KU Innovation Park seeks a student business analyst (or two!) to support the organization and its resident startup companies for the fall 2024 semester. More than an internship, the analyst position allows students to work as part of a small, dynamic, and professional management team to provide hands-on business development and consulting services to the Park and its resident bioscience and technology companies and startups. Analysts work closely with Park staff, company founders and each other to solve complex and often challenging problems that materially affect real businesses. Students will have the opportunity to develop and utilize a variety of general business and consulting skills in a real-world setting while directly impacting the growth of the park and its innovation-driven startups.
Direct all inquiries and application materials to Chris Rehkamp, director of business services, at crehkamp@kuinnovationpark.com.
To be considered for the role, submit the following required application materials via email to Chris Rehkamp by Friday, September 13 at 5:00 p.m. CT:
- Cover Letter addressing interest and qualifications
- Current Resume
- Two writing samples relevant to the position that demonstrate analytical and written communication abilities (Please do not submit group work or highly technical/formalistic documents such as lab reports, technical white papers, etc.).
Responsibilities for this role may include:
- Researching specific technical, legal, or strategic topics in depth and drafting memoranda and reports for internal and external partners.
- Assisting with document review and drafting (contracts, letters of intent, partnership agreements, proposals, organizational documents, etc.).
- Conducting industry and market research, competitive analysis, tech validation, etc. for startups.
- Preparing and/or reviewing strategic planning documents such as commercial feasibility studies, business plans, pitch-decks, and investor letters.
- Basic financial and business modeling/analysis.
- Identifying grant funding opportunities and assisting with preparing grant applications.
- Presenting project findings, materials, and recommendations to partners, clients, and Park management.
- Participate in operational/strategic meetings, board meetings, and Park events.
- Collaborate with and support the Park’s other analysts with relevant aspects of their projects.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Multidisciplinary position. Due to the broad nature of the companies the Park interacts with, applicants can come from a wide variety of backgrounds and fields of study. Encouraged majors include, but are not limited to, STEM fields such as engineering or biology, computer engineering, business analytics, finance, journalism, strategic communications and pre-law fields.
- Demonstrable excellence in writing. Applicants should have demonstrable excellence in written communication. In particular, analysts must demonstrate the ability to conduct thorough and organized research, communicate their findings, and provide insight and analysis in a clear and concise manner.
- Entrepreneurial spirit. Applicants must be creative, persistent, and highly autonomous, with a desire to learn new skills and tackle ambiguous projects. As a generalist role, Analysts are not expected to have previous experience with any particular task, and are encouraged to spend work hours developing necessary skills and knowledge to complete a project.
- Consistent and reliable. Applicants must be able to work approximately 12-20 hours per week during the school year and have an option to work up to 40 hours over the summer. This is an in-person position at the Park’s main facility at 2029 Becker Drive.
- Excellent time management and communication. Analysts are responsible for managing timelines for assigned projects and must be able to manage time effectively and efficiently to meet specified deadlines, including managing multiple projects and timelines at any given time. Diligent and open communication with Park staff is critical, as analysts are encouraged to independently manage projects and client relationships increasingly over time.
- Intellectual curiosity. Working in a startup environment requires creativity, flexibility, and intellectual curiosity. Applicants must be motivated to independently learn and build skills during the course of their work. Analysts supplement the skills or tasks that may not be a strength or daily focus of the core leadership team; therefore, the ability and confidence to independently learn and acquire skills reasonably necessary to complete projects is critical.
Other Details:
- Compensation: $18/hr to start with potential for future increases commensurate with performance and reliability.
- Analysts will be provided a company laptop along with an MS 365 Business and Google Workspace account for the duration of employment.
- KU Innovation Park hires analysts on a rolling basis depending on the needs of The Park.
About KU Innovation Park
KU Innovation Park is a nonprofit economic development organization and business incubator in Lawrence, Kan. It’s home to over 70 companies that employ 732 people, supporting an annual payroll of $48.5 million. The Park works toward building a more modern, resilient and diverse regional economy for Lawrence, Douglas County and the state of Kansas. A public-private partnership, the Park has four founding partners – Douglas County, the City of Lawrence, the Chamber of Lawrence and the University of Kansas. Learn more about KU Innovation Park at www.kuinnovationpark.com.
KU Innovation Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer
KU Innovation Park is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
