---
title: 'Program Lead Venture Café Fukuoka - Fukuoka, Japan at CIC'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/program-lead-venture-cafe-fukuoka-fukuoka-japan-cic-fukuoka-bv8psbqjk8t8'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Program Lead Venture Café Fukuoka - Fukuoka, Japan at CIC

- **Company:** CIC
- **Location:** Fukuoka, Japan
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/cic/dbd2fe90-d0e8-4491-834b-49c2e3c72bc9

## Job description

Program Lead VCF(Venture Café Fukuoka)

Are you thrilled by the sight of a well-coordinated gathering? Passionate about bringing people together for common interests? And find joy in collaborating with others to create their ideal event? If that sounds like you, we've got something special to share.

CIC and Venture Café are on the hunt for a charismatic and meticulous Program Lead Venture Cafe’ Fukuoka. This role is perfect for someone with extensive experience in orchestrating, curating, and spearheading diverse events and programs.

## ABOUT CIC FUKUOKA & VENTURE CAFÉ FUKUOKA

CIC Fukuoka combines flexible workspace and high-impact programming to serve as a physical center of gravity for the region’s innovation community, connecting Fukuoka to CIC’s global innovation ecosystem. As CIC’s second innovation campus in Japan and tenth worldwide, CIC Fukuoka occupies the 7th floor of the One Fukuoka Building (approximately 3,500 m²). The campus includes around 140 private offices, a coworking space with 40 seats, conference rooms, a kitchen café, a game room, and other shared amenities.

Venture Café Fukuoka,a partner of CIC, aims to be an innovation activator by uniting the ecosystem through its events and programs. Dedicated to fostering a community and linking innovators globally, it will host weekly programs open to the public, attracting a diverse group of participants. These regular events signify the collaborative effort between Venture Café and CIC.

Learn more about us here.

## YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK

In this role, you will utilize a broad skill set encompassing planning, communication, negotiation, and time management, while effectively handling pressure. You will take charge of all aspects of CIC Fukuoka and Venture Café Fukuoka’s events, from planning and coordination to execution and evaluation.As the Program Lead VCF, you will be acting as the growth engine of Venture Café Fukuoka. It is a bridge between the Program Manager (Strategic Alignment) and the Program Coordinator (Operational Excellence), which has the core mission of"Growth & Innovation.

" Together with the team, you will convert strategic vision into high-impact community experiences. You will design and deliver brand-new, impactful programs, drive new audience acquisition, and continuously inject fresh value into our flagship Thursday Gathering (TG) and broader community. You will also utilize data insights from SNS and collaborate directly with the Director. Not only creating programs and events as Venture Cafe’ Fukuoka but also executing events within CIC Fukuoka to foster deeper ecosystem integration.

Potential responsibilities will include: ・Introducing innovative ideas to enhance event quality, coordinating and delegating tasks within the team, and collaborating with technicians and industry experts to ensure seamless event experiences.Creation of new program from design to deliver innovative programs and sessions aligned with Venture Café Fukuoka’s strategic direction. ・ Drive new participant acquisition and expand community reach through creative experience design. ・Create opportunities by data driven methodology, which include analyzing social media and digital engagement data (e.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, website traffic) to identify emerging trends, market gaps, and community needs. ・Translate data insights into actionable programming strategies and new event opportunities. ・Value creation to Thursday Gathering by actively participating in TGs with an R&D mindset to observe community dynamics and test new networking or experiential formats. ・Brainstorm and align with the Director on-site to continuously update and elevate the value proposition of the community experience. ・Strategically planing and, design, and execute high-profile events to enhance collaboration with CIC Fukuoka to bridge the venture community and drive ecosystem synergy. ・Collaborate closely with the Program Manager to ensure all new initiatives align with overall strategy and resources. ・Provide clear blueprints and hand off scalable, established programs to the Coordinators for operational optimization.

## ABOUT YOU

As a Program Lead, you play a crucial role in shaping gatherings that reflect our mission-driven goals. Your expertise in event planning and commitment to excellence are key to elevating their impact. With a passion for our mission, you are adept at organizing and executing events that align with our objectives and actively engage our community. In this position, you bring specialized knowledge that interlocks with our mission, creating impactful and innovative experiences. Your abilities in fostering community connections, utilizing digital media, and working collaboratively are instrumental in broadening the scope and appeal of our initiatives. With an inclusive mindset, adaptability, and comfort with digital tools, you ensure our programs resonate with diverse groups and remain flexible to evolving needs.

## YOU HAVE

- At Least 3 years of experience in event planning, program design, community management, or marketing/branding fields.
- Experience of managing event management projects from concept design to its execution, involving multiple stakeholders.
- Able to analyze digital data (Social Media Insights, Google Analytics, etc.) and translate it into program design or to create strategies.
- Passion or strong interest to work within the startup ecosystem, innovation, and community building.Business-level proficiency in English and Japanese (for global communication and stakeholder alignment). Also, if you have below interest/experience it would be more than welcome
- Experience in Service Design, User Experience (UX) Design, or Customer Journey mapping.
- Deep understanding of or connection to the startup/innovation ecosystem in Fukuoka or globally.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, multi-cultural, or global organization.

