POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Associate Vice President for Economic Development
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1006
GRADE 49
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Vice President for Research and Economic Development
MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR President
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Associate Vice President for Economic Development is responsible for coordinating
the resources of the federal, state, and local governments with the resources of Missouri
State University to promote business and industrial growth by coupling entrepreneurship
with research and innovation. The business development program provides services to
emerging entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies that lead to economic development
in southwest Missouri as well as throughout the state of Missouri. The Associate Vice
President for Economic Development is responsible for developing strategic international
research and economic development partnerships, primarily in China and Central and
Eastern Europe.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Master’s degree is required. Professional certification in economic development
is preferred.
Experience: At least five years of professional full-time experience is required in
progressively responsible positions that include experience in entrepreneurial activities,
particularly as they relate to working with small to mid-sized emerging technology
companies and start-up ventures.
Skills: Strong oral and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills
and proven entrepreneurial skills are required.
Other: This position is designated “sensitive” as defined by University policy. This
position may include job duties, responsibilities, or activities that are subject
to export control regulations.The scope of the position requires evening and occasional
weekend work. Occasional overnight, out-of-town travel is required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Serves as Chief Operating Officer of Springfield Innovation, Inc., which includes
the daily operation, contracting, and budgeting for the designated Missouri innovation
center, as well as managing the projects and priorities of the Springfield Innovation,
Inc. Board of Directors.
2. Enables the Jordan Valley Innovation Center to meet its mission of providing support
to small to mid-sized emerging technology companies and high-technology start-up ventures
by quickly moving corporate and university-based research and development to commercial
products.
3. Leads the business development program in a manner that fosters and facilitates
entrepreneurship-related academic and service activities with the Missouri State University
College of Business Administration.
4. Works to secure funding to sustain and grow product commercialization efforts in
Missouri, particularly in southwest Missouri.
5. Ensures that University-based research is transferred rapidly and efficiently for
commercialization by coordinating activities with the Executive Director of the Jordan
Valley Innovation Center and the Directors of the Center for Applied Science and Engineering
and the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences.
6. Provides services to entrepreneurial companies, such as opportunity assessment
(technology, marketing, and management), R & D planning, funding and execution, developing
venture capital plans and investor presentations, and providing assistance in securing
startup capital.
7. Assists start-up ventures by providing business consulting services, coaching business
strategy, and securing growth capital.
8. Assists the Jordan Valley Innovation Center Executive director in the operations
of the Center, which houses the Center for Applied Science and Engineering, the Center
for Biomedical and Life Sciences, and Springfield Innovation, Inc.
9. Serves as the Economic Development Director for the Center for Cultural Understanding,
an international research and economic development partnership with Qingdao University,
China.
10. Coordinates the activities of the Springfield Center of Excellence for Life Sciences
Research, which is one of four such Centers in Missouri by managing the Center’s activities
including the solicitation and review process.
11. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing
professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses,
and attending training and/or courses as directed.
12. Contributes to the overall success of the Research and Economic Development division
by performing all other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISION
This is an executive position with a high level of freedom to act consistent with
the mission, values, and strategy of research-based product commercialization. This
position supervises consultants, office and clerical personnel, graduate assistants,
and student employees.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED MARCH 2009
JOB FAMILY 4
Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery
Level 6.0 - 4500 Points: Knowledge of a wide range of concepts, principles, and methods of an administrative, academic, managerial, or professional field. Knowledge permits the employee to develop new or substantially modified approaches that diverge from standard methods to improve administrative and/or line operations. Knowledge also permits the employee to plan steps and carry out multi-phase projects requiring problem definition and modified techniques, to coordinate work with others, and to modify methods and procedures to solve a wide variety of problems. Knowledge requirements may include evidence of the ability to manage programs and/or lead and direct other professionals. Knowledge requirements for jobs at this level typically include a level of education beyond the Bachelor's degree with comprehensive related work experience, frequently including substantial administrative or supervisory experience, and knowledge of higher education processes, policies, and procedures. Alternatively, this level may require a professional or clinical specialty beyond the Bachelor's with moderate related work experience. The knowledge requirement at this level may also include a terminal academic degree with an appropriate level of leadership and/or administrative experience.
Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility
Level 4.0 - 470 Points: Supervision of (a) a moderate number of operative, administrative support, or paraprofessional employees who do not exercise a full range of supervisory responsibilities over other full-time employees, (b) a small number of professional employees who exercise limited supervision of others, or (c) large numbers of student workers or graduate assistants, or some equivalent combination of the above. The incumbent performs a full range of supervisory responsibilities including performance reviews of subordinates. The incumbent is responsible for training, planning, and directing the work of permanent employees, and generally controls hiring decisions. Supervisory responsibilities consume moderate amounts of work time and may include general work planning tasks.
Factor 3: Interactions with Others
Level 5.0 - 850 Points: Interactions are highly unstructured and incumbents are often required to resolve difficult and unstructured problems. Interactions are commonly with administrators, cost-center heads, high level committees, or external constituents in order to defend, negotiate, or resolve controversial and/or long-range issues and problems. Interactions occur in situations subject to divergent views, skepticism, resistance, uncooperative attitudes, and conflicting objectives. Interactions often require high levels of interpersonal skill and require the ability to influence, interrogate, or control others through debate, persuasion, or authoritative recognition and require strong analytical and decision-making skills.
Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines
Level 4.0 - 850 Points: The employee operates under administrative supervision and makes decisions based on broadly-stated University objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are expressed in terms of project or program outcomes and deadlines with few comprehensive guidelines. Decisions are based on inadequate guidelines that require considerable interpretation and force the employee to plan all phases of the assignment. Assignments may be unrelated in function and the work requires many different processes and methods and a great deal of analysis to identify the nature and extent of problems. The work may require the employee to develop new methods and to deal with many variables, including some that are unclear or conflicting. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing large and/or complex programs, projects, or departments in which the work cuts across functional lines or requires dealing with unprecedented issues.
Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility
Level 5.0 - 2350 Points: Work involves primary accountability for a larger department, program, or process. Work activities involve managerial decisions that directly affect the efficiency, costs, reputation, and service quality of the department, program, or process. Work affects a limited range of professional projects or administrative activities of the University, influences internal or external operations, or impacts students, faculty, and/or staff. Work activities have a direct and significant impact on the department. Work activities also have a significant effect on the efficiency and reputation of the cost center and represent a relatively major function within the cost center. At this level would be jobs in which the incumbent may have responsibility for developing budgets, distributing budgeted funds, and exercising primary control over a moderately-sized budget.
