The START Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of START's University of Maryland headquarters. This involves oversight of START's full-time staff as well as coordination and cooperation with offices throughout the campus, including those that help to manage START's grants and budget and the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Dean in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
The Executive Director works closely with the Director of START to develop and implement strategies for START to achieve its long-term goals as a university-based research and education center. This involves identifying and developing relationships with key partners for the center and representing START, its mission, and its research projects and educational programs at meetings, workshops, presentations, and briefings with audiences from the private sector, academia, the non-profit sector, and the business community, as well as public officials at the Federal, state, and local levels.
The Executive Director is the primary point of contact between START and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, START's primary founder. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that START meets reporting requirements for all of its awards, as well as responding to ad hoc requests for information and updates from DHS S&T about START, its projects, and its operations. The Executive Director is also responsible for ensuring that the center's short- and long-term financial situation is strong and sustainable.
It is the responsibility of the Executive Director to ensure that START researchers, spread out around the United States and the world, are kept informed of relevant START developments and operations. In addition, the Executive Director develops the programming for the annual meeting of all START researchers each Fall to maximize opportunities for START researchers to learn from one another and for START leadership to identify its most promising research projects.
Required Qualifications for Position:
- Masters Degree related to terrorism studies, homeland security, public policy or social science
- Minimum 5-7 years experience managing research projects, programs, or centers, including management of full-time staff as well as part-time researchers and/or students (3-5 years required if applicant has PhD).
- Successful record in identifying and securing outside funding (via grants or contracts) to support research and educational programs.
- Experience working with government agencies at the Federal, state, and/or local level
- Demonstrated experience in reviewing research and/or program evaluation
- Very strong communication skills, both written and oral, for a broad range of audiences
- High level of comfort with computer technology (especially Microsoft Office)
Preferred:
- PhD in social or behavioral science field or in a field related to terrorism studies
- Experience conducting research regarding the causes and consequences of terrorism
- Training in social or behavioral science research methods (quantitative and/or qualitative)
- Knowledge of research-funding sources in the public and private sectors, and experience working on and managing grant/contract-funded programs or projects.
- Involvement in development or implementation of educational or professional training programs
- Salary for this position will be commensurate with successful applicant's level of education and experience, starting at $90,000.
The successful applicant for this position will be entitled to the full University of Maryland benefits and leave package. Apply online at https://jobs.umd.edu/. For best consideration, applicants must apply by September 28, 2011. Position will remain open until filled.
The University of Maryland, College Park, actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.