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Head of Houston

Greentown Collaborative Inc
locationHouston, TX 77004, USA
PublishedPublished: 6/14/2022
Education
Full Time

Job Description

Job Description

About Greentown Labs

Greentown Labs is the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America—a vibrant, collaborative community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem builders committed to accelerating energy and climate solutions through innovation.


With campuses in Boston and Houston, Greentown has supported more than 575 startups that have collectively raised over $8.2 billion, created nearly 14,000 jobs, and deployed breakthrough technologies across the agriculture, buildings, electricity, manufacturing, transportation, and resiliency & adaptation sectors.


At Greentown, we believe that entrepreneurs are the heart of the energy transition. Our job is to accelerate their success—and build the infrastructure, partnerships, and community that make that possible. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com and follow Greentown on LinkedIn.

About the Role
We’re hiring a senior leader to champion the success of Greentown Houston’s startups and community from the inside out. This role reports directly to the CEO and is a critical part of Greentown’s senior leadership team.

This role is highly collaborative with our local teams in Houston and Boston—focused on aligning and amplifying our collective efforts to unlock Greentown’s next chapter of impact in Houston. The ideal leader will elevate team collaboration, enhance the founder experience, cultivate strategic partnerships, drive the acceleration of climatetech solutions that contribute to a sustainable and resilient future, and serve as a go-to external champion for the Greentown Houston community.

You’ll serve as:

  • A founder champion, relentlessly focused on startup success

  • A partnership builder, forging connections across Houston’s energy and innovation ecosystem

  • A public ambassador, representing Greentown with credibility and energy


By bringing a founder-first lens to partnerships, programming, storytelling, events, and daily operations, you’ll help ensure Greentown Houston isn’t just a space—it’s a platform for breakthrough innovation and impact.


What You'll Do

Champion Entrepreneur Success

  • Serve as the internal and external voice of our Houston startup community, ensuring our founders have the space, resources, and networks to grow.

  • Build deep relationships with member companies—accelerate growth, surface needs, and champion their success across the organization and with partners.

  • Work collaboratively with the team to drive startup success, feedback loops, and programming that deliver measurable progress and satisfaction.

Lead Houston Ecosystem Engagement

  • Be the connective tissue across Houston’s climate and innovation ecosystem—collaborating with Rice University, The Ion, TEX-E, Activate, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, and many others.

  • Work closely with the team to strengthen and deepen relationships with corporate partners, advancing commercialization, capital access, customer introductions, deployment opportunities, and workforce development for our startups.

  • Represent Houston's perspective at the senior-leadership level while fostering cross-site collaboration between Houston and Boston.

Advance a Founder-first Culture

  • Work cross-functionally across partnerships, marketing, programs, and operations to keep all teams aligned around founder success.

  • Operate with entrepreneurial urgency, building a collaborative and high-performing culture.

  • Act as a builder, not a bottleneck—making it easier for internal teams to drive impact without silos or duplication.

Senior Leadership + Strategy

  • Serve as a senior leader at Greentown, contributing to strategy, cultural leadership, and organizational growth.

  • Co-create plans to scale our footprint, deepen startup impact, and strengthen Greentown Houston’s position in the ecosystem.

  • Provide regular updates to the board, support fundraising efforts, and act as a trusted public ambassador for Greentown.

  • Actively represent Greentown at public events, conferences, and ecosystem gatherings, serving as a visible and credible ambassador for our mission and community.

Who You Are

You’re a systems thinker with an operator’s heart. You’re comfortable grabbing a microphone and sharing Greentown’s story. You believe deeply in entrepreneurship as a force for innovation and climate action. You know the Houston innovation ecosystem—or you’ll dive in quickly and build trusted relationships with curiosity and hustle.


Maybe you have experience:

  • As a founder, investor, or executive who’s lived the startup journey.

  • As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR), venture builder, or connector in an innovation ecosystem.

  • Leading founder-facing programs or activating community growth initiatives.

And you are:

  • Mission-driven: Energized by Greentown’s mission to empower entrepreneurs and accelerate climate solutions.

  • A Catalyst + Connector: Skilled at activating high-performing teams, programs, and partnerships with heart and execution muscle.

  • An Entrepreneurial Architect: Comfortable shaping new pathways in fast-paced, low-structure environments.

  • Agile and Collaborative: You partner seamlessly across internal and external teams to achieve shared goals.

  • Public-facing Leader: Confident and credible representing Greentown to startups, partners, donors, and ecosystem collaborators.

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, startup support, or climate/energy sectors.

  • Deep familiarity with—or rapid ability to learn—the Houston innovation landscape.

  • Strong relationship-building skills across founders, corporates, and ecosystem leaders.

  • Experience leading teams and cross-functional initiatives in dynamic environments.

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills—including public-speaking experience.

  • Experience as an entrepreneur, startup executive, ecosystem builder, investor, or community builder.

  • Customer success, community management, or program leadership experience.


General Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request to enable candidates to perform the essential functions of the position.

  • Stationary Work: Prolonged periods working on a computer.

  • Mobility: Regularly moving around the office and incubator spaces to interact with colleagues and member companies.

  • Communication: Regularly required to communicate with others in person, via phone, and virtually/electronically.


Additional Considerations

  • Travel: Occasional travel may be required to the Boston campus and other ecosystem events.

  • Evening & Weekend Hours: Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support events and the startup community.

  • Confidentiality & Discretion: Must be able to handle sensitive startup and organizational information with professionalism and care.

  • Public Speaking: Excited and comfortable to represent Greentown at public events and within the Houston ecosystem.


Work Location and Schedule

This role is expected to be on-site at Greentown in Houston, TX at least three days per week, with the option to work remotely two days per week. Our standard business hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m..

Please note: Some roles do not permit a hybrid or work-from-home schedule, or may require additional scheduling considerations (see section above).


Compensation and Benefits

  • Competitive salary and benefits package.

  • Be a part of a dynamic and growing organization committed to making a positive impact on the world.

  • Work in a collaborative and supportive environment with opportunities to shape the future of climatetech in Houston.


Why This Role Matters

Greentown’s success is measured by the success of our entrepreneurs. As we grow our Houston presence, we need a senior leader dedicated to ensuring our startups thrive—and that our community feels deeply connected, valued, and energized. This role is a catalyst, a unifier, a connector, and a force multiplier for climate innovation in Houston.


Equal Opportunity Statement

Greentown Labs seeks to fully represent our community and constituencies—particularly low-income communities and communities of color—to amplify those voices and provide opportunities to participate in the direction and leadership of the organization. We actively encourage candidates from broad, diverse backgrounds to apply. Greentown Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.


At-will Employment

This job description is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract of employment. Employment with Greentown Labs is at-will, meaning that the employment relationship can be terminated by the employee or the Company at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.

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