Consulting Project Lead - CIC Captains of Innovation - Cambridge, MA - CIC

Captains of Innovation seeks an enthusiastic, creative, and detail-oriented Consulting Project Lead with demonstrated experience delivering high-quality projects and a deep commitment to innovation and startup culture. The Consulting Project Lead will work primarily with the Captains leadership team, Partners, and other key staff to support clients with bespoke consulting projects across a multitude of industries and sectors. This is an opportunity for an innovation-focused team member who thrives in independent working environments.

CIC Captains of Innovation (Captains) — the professional services arm of CIC — helps organizations such as government agencies, academic institutions, corporations, and nonprofits tap into the global innovation ecosystem and achieve their innovation ambitions. Our methods are informed by practical, on-the-ground work, offering guidance and connections based on actual lived experiences in innovation ecosystems, districts and hubs.

Captains has a robust understanding of the needs and requirements of startups, the operational requirements of successful hubs, studios, and incubators, and a deep familiarity with innovation ecosystems. Leveraging learnings from direct management of CIC-anchored innovation centers across the globe and the development of world-leading technology hubs, Captains designs innovation programming and spaces that enable entrepreneurs to scale innovations from research to market.

Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) is a leading creator of dense, impactful innovation ecosystems in cities around the world. CIC's mission is to fix the world through innovation by developing multi-faceted communities that support changemakers on their innovation journeys. Founded 25 years ago in Kendall Square, Cambridge, CIC now manages 1.5M square feet of shared workspace, wet labs, and event space in the US, Europe, and Asia and convenes a worldwide community of approximately 650,000 innovators. Since inception, over 10,000 companies have called CIC home, collectively raising more than $17 billion in venture capital funding.

We invite you to explore all our openings and learn more about our teams here.

You will join the Captains of Innovation team and report to the Director of Operations.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Working directly with the Captains leadership team, Partners, Project Managers, and other key staff to shape and deliver key client projects across a multitude of industries and sectors.

• Demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the client's business, products, services, and value proposition to potential partners, along with the broader industry, particularly related to client objectives.

• Engaging in creative and collaborative hypothesis-led problem solving, and framing and communicating recommendations for clients and partners in coordination with the Managing Partner and other key staff.

• Leading the development of client deliverables, including decks, reports, playbooks, and other proprietary materials.

• Preparing materials, drafting proposals, assisting with scheduling, and recording notes in support of consulting conversations.

• Conducting fast, high-quality, confidential research and analysis on a variety of topics and industries for the industry-agnostic Captains of Innovation group.

• Compiling resources and preparing materials for topics that regularly arise within the course of service delivery.

• Facilitating coordination and communication across the team.

• Providing additional support for other Captains engagements as needed, in consultation with the Managing Partner.

We like to employ service-minded people who are dependable and able to work independently.

More specifically, we are looking for someone who possesses the following characteristics:

• A self-starter with a strong work ethic who is comfortable multitasking multiple research tasks while remaining detail-focused.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to build rapport with high-level external contacts and build a persuasive written argument in written reports.

• A diligent and thorough project leader, driven by a passion for startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

• Ability to work independently for lengthy periods on projects.

• Strong relationship with technology; Mac and Google Suite proficient.

• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

• At least 2-3 years of relevant professional experience, including passion for qualitative research with demonstrated results to match.

• A highly detail-oriented and organized work style with solid time-management skills.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create compelling and polished presentation decks and reports.

• An efficient and focused approach to daily tasks, and able to self-direct additional work when appropriate.

• A deep willingness to collaborate with innovation-minded colleagues.

If you don't meet all the requirements or qualifications but bring some other unique skills and experience that would be valuable in this role, please apply and highlight those attributes for us in your cover letter.

• A competitive salary commensurate with experience.

• 100% company paid premium healthcare and dental benefits.

• 100% company paid long and short-term disability, and life insurance.

• 401k (must be 21+)

• Three weeks of vacation (more with seniority) plus thirteen holidays from the start.