Position Description
for
Administrative Assistant for Venture Capital Programs
General
This half-time, academic year position (approximately 20 hours per week during the academic year) will provide administrative assistance to the three student-run venture funds. Primarily this position will assist the directors and students in the Social Venture Fund and the Frankel Fund, both action-based-learning course experiences housed in the Zell Lurie Institute at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. Both courses simulate real world venture capital company investment activities. There are 4 Social Venture Fund Teams and 4 Frankel Fund teams in which approximately 50 students participate (24 in the Frankel Fund and 28 in the Social Venture Fund). The Wolverine Venture Fund, also housed in the Zell Lurie Institute generally does not require on-going assistance from the Admin for Venture Capital Programs but may need assistance from time to time for special situations.
Each Fund conducts business and invests real capital as would a small venture capital firm. Therefore, each fund has multiple stakeholder groups, including students, advisors, faculty, co-investors, entrepreneurs and donors. Between the two funds, from 2 to 6 equity or convertible debt investment transactions are expected to be completed annually and approximately 30 advisors and 45 remote mentors, most of whom are U of M or Ross alums, being actively engaged in the process. With the amount of correspondence and record keeping required to support this number of students, advisors, and transactions, it is very difficult for the faculty directors to take care of the fund processes and operations and provide top quality teaching and support to the students. With the number of current and prospective donors to the Ross School involved with the advisory boards, it is particularly important that the Fund stakeholders continue to view these two programs as favorably as possible.
This position will handle the administrative requirements of the two Funds so they can run more smoothly, the students can have a better experience, and the fund directors can spend more time continuing to develop better ways to teach the subject matter required for the Funds. It is anticipated that position would be a half time position.
To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to Carolyn Maguire at cmaguire@umich.edu. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Qualifications
• Ability to work independently and with minimal direction is very important.
• Excellent communications skills are required to interact well with students, applicants, and alumni advisors in person, by phone, and through written communications. Ability to compose and prepare routine correspondence, draft policies and procedures, and prepare communications to the stakeholders is important.
12/13/2010 1
Student Fund Admin Position Description
• Excellent word processing, Excel spreadsheet, and PowerPoint presentation skills.
• Minimal bookkeeping/Excel skills are required for maintaining budgets,
facilitating accounts payable and investment disbursements.
• Good organizational skills for not only the efficient processing of the workflow
but also for planning advisory board meetings, company presentations, and
similar group activities sponsored by the Funds.
• Good interpersonal skills are also very important.
Reporting Relationships
The Fund Admin would report to the Directors of the ZLI venture funds and work closely
with the Zell Lurie Institute staff.
Responsibilities
Funds Management
• Manage budgeted funds by maintaining and publishing fund transactions and fund
balances. Prepare and maintain statements that might be required to complement
information requested from the university from time to time.
• Prepare and process requests for disbursement of Funds (with the help of Carolyn
Maguire, Administrative Assistant for ZLI).
Human Resources (HR) Coordination
• Serve as the HR coordinator for the Funds including maintenance of student
records, Confidentiality Agreements, etc.
• Help facilitate the semi-annual recruiting process for students in the fall and
spring of each year.
• Assist in arranging meetings between students and Directors.
• Assist in managing the performance review process for participating students
• Assist with the inevitable career counseling and assistance activities that students
seek from the Directors.
Communications
• Serve as communications manager for Funds to obtain and maintain contact
information for current students, former students, advisors and donors to assist
with communication to and from these stakeholders. Research alternative
approaches to maximize communications and social networking through such
vehicles as Linked In, Face Book, specialty software, etc.
• Maintain resources and contact information for all members, alumni, and
advisors.
• Prepare and send information packets to all new candidates for advisory boards
and mentor networks.
• Coordinate press releases between students, Ross, and ZLI PR communications
contacts
• Assist with communications to current and prospective donors
• Coordinate information with the Development Office with respect to prospective donors, meeting with advisor/donor prospects when they are visiting the campus or when Ross personnel seek to visit the advisors in their home locations. Events Management
• Assist Fund Directors and students in organizing and staging Fund events such as advisory board meetings, recruiting events, cooperative programs with other parts of the university, etc.
• Assist Fund Directors in inviting and hosting guest speakers
• Assist students and directors in obtaining meeting rooms
Course Management
• Assist Fund Directors and students with student administration issues as needed including class enrollment, grading, overrides, independent study, and student evaluations
• Obtain meeting rooms for each Fund in advance of each term
• Organize and maintain teaching aids, tools, and materials for Fund Directors and assist in keeping CTools site up-to-date.
• Assist in the preparation and publishing of Course Materials
Information Management
• Maintain and facilitate preparation and updates as needed for the marketing materials (flyers, web page, etc.) required for fund operations.
• Organize and maintain the policies and procedures, operating plans and investee information including due diligence binders for the Funds both electronically (electronic files and CTools) and manually.
Record Keeping
• Maintaining the “Back Office” files for all Fund investment transactions including legal documentation and due diligence binders, both electronically and in paper, that may be necessary to share with potential new investors from time-to-time.
• Organizing the Fund records for Portfolio Companies to facilitate tracking Fund rights and obligations and for easy access for future financings and other calls on the Fund by portfolio companies
• Organizing and control of the Fund Records for easy access by students who need access to the records for continued learning or to process future transactions.
Research
• Assisting Directors from time-to-time with research for the preparation of classes and lectures and for tracking comparable student run funds at other institutions to maintain our competitive advantage.
Other
• Other responsibilities as may be requested from time-to-time.
• Other duties from time-to-time to assist the ZLI staff with the administrative needs of the Institute.
