Associate Director, The Strauch Cleantech to Market Program (C2M) (5258C), Haas Centers and Institut About Berkeley
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Departmental Overview
UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business offers a unique opportunity to champion new ideas, collaborate across boundaries, and continually learn in a workplace committed to increasing diversity and creating a welcoming environment for all. Our distinctive culture is captured within our four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. These principles distinguish Berkeley Haas as a unique environment conducive to teamwork, collaboration, and career growth.
For more information about the Haas School of Business visit: https://haas.berkeley.edu/about/
The Strauch Cleantech to Market (C2M) program is one of the nation's first climate tech accelerators and a program in the Energy Institute at Berkeley Haas. C2M forms interdisciplinary teams, each comprising four to six UC Berkeley graduate students, who analyze promising climate tech, green chemistry, and water-related innovations from entrepreneurs across the country, assess potentially relevant markets, and recommend specific commercialization pathways. Since its founding in 2008, C2M teams have worked with entrepreneurs on more than 125 early-stage technologies, of which more than half have become start-ups who have gone on to raise more than $1.3 billion.
Position Summary
The Associate Director for the Strauch Cleantech to Market (C2M) program collaborates closely with the C2M Director to manage and evolve one of the nation's leading climate tech accelerators and experiential graduate-level courses. The role includes co-leading program strategy and operations, supporting curriculum development and delivery, engaging with entrepreneurs and industry partners, contributing to fundraising and partnership development, and expanding C2M's network of mentors, coaches, and advisors. Over time, the role is expected to take on increasing responsibility in program leadership and continuity planning.
Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is May 22, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.
Responsibilities
Startup/Technology Selection:
Work with representatives from the innovation ecosystem described in the "C2M Annual Cycle" above to identify, solicit, screen, and select promising climate tech startups whom C2M's student teams will work with in the fall semester.
Every year, 60-90 targeted applicants are analyzed and vetted through a multi-stage process to identify semi-finalists and ~10 finalists, leading to up to eight selected technologies.
Fall Course:
Work closely with and alongside C2M lecturers Brian Steel and Alex Luce who co-teach C2M's fall semester course to co-develop and deliver the fall semester course (weekly 3-hour session plus additional engagement time).
Contribute to lecture delivery, guest speaker selection, and overall course design. at the Haas School of Business to:
Arrange relevant guest speakers and panelists and coordinate a lunch series for students to continue discussions with guest speakers after class.
Meet regularly with entrepreneurs and student teams, and coach the teams on their research, analyses, and team dynamics.
Recommend relevant members of the business community for informational interviews by teams.
Recommend relevant written sources for identified teams.
Working with Energy Institute Operations Manager, organize the annual C2M summit event at which student teams present their findings and recommendations to a large public audience.
Coach student student teams as they work with lecturers to: identify applications, first markets, stakeholders, and challenges.
Perform techno-economic analyses.
Search for and assess relevant market data.
Contact potential licensees for feedback and input.
Work with founders to determine whether further technical developments would improve commercial prospects.
Produce roadmaps and discuss findings with their companies.
Develop market studies and determine customer requirements.
Develop a business plan.
Prepare for annual summit presentations.
Read and comment on final reports prepared by student teams.
Student Recruitment & Team Formation:
Using available communications and social media channels, including hosting online and in-person information sessions, reach out to all relevant graduate student programs (e.g., Haas, science and engineering PhDs, law, public policy, and ERG) to generate and refine student interest in the fall course.
After Haas full-time and evening/weekend MBAs have completed bidding on fall courses and after other students have completed their applications to C2M (usually by the end of April), build interdisciplinary teams of up to six students per team (e.g., comprising approximately half MBAs and half non-MBA students) whose interests and experiences match the anticipated needs of each startup.
Communicate team outcomes and next steps (e.g., entrepreneur introductions, summer reading, non-disclosure agreements, etc.) with each team.
Provide guidance to prospective students and support the selection process through direct engagement.
Industry Ecosystem Engagement:
Continue expanding and refining C2M's community of coaches, mentors, and subject matter experts who can meet with C2M teams as well as a broad network of key contacts who may be contacted for informational interviews, guest speaking, etc.
