s brand and leading its marketing campaigns. This team will include several volunteers and part time advisors as required.

 Specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:

 Brand Definition/Management

• As StartX grows, the organization continues to add new programs, modify eligibility requirements for founders, and develop new components to its program. This marketing team is responsible for understanding how all of these pieces fit together from a branding perspective, and then creating and implementing the corresponding brand strategy and marketing programs to follow through on its vision
• He/she will be in charge of naming, messaging, and oversight of collateral
• This executive will also frame the messaging and brand positioning for both an internal audience (e.g. founders/staff/mentors) and an external audience(e.g.investors, public)
• The marketing leader will oversee strategic brand positioning – framing to facilitate strategic goals- and then follow through with implementation
• To instill best practices in marketing and branding for StartX and the StartX portfolio companies; be a resource for founders in this regard

 Brand Building

• Create the StartX brand into a world-class name and feel. This includes content creation, blogging, conference speaking (for both founders in the program, StartX team members and him/herself as appropriate), top press lists, website content, and thought leadership

 Press Relationship Management

• Sourcing, curating, engaging and managing relationships with its press contacts to facilitate brand building
• Creating national and local press for both StartX and StartX’s founders

 Product Marketing

• Create and lead marketing campaigns, including for staff recruitment and founder applications
• Maintaining, improving and curating StartX’s marketing distribution channels and keeping lists current
• Working with the network manager to keep these channels engaged through unique campaigns

 Design

• Management of the external resources for collateral design and production
• Oversight of logo and overall marketing design
• Work with design team to assist entrepreneurs in StartX with design needs through office hours, workshops and 1-on-1 help

 Sourcing Strategy

• Full time, volunteer, founder, and mentor recruitment strategy
• Campus Strategy
• National Expansion strategy

 Given the data driven culture at StartX, ideally this marketing executive will also have the capabilities to manage Market Research including the ability to:

• Work with the StartX leadership team on competitive analysis; identify comparable organizations and key market factors, and manage the research team on researching and analyzing these factors
• Lead research team to conduct market research to provide new potential ideas for improving StartX’s program
• Through targeted research identify market conditions that might impact StartX’s direction and gather data to assist in key business decisions

 Qualifications

 The successful candidate will have the following personal and professional characteristics:

• A minimum of five years of marketing experience, with expertise in marketing communications and branding
• Marketing experience with an industry leading technology and consumer brand and/or with an advertising or marketing services firm with leading consumer brand clients
• Public relations experience including existing press relationships
• Track record of creating and launching effective marketing campaigns
• Experience with brand development and new products/services a plus
• Thought leadership experience with brand content desirable
• Some market research and competitive analysis experience strongly preferred
• Demonstrated strategic marketing abilities with the capacity to also be “hands on” and tactical for implementation
• Must be mission driven and passionate about the innovative and entrepreneurial environment of StartX
• Data driven foundation behind marketing strategy and campaigns
• A team player who is non-political and transparent who can thrive in a meritocracy
• Disposed to lead by example with previous experience managing small teams and vendors/consultants
• Bachelor’s degree required.

 Characteristics

• Strategic thinking
• Wants experience
• Thirst to learn about marketing
• Humble
• Need to be adaptable