About the Department:

George Mason University’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) puts George Mason research and scholarship into action for a more just, prosperous, and sustainable world. It serves as a networking organization designed to connect diverse faculty, staff, and students across all of George Mason’s academic units with each other and with local, national, and global partners to build vibrant communities of research and practice, enable transdisciplinary research of consequence, and foster an innovation ecosystem in northern Virginia that is focused on advancing and scaling solutions to societal grand challenges. The ISE community includes over 500 faculty and student researchers who conduct research in the natural sciences, social sciences, computational and data sciences, engineering, and humanities across all areas of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ISE fosters partnerships focused on end-use research impact. Our growing network includes dozens of community-based organizations; local, tribal, state, and regional governments; professional associations; research collectives; and international environmental organizations.

About the Position:

The Associate Director acts as a collaborative, strategic, and insightful leader to ensure successful initiatives. Reporting to ISE’s Executive Director, the Associate Director works collaboratively with the ISE team, George Mason leadership, and faculty to develop and manage programs and initiatives that catalyze, develop, and scale transdisciplinary research efforts across the university. The Associate Director connects the university, faculty, and students with key stakeholders – including local, state, and federal agencies, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and private sector partners – to enable opportunities for George Mason faculty and students to collaborate externally. The Associate Director actively identifies opportunities for strategic engagement within the George Mason community, works with faculty to identify internal and external partnerships essential to expanding their research and scholarship and cultivate partnerships to facilitate novel research-to-impact initiatives that align with the SDGs.

Responsibilities:

Drive and Advance Transdisciplinary Research:

• Collaborates with leadership and faculty to identify strategic opportunities for developing and scaling faculty-led transdisciplinary initiatives – including those expected to emerge from the university’s forthcoming Grand Challenges Initiative. Enhances and implements ISE’s Network Catalyst Program by facilitating the formation of transdisciplinary research teams, connecting these teams with research development resources, and providing strategic planning support to help scale their efforts effectively.

Identify and Cultivate External Partnerships:

• Proactively identifies and establishes relationships with external organizations to support the ISE community’s transdisciplinary research goals. Fosters mutually beneficial partnerships that advance transdisciplinary research and research impact initiatives. Coordinates the development of collaborative projects that integrate diverse perspectives and expertise from both ISE and external stakeholders. Facilitates smooth collaboration between internal and external partners to achieve project goals.

Provide Project Launch Support:

• Works closely with faculty to facilitate the rapid launch of newly acquired large-scale transdisciplinary grants. Develops project plans outlining key milestones, deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities for the grant launch. Coordinates and aligns the efforts of grant stakeholders, including faculty, administrative staff, and external partners. Provides strategic guidance on job descriptions, qualifications, and recruitment strategies to ensure the right talent is hired quickly and efficiently. Facilitates faculty engagement with the Office of Sponsored Programs to ensure all necessary contracts, agreements, and compliance documents are prepared in a timely manner.

 Pursue Grant Funding:

• Identifies opportunities and prepares grant proposals to expand resources for ISE’s programs and initiatives. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Relevant experience (typically 4+ years) managing transdisciplinary research teams and/or partnership development;
• Broad knowledge of sustainability science and practice;
• Ability to effectively coordinate, communicate, and collaborate with faculty, staff, administrators, sponsors, and stakeholders across multiple disciplines; and
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in related field;
• Relevant experience (typically 6+ years) managing transdisciplinary research teams and/or partnership development;
• Experience developing and managing programs;
• Experience developing major proposals for external support;
• Experience working to put research into action through innovation ecosystems and/or public policy engagement;
• Experience with research administration in a large, dispersed university environment;
• Demonstrated program and/or project management skills with the ability to manage multiple, simultaneous work streams;
• Ability to effectively cultivate and manage partnerships;
• Highly effective collaborator and team member;
• Effective problem-solving and decision-making skills;
• Demonstrates adaptability and resilience to change and complexity; and
• An understanding of research translation processes.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Associate Director, Institute for a Sustainable Earth at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date:  December 5, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 6, 2025 

Open Until Filled:  Yes