About JumpStart Inc.

JumpStart is a non-profit venture development organization whose mission is to unlock the full potential of entrepreneurship to transform entire communities and our vision is to collaborate with partners to generate dramatically improved and inclusive economic outcomes by supporting diverse entrepreneurs, optimizing entrepreneurial ecosystems, and accelerating innovation.

The key to JumpStart’s success is its ability to leverage the skills, experience, and creativity of its inspired team to transform entrepreneurial aspirations into actions with measurable impact. JumpStart leaders and teammates take great pride in JumpStart being a highly demanding yet incredibly fun place to work.

Position Overview

A key member of the Tech Services team, the Tech Deal Flow Analyst is responsible for processing applications for services from tech startups, identifying and evaluating the region’s most promising high-growth startup companies and connecting them to the resources available through JumpStart or regional collaborators in the Entrepreneurial Services Program (ESP) that are most relevant to their stage of development and needs.

In this capacity, the Tech Deal Flow Analyst evaluates business ideas through direct engagement with entrepreneurs, review of executive summaries and other background materials, and determines the company’s eligibility for services and possible investment. The Tech Deal Flow Analyst works closely and collaboratively with JumpStart’s Tech Services team and partners in the Entrepreneurial Services Program (ESP) in order to direct entrepreneurs to the right resources to help accelerate their business growth.

The Tech Deal Flow Analyst is responsible for maintaining a constant pulse on all the technology companies working with JumpStart’s Tech Services team and working with ESP partner organizations. Specifically, the Tech Deal Flow Analyst is tasked with maintaining awareness of those tech startups developing unique solutions to big problems in large markets (high-potential) and tracking their progress.

Primary Responsibilities:

Deal Flow Engagement 70%

• Serve as a primary point of contact for all Tech Services applications (from raw leads for tech services or referrals from Investing); ensure prompt responsiveness to companies (response within 2 business days) and be customer-service friendly. Responsible for assessing a company’s/client’s potential business opportunity and determining which companies could be or are high potential.

• Conduct an initial screening/assessment and determine which companies are too early for more advanced services and need to be referred out to online programs/resources and/or partners within or outside the ESP network. For the ones deemed worth evaluating further, the Tech Deal Flow Analyst will leverage internal JumpStart resources to assist during this initial screening/assessment. Resources include subject matter experts, mentors, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, market researchers, other professional services.

• Evaluate business concepts and value propositions of technologies and innovations across multiple industries by consistently and accurately assessing from a high potential lens (product, market, people).

• Act as the “owner” of the client engagement relationship until a determination has been made that a company has “high potential”. At that point, a meeting of the appropriate internal JumpStart resources, including an Entrepreneur-In-Residence, will be scheduled to determine next, best steps for the company. During this time of “ownership”, the Tech Deal Flow Analyst will be responsible for the appropriate available resources, determining value-added tasks and early applicant milestones, managing shared documents and interactions. It will be imperative that the deployment of resources toward solving a gap, answering key questions and gaining traction by using clear metrics are accomplished within the parameters of level of support and time, deemed appropriated at this stage.

• Conduct internal and network deal flow meetings (JumpStart Tech Services and Investing team, ESP collaborators) to maintain awareness of where clients reside within the deal flow pipelines, emphasizing those that are highest potential and addressing those that need assistance (and specifics regarding what assistance is needed).

• Utilize data and calibration scores to maintain and communicate clear insight into which client companies fall into the high, medium and low potential bands based on timely performance against value driving milestones.

Outreach / Deal Flow Generation 20%

• Generate deal flow for Tech Services, including diverse tech deal flow, by finding interesting companies to meet and projects to follow based on qualitative and quantitative signals, market theses, and a network of key relationships. This includes, but is not limited to, the following activities;

• Attend events, summits and other networking events as a representative of JumpStart and the ESP, promoting services available and effectively communicating the mission of JumpStart.
• Research / identify high potential companies by connecting to various groups and tracking activities, programs, companies across the Midwest/nation for tech startups getting traction that would benefit from having a main place of business in Ohio, where synergies make sense.
• Maintain and nurture relationships with startup founders and key people in the startup ecosystem in order to both source deals as well as solicit expert input on a given topic.

Metrics / Reporting 10%

• Monitor client progress tracking information (milestones, assessments, programs clients are engaged in, etc.) in Salesforce and other tools, facilitate continued compliance and follow through by JumpStart and the ESP Network.

• Monitor client engagement across the ESP Network (i.e.; time spent with clients)

• Monitor overall health of the deal flow pipeline within the region. Partner with network management and collaborators to identify opportunities for improvement based on their metrics.

• Support the bi-annual survey.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

This position requires a willingness to occasionally work outside of normal office hours when necessary (evenings and weekends). The person must be able to move conference room tables/chairs and assemble/disassemble air walls in the conference facility, as well as carry supplies and boxes in an office environment.

