Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship & Director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center
 Tufts University | |
 United States, Massachusetts, Medford | |
 Aug 11, 2026 | |
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THE OPPORTUNITY Tufts University's Gordon Institute (https://gordon.tufts.edu/) is seeking an exceptional leader to shape the future of entrepreneurship education as the Cummings Family Professor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center (https://derbyecenter.tufts.edu/). This is a strategic leadership role designed for someone who combines authentic entrepreneurial experience with academic leadership and genuine collaborative instincts. You'll lead entrepreneurial education at Tufts, both academic and co-curricular, at a pivotal moment. The entrepreneurship program has established a strong foundation since graduating its first undergraduate minor 25 years ago, and is now poised to continue expanding its impact even more broadly across the university as the entrepreneurial mindset is recognized as a life skill for all. This aligns well with Tufts Gordon Institute's strategic goal to integrate entrepreneurship across TGI's graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as the rest of the university, continue to elevate and promote academic excellence, scale impact, and position Tufts as a leader in entrepreneurship education. We need a visionary who has a bias to action, thinks big, and builds with others. This role is for a strategic thinker who executes, a practitioner who applies their knowledge and experience to teaching, and a leader who brings out the best in others. WHAT YOU'LL DO Your time breaks down into three pillars of equal importance: 40% Academic Leadership & Teaching: Design and teach entrepreneurship courses to high academic standards. Affirm academic excellence while maintaining real-world relevance. Mentor students through projects that bridge classroom learning and new business creation. Contribute to scholarship in entrepreneurship education. Develop curriculum collaboratively with faculty across the university, building on existing work and with an understanding of innovative pedagogy. 40% Co-Curricular Programs & Student Engagement: Build on existing experiential programs including the Tufts New Ventures Competition, the Tufts Venture Accelerator, founder mentorship, student ventures, social enterprise initiatives, and add new programming to broaden reach. Continue to foster a vibrant entrepreneurial community that spans all disciplines across the New England ecosystem. Move with urgency and entrepreneurial spirit. You'll have operational support from current Derby Entrepreneurship Center staff members, as well as operations and administrative support from the TGI and Tufts teams. 20% External Engagement, Fundraising & Board Leadership: Secure funding through a diversified approach, including grants, individual donors, corporate partnerships, foundation funding, in partnership with University Advancement at Tufts. Leverage and manage the existing dedicated Board of Advisors with influential entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders who support students and fundraising. Develop relationships in partnership with University Advancement with key alumni and stakeholders to bring real-world expertise into our programming. Represent Tufts at conferences and in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Network with peer directors at peer institutions. WHO YOU ARE You've lived entrepreneurship. You've launched companies, built teams, raised capital, managed pivots, scaled organizations. You understand startup challenges from real experience, not theory. This credibility is essential, students will trust you because you've walked the walk. You're a strategic thinker who gets stuff done. You see 3-5 years ahead and develop bold visions for what the Derby Entrepreneurship Center can become. You also move fast, make decisions with available information, and drive impact. You're scrappy and resourceful, but also rigorous and thoughtful. No analysis paralysis, you learn by doing and iterate rapidly. You're a dedicated teacher who values academic excellence. You can engage students, mentor generously, and create transformative learning experiences. You're grounded in experience on how entrepreneurship is learned. You're committed to raising academic standards while valuing diverse ways of knowing. You bring both theory and practice to the classroom. You're a genuine collaborator. You see collaboration as strategic advantage. You build coalitions across silos. You leverage existing assets and people; you build momentum rather than start from scratch. You navigate politics skillfully and manage conflict diplomatically. Your teams retain talent and trust you. You have high emotional intelligence. You're self-aware, adaptable, and able to read complex interpersonal dynamics. You create psychological safety on teams. You bring perspective to hard conversations without needing to be "right." You understand the entrepreneurship landscape broadly. You're comfortable with both technology/deep tech ventures AND small business/social enterprise models. You can talk to investors, faculty, students, and nonprofit leaders in their languages. WHY TUFTS? WHY NOW? Tufts is an extraordinary institution: rigorous, values-driven, focused on doing good for all of humanity. Tufts Gordon Institute in the School of Engineering serves all the schools at Tufts, developing entrepreneurial, innovative, human-centered, purpose-driven leaders who can navigate and shape a rapidly changing world. We are home to the people, the academic and professional education programs, the co-curricular programming, and the research that ground innovation, entrepreneurship and applied business leadership education at Tufts. Practitioners, educators, and alumni bring real-world experiences to students through hands on experiential projects building a global community of transformative leaders who can create the future. This is a high-impact role where you can influence thousands of students. You'll have autonomy, support from great people, and the resources to pursue a bold vision. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
HOW TO APPLY Submit to Interfolio: (1) Cover letter (1 page) addressing why you're excited about this role and what you'll bring (2) Resume/CV (3) Statement of teaching interests and objectives (4) Contact information for three (3) references Position start date: January 2027 Application deadline: First round: September 4, 2026, then rolling. Questions? Contact Kevin Oye, Executive Director, Professor of the Practice, Tufts Gordon Institute, and search committee chair: kevin.oye@tufts.edu Tufts University is committed to providing competitive and equitable compensation that reflects each candidate's experience, expertise, responsibilities, and performance. The pay offered within the posted range will be determined based on a variety of factors such as (but not limited to) the individual's education and experience, discipline, rank, internal equity, and budgetary considerations. | |