Senior Associate, Education

About the Venture Science Doctorate (VSD)

We are setting out to materially alter and broaden the definition of "scientist".

The VSD, run by Deep Science Ventures, is the world's first 3 year, fully-accredited PhD run in labs at the world's best universities. Focused exclusively on solving global challenges in health and climate through science as the basis for new science companies. This is an opportunity to radically impact the postgraduate STEM landscape.

The VSD is backed by:

• Schmidt Futures - the pioneering global philanthropic facility for science founded by the former CEO of Google - Eric Schmidt
• InnovateUK - the UK's primary government innovation agency
• A national network of leading labs worldwide, which include GSK, The Mayo Clinic, The University of Edinburgh, King's College London, Imperial College, Oxford University and the University of Manchester among many others.

You can read more about the programme itself on the dedicated VSD site, here .

About the Role

As a Senior Associate at the Venture Science Doctorate (VSD), you will play a pivotal role in the delivery and development of the world's first venture creation-focused PhD programme. This unique position is designed for a dynamic individual who is passionate about redefining the landscape of doctoral STEM education and contributing to solving global challenges in health and climate.

You will join a dedicated founding team comprising Dominic Falcao, Aaron Appleton, Claire Thorne and Thane Campbell, along with the wider DSV team of specialists in science commercialisation. This role offers the unique opportunity to contribute to the programme's growth, support emerging science companies, and engage with a vast network of partners and funders.

The role is full-time for a fixed 6-month contract with a possibility to extend permanently, subject to mutual agreement

Key Responsibilities:

• Programme Delivery: Oversee the successful delivery of the VSD programme, ensuring alignment with accreditor requirements and the highest standards of educational quality.
• Course Management: Build and maintain all VSD courses within our learning management system (Canvas), ensuring compliance with accreditor standards and frictionless platform experiences for students.
• Assessment Strategy: Collaborate in updating and delivering an innovative formative and summative assessment strategy that accurately evaluates student progress and achievements.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Maintain effective communication with accreditors (Woolf University), students, and other key stakeholders to foster a successful learning environment.
• Session Coordination: Prepare session co-facilitators, attend all live sessions for attendance tracking, administrative management, and quality assurance.
• Documentation and Accreditation: Ensure thorough documentation of student work and activities for accreditation purposes, maintaining meticulous records.
• Event Planning: Organise and execute in-person learning experiences (intensives), managing all logistical aspects to provide enriching and seamless experiences for participants.

About You:

• Proven experience in programme management, preferably within an educational or research setting.
• Demonstrated ability in building and maintaining educational content in learning management systems, particularly Canvas.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a knack for building relationships with diverse stakeholders, including accreditors, students, and partners.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, with a keen attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
• Creative thinker with a proactive approach to problem-solving and improving learning experiences.
• Team player with a founder mindset, capable of driving programme development and overcoming sector challenges through visionary leadership.
• A passion for and depth of understanding of science entrepreneurship.

• Competitive salary;
• The chance to co-found a global doctoral programme and work with us to scale this to thousands of candidates;
• Space to develop deep expertise in the key developmental areas for science entrepreneurship, such as resilience, empathy, persuasion and creativity
• Option to work either in Central London from high spec offices, or remotely from anywhere in the world with allowances for office equipment, co-working and travel to London;
• Opportunity to spend time in person with the team regularly with quarterly off-sites;
• Tailored personal and leadership development plan;
• Access to some of the most entrepreneurial Professors and innovative research labs in the world as well as leaders in the "science of science" field.