Identify and build relationships with industry partners, including other courses, departments, centers, and programs at UC Berkeley, as well as relevant cleantech incubators, accelerators, laboratories, universities, and startups.
Help develop and manage an advisory committee for C2M, speak with advisors individually, and co-host periodic meetings.
Work with C2M's existing and potential partners to enhance our collective impact. Potential areas for collaboration include shared:
Databases of relevant mentors and key contacts.
E-libraries of cleantech commercialization tools and resources.
Commercialization workshops, mentorship, and incubation programs.
Outreach to investors, corporations, and government partners.
Tracking programs to analyze results.
Maintain and expand relationships across accelerators, national laboratories, venture capital firms, and corporate partners.
Program Funding & Budgeting:
Lead and support efforts to secure and sustain funding required for the C2M program, building upon current program sponsorships, which include both individual donors and institutional sponsors such as: Breakthrough Energy, The Mosse Foundation, California Energy Commission (EPIC program through CalSEED/New Energy Nexus) and MetLife, etc.
Work with C2M Director and Energy Institute Associate Director to set annual budget, review periodic financial reports, and ensure that C2M is staying within its budget and achieving financial goals.
Curriculum & Program Development:
Contribute to the ongoing refinement of C2M's curriculum, teaching materials, and program structure to reflect evolving technologies and market conditions.
Professional Learning and Growth:
Actively contribute to a team environment that fosters and promotes a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) within the unit and at Haas.
Exemplify Haas' four Defining Leadership Principles: 1) Question the status quo; 2) Confidence without attitude, 3) Students always, and 4) Beyond yourself.
Work with the C2M Director to assess the program's effectiveness and recommend changes to the program's procedures, schedule, content, etc.
Represent the program at institute-, school-, and university-level meetings, to optimize program efficacy and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Professional accomplishments and knowledge relating to emerging technologies and extensive experience working with startups and taking early-stage technologies to market.
Knowledge of and relationships with corporations, venture capital firms, accelerators/incubators, government entities, national labs, consulting firms, and/or startups within climate tech-related sectors (e.g., low-carbon/renewable energy generation, use, and storage, green chemistry, agriculture and/or water-related sectors).
Coaching and/or teaching experience, ideally at the university and/or corporate level.
Demonstrated thoroughness and attention to detail.
Professional accomplishments and knowledge related to being both strategic ("where do we need to go and why") and tactical ("how do we get there").
Experience in areas such as market research, financial analysis, supply chain management, and/or manufacturing.
Advanced written and oral communication abilities, including demonstrated experience summarizing and conveying complex topics in an effective manner, including creating white papers, slide presentations, media releases, etc.
Advanced ability to think creatively and independently on concepts requiring advanced analytical skills: both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Advanced interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of individuals and diverse groups - both within the UC Berkeley and outside - to achieve results.
Experience working on or leading diverse teams.
Fundraising experience, including seeking out prospective donors, sponsors, and partners, forming partnerships, applying for and managing grants, managing related relationships, etc.
Demonstrated desire to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging and belonging to establish and maintain positive & professional working relationships with colleagues, employees, and others.
Exemplifies Haas' four Defining Leadership Principles: (1) Question the status quo; (2) Confidence without attitude; (3) Students always; and (4) Beyond yourself.
Advanced strategic thinking and implementation skills, including overseeing planning programs, setting KPIs and goals, and managing short- and long-term projects.
Experience with launching new programs or initiatives.
An entrepreneurial mindset to create, define, and pursue new opportunities.
Experience with techno-economic analysis (TEA) or commercialization modeling for early-stage technologies.
Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, as well as to coordinate with colleagues and their schedules and priorities.
Advanced degree in business, finance, science, engineering, law, public policy, or other disciplines related to the commercialization of early-stage climate tech innovations and/or equivalent experience/training.
Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $130,200.00 - $168,900.00 (at the 100% FTE). This is an exempt, monthly-paid position. This is a part-time (20 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.