Required Qualifications

Education, Training and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or similar discipline required, Master’s Degree preferred

• 5 or more years of experience with tech startups as an advisor or operator

Fundamental Traits Sought

• Adaptive Excellence – is adaptive, achieves excellence and takes initiative as demonstrated in three distinct examples of where the candidate has achieved excellence on a meaningful level.

• Tenacity - tenacious confidence in the pursuit of vision as well as the avoidance of that which is not core to the vision. Can create and articulate a compelling and sound vision for how objectives fit into the bigger picture.

• Entrepreneurial Intelligence - makes wise decisions despite ambiguity. Quickly grasps key concepts and focus areas before diving into details. Can re-conceptualize issues to discover practical solutions to hard problems.

• Intellectual curiosity – is self-motivated and willing to learn new things and dig deeper than the surface

• Adaptability - Thoughtfully but quickly adapts strategies or tactics to changing market conditions, available resources or underlying assumptions. Is comfortable with ambiguity and is able to speak off-script. Embraces and initiates change.

• Initiative - Acts like an owner, picks up the trash when no one is looking. Executes with a sense of urgency, seeks to “get there first”. Spots opportunities for improvements in efficiency, product quality, customer service, etc. that are not core to their responsibilities. Never says, “that’s not my job.”

• Impact (Bias-to-Action) - Accomplishes amazing amounts of important work in a short period of time. Surrounds themselves with A+ Players in order to achieve superior results. Seeks to eliminate complexity at all times. Identifies root causes and gets beyond treating symptoms. Smartly separates what must be done well now, and what can be improved later.

• Communication - Seeks to understand before being understood (good listener). Is concise and articulate in speech and writing, explaining complex details in simple, understandable terms. Provides frequent and consistent relevant updates to stakeholders, investors, customers and employees. Not afraid to say what you think even if it is controversial.

• Selflessness - Seeks what is best for the company, rather than what is best for his/her interests. Casts a wide net and is non-political when searching for the best ideas. Gives credit when things go right and takes responsibility when things go wrong. Shares information openly and proactively.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Must be proficient in Windows, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook); familiarity with databases; fluent with e-mail and voice systems also required.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks and seeing them through to completion with minimal supervision.

• Ability to understand, communicate and maintain large amounts of information and disseminate this information accurately and efficiently as needed.

• Ability to work effectively with senior executives and stakeholders particularly when under deadline pressure.

• Must be punctual, responsive to requests, and able to meet deadlines.

• Extremely high attention to detail.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a high degree of professionalism.

• Professional appearance and demeanor.

• High energy and strong work ethic.

• High customer-oriented focus.

• Highest personal integrity.

Preferred Additional Qualifications

Education, Training and/or Experience

• Hands-on experience as an operator in a startup company, preferably technology based.

• Experience supporting executive leadership teams.

• Experience with Salesforce.com

JumpStart’s Core Values and Key Cultural Behaviors

• Accountability: Act to deliver on commitments and generate results, and if expectations aren’t clear, ask

• Entrepreneurial: Embrace opportunity, continuous improvement, and change, and contribute to the solution as we evolve

• Equity: Committed to corrective action regarding historically underserved and underrepresented populations through entrepreneurship and innovation

• Energy: Address our work with focus, grit and enthusiasm

• Collaboration: Collaborate with others to play our most helpful role(s) and to increase effectiveness

• Humility: Balance self-assurance with listening to understand, having an open mind, and demonstrating patience

JumpStart’s Definitions for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

• Diversity: A measure of psychological, demographic, physical, and social differences occurring among any and all individuals in a specific group; including but not limited to racial identity, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender identification, sexual orientation, culture, developmental ability, and learning styles.

• Inclusion: The act of promoting and maintaining an environment in which diverse groups of individuals are welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and empowered. An environment prioritizing differences and offers respect and acceptance in the words/actions/thoughts of all people.

• Equity: An acknowledgment and understanding there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations, and corrective action regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to eliminate barriers and guarantee equality in the provision of fair treatment, access opportunity, and advancement in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups.

• Emphasis Statement: Historically, African Americans, Latinx people, and women have been economically disenfranchised and disconnected from innovation and entrepreneurship. For these reasons, we place an emphasis on these populations as we work to diversify our culture and be inclusive in our daily interactions and decisions.

JumpStart’s Operating Style: JumpStart team members are expected to be:

• Honest: We speak the truth, plainly and simply, kindly and considerately. We will challenge you as we seek to accomplish great things. And we hope you will do the same with us.

• Responsive: We respond rapidly to your inquiries and actively communicate so we are all on the same page.

• Resourceful: We will be creative and efficient in helping you to access relationships, contacts and other resources to help you succeed.

• Insightful: We will provide the knowledge and insight about entrepreneurship and innovation you aren’t able to easily get from others.

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of JumpStart. Since no position description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder’s responsibility.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. JumpStart Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers competitive salary & comprehensive benefits (medical, vision, 401k, paid vacation).