Location: Nihonbashi area, Tokyo

Program Manager

Job Summary
The Program Manager (PM) is the operational backbone of the Accelerator program team. The PM’s focus is program operations and execution of the Techstars playbook to deliver the best possible program experience for founders, mentors, partners, investors and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities and Duties

PMs are responsible for ensuring the operational success of the full accelerator cycle from company sourcing through Demo Day. This includes event management, utilizing tools/developing processes to manage program data, building and scheduling the 3-month programming calendar, execution of Demo Day, and recruiting, hiring, training, and management of the seasonally hired Associate team. The Program Manager is also responsible for collaborating closely with our corporate partner to support their goals within the accelerator.

Core Accountabilities

• Work with the team to develop the program plan and own the overall responsibility for the successful execution of both accelerator programs, including end of program celebrations and Demo Day
• Ensure the program is following best practices and executing upon outlined content and curriculum of the Techstars playbook
• Deliver the best possible accelerator experience to founders, mentors, partners, investors and other stakeholders as measured by NPS and company performance
• Manage the logistics for the program calendar, mentor schedules, investor meetups, demo day and ensure the founders, mentors, speakers, partners, and investors are fully informed about all program facing activities
• Manage the logistics of the application, screening, and onboarding process
• Implement network events/programs to support founders and alumni both during program and outside of program
• Support relationship management with partner and Techstars’ Global Network Partners
• Work remotely from almost anywhere, outside of program
• Recruit, hire and manage the seasonal Associate team
• Develop relationships with entrepreneurial support organizations, the Techstars perk network, and the cross Techstars network that can support our founders
• Share new best practices with the Techstars’ team globally as you identify areas for innovation and improvement
• Represent Techstars in the local community and ecosystem
• As time permits, and as experience grows, source and evaluate potential investments related to the program themes, including market research, competitive analysis, investment memo development.
• Support the development of a strong pipeline of startups with diverse and underrepresented founders

Required Experience / Knowledge + Skills

• A genuine passion for technology and startups, an entrepreneurial mindset, and an insatiable desire to always be learning
• Native Japanese speaker with a strong VC background in Japan
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English & Japanese
• Experience working in/with early stage companies

Preferred Experience

• Extensive experience in fast-paced environments with a focus on event planning, business operations, and/or project management
• experience in above responsibilities
• Strong interest in the discourse around technology, startups, entrepreneurship, and venture capital
• Strong emotional intelligence, active listening skills, and high level of empathy
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university is a plus
• Experience working with "No Code" and automation tools like Airtable, Zapier, etc., is a plus

About Techstars

Techstars is the most active pre-seed investor in the world having invested through its accelerators in more than 3,700 companies. Founded in 2006, Techstars believes that entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to invest in an unprecedented number of startups per year enabling more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. www.techstars.com

Techstars is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental handicaps or disabilities, marital status, Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity nor any other basis prohibited by law.

Techstars uses E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

E-Verify Participation Poster (English and Spanish)

Right To Work Poster (English and Spanish)