## OUR OFFER

- Competitive salary, commensurate with experience.
- 6-month contractor engagement, with transition to a permanent contract.
- Commuting / Transportation allowance.
- Massage session once a month.
- Allocated budget for training (customized to specific requirements of the role and organization's objectives)
- Retirement allowance after successfully passing the probation period.

Please submit your application in English. Thank you! CIC welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

## About CIC

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) is a global leader in providing innovation campuses, coworking spaces, wet labs, and ecosystem-building programs for startups, scale-ups, corporations, and public entities.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held) – $68.7M total funding across 3 rounds.
- **Headquarters**: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 1999
- **Founders**: Tim Rowe (Founder & Chairman)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Real Estate (Innovation Workspace & Lab Space), Innovation Ecosystem Services, District Consulting, Event Programming
- **Target customers**: Startups, scale-ups, corporations, government/universities, and entrepreneurs (B2B, B2G)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “To create the best possible environment and programming to enable startups, scale-ups, corporations, and public entities to tackle the biggest local and global challenges while fostering growth and connection.” [cic.com](https://cic.com/about/)

## Products & Services
- **Workspace**: Coworking spaces, private offices, bookable conference rooms, and hybrid solutions across 1.5M sq ft in North America, Europe, and Asia.
- **Lab Space**: Modern commercial wet labs with full equipment and benching, tailored for life science and biotech startups.
- **Captains of Innovation**: Consulting services for innovation district conveners, institutional leaders, corporations, and innovation teams.
- **CIC Institute**: Educational programming and resources derived from CIC’s experience to help startups level up.
- **Venture Café**: Event programming and networking – famous for the Thursday Gathering – connecting entrepreneurs.
- **Japan Desk**: Dedicated initiative to bridge Japan’s innovation ecosystem with Boston’s.
- **International Soft Landing**: Programs to help entrepreneurs go global.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding $68.7M (3 rounds); manages 1.5M sq ft; served over 10,000 companies since 1999. [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/cicnow)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not explicitly listed in provided sources; funding history suggests private investors. Partners include LabCentral, MassRobotics, Mass Mobility Hub, Kendall Square Association (co-founded/chaired by Tim Rowe).
- **Growth Signals**: 229 employees (YoY +7.1%); 13 locations across 4 countries (US, Japan, Poland, Netherlands); expansion into new markets and innovation districts.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Global scale**: 1.5M sq ft of workspace and lab space across three continents; the only operator with a truly international footprint dedicated to innovation.
- **Ecosystem depth**: Not just a landlord – CIC builds programming (Venture Café, CIC Institute), consulting (Captains of Innovation), and international bridges (Japan Desk, Soft Landing).
- **Track record**: 25+ years of serving 10,000+ companies; co-founded major innovation hubs like LabCentral and MassRobotics.
- **Leadership**: Tim Rowe (MIT lecturer, BCG alum, Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award 2024); CEO Denyse Medlenka brings operational rigor from KPMG and global HR leadership.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Driving innovation at scale through new innovation districts, expanding lab space capacity, and deepening ecosystem consulting (CIC Catalyst). Strengthening Japan and Asia presence.
- **Direction**: Positioning as a “global leader in driving innovation at scale” – moving beyond traditional real estate into holistic ecosystem orchestration.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Innovators serving innovators” – diverse, creative, and mission-driven environment. Emphasis on DEIB (global DEIB Advisory Committee), employee groups for arts, sustainability, volunteerism.
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office**: Flexible work arrangements where business needs and role nature allow; on-site roles available in multiple locations (Cambridge, Tokyo, Warsaw, Rotterdam, St. Louis, Philadelphia).
- **Perks & Benefits**: Comprehensive health/dental/life/disability insurance; retirement savings; company-paid parental leave; generous PTO; commuter benefits; wellness programs; fitness subsidies; stocked kitchens with inclusive snacks; gender-neutral restrooms; accessible showers; bike parking; game rooms, makerspaces, recording studios.
- **Professional Growth**: Formal and informal L&D, internal mobility, regular performance conversations, organizational transparency, access to a network of 10,000+ innovators.
- **Culture highlights**: Open positions include General Manager, Events Coordinator, Marketing Director, Systems & Network Engineer, Project Associate & Innovation Consultant – showing a mix of global operations, tech, and community roles. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/cic)

## Sources
1. [CIC About Page](https://cic.com/about/)
2. [CIC Careers Page](https://cic.com/careers/)
3. [CIC LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/cicnow)
4. [CIC Job Listings on Lever](https://jobs.lever.co/cic)
5. [Built In CIC Profile](https://builtin.com/company/cic-cambridge-innovation-center)

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