West Cambridge | From £45,000| Permanent, full-time
Hybrid (3 days per week in Cambridge)

What if the next world-changing company starts with a student who just needs someone to show them it’s possible?

That’s the job. You’ll be the person who builds the programmes, creates the opportunities and opens the doors for University of Cambridge students to think and act like entrepreneurs - whether they end up founding a startup, joining one, or just approaching their career differently.

Why you will love this role:

This is a brand-new role - which means you get to have a hand in shaping it. You’ll design and deliver extra-curricular enterprise education programmes from scratch, taking students from ‘what even is entrepreneurship?’ through to ‘here’s my startup’. You’ll work across the whole University - colleges, departments, doctoral training centres - figuring out the smartest ways to reach students and get them engaged.

You’ll be part of Cambridge Enterprise, the innovation arm of the University, sitting in a team that includes the Founders accelerator programme and ideaSpace - Cambridge’s home for early-stage startups. So when your students are ready to take the next step, the support system is already there.

Day to day, you’ll be building programmes, running events, working with mentors and advisors, and spending a lot of time with students who have big ideas but aren’t sure where to start. You’ll also work closely with the Careers Service and academic departments to make sure what you’re building actually fits into how students learn and engage.

This isn’t a desk job with a fixed playbook. It’s creative, collaborative and outward-facing. You’ll have real autonomy to build something meaningful - and you’ll see the impact first-hand when a student pitches an idea they didn’t even know they had six months ago.

What we're looking for:

• Experience designing and delivering education programmes, workshops or training - ideally in a university or innovation setting

• A genuine understanding of entrepreneurship and what it takes to support people at the earliest stages of their journey

• The ability to build relationships across a complex organisation - you’ll need to work with colleges, departments, doctoral centres and central teams

• Strong programme management skills - you can juggle multiple workstreams, hit deadlines and keep things moving

• Confidence engaging directly with students and researchers, making entrepreneurship feel accessible rather than intimidating

• Experience working with data and CRM systems to track activity and demonstrate impact

• Excellent communication skills - you can write a compelling email, present to a room and brief a volunteer mentor with equal ease

• A proactive, self-starting approach - this is a new role and you’ll need to be comfortable building as you go

Nice to have:

• Experience working with or coordinating mentor and volunteer networks

• Familiarity with the Cambridge innovation ecosystem - ideaSpace, Founders, the broader startup community

• Experience using digital tools and hybrid delivery to enhance learning

• A background in enterprise education, startup support or incubation programmes

• Post-graduate qualification

This role involves occasional out-of-hours and weekend work, returned through TOIL.

Diversity and equality matter:

These are our ideal requirements, but we know some people are less likely to apply for the role unless they check every single box. At Cambridge Enterprise, we promote a diverse, inclusive and empowering culture, so if you feel you have most of the skills and experience needed, we’d love to hear from you.

If you have any questions about the interview process, or if you need any reasonable adjustments, please don’t hesitate to contact the People and Culture team at people@enterprise.cam.ac.uk 

Why Cambridge Enterprise?

We are at the heart of Europe's most successful research and technology cluster and we're on a mission to bring innovation to life, making a difference to society, the UK economy, and the University of Cambridge. We connect the innovative minds of the University’s academics with the funding, start-up expertise and commercial relationships they need to help their ideas thrive.

Perks at a glance:

• 30 days holiday (plus bank holidays)

• Class-leading Bupa private medical insurance

• Hybrid role with genuine flexible working – including work from abroad for up to 30 days a year in most roles

• Generous University pension scheme

• A commitment to personal development including LinkedIn learning

• Family-friendly policies (including enhanced parental leave & childcare benefits, fertility leave, and pregnancy loss leave)

• Mental health and well-being support including access to free counselling

• Access to Bupa’s Menopause Plan for expert advice and support

• Retail and travel discounts

Key dates:

Closing date: 29th March (midnight)
First interviews (online): 14 April
Second interviews (in-person): 23 April 

If we get a strong response, we may close the role a little earlier than planned. This could mean the timelines or key dates shift slightly, so we’d recommend applying soon.