Executive Director, Center for the Environment, Full-Time: Canton, NY
Reporting to the vice president of the university and dean of academic affairs and working closely with the senior leadership team, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders, the executive director will be the founding director of St. Lawrence University’s (SLU) new Center for the Environment (Center). The founding director will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic vision and plan for the Center. Taking advantage of the university’s location nestled between the Adirondack Mountains and the St. Lawrence River and its extended campus with a camp on Upper Saranac Lake and a residential campus in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as the substantive knowledge, expertise, and values of its liberal arts faculty, the Center will provide students with a wide range of academic, experiential learning, community engagement, and leadership opportunities with the potential to earn an Environmental Distinction at graduation. The executive director will collaborate with university faculty, staff, and students to develop and implement environmental programs and initiatives that build students’ knowledge and skills while impacting the St. Lawrence campus, surrounding communities, and wherever SLU students live and learn.
Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate
Qualified applicants will have at least five years of experience managing an environmental or sustainability program or organization. A master’s degree, JD, or doctorate in environmental science, environmental studies, sustainability, public administration, or a related field is expected. Environmental practitioners with significant work experience without an advanced degree will also be considered. Successful candidates will demonstrate knowledge and experience in sustainability and environmental stewardship principles and practices and have connections with systems-change entrepreneurs and advocates working on solutions to environmental challenges. Strong leadership and management skills are required, including excellent communication, interpersonal, fundraising, and organizational skills. Applicants should have a track record of success in grant writing and fundraising.
In addition to the qualifications stated above, successful candidates will be expected to:
- Collaborate with leadership and staff to strengthen, support, and achieve the university’s sustainability goals and objectives.
- Build relationships and environmental programming with local governments, community organizations, and others in the North Country and Nairobi.
- Partner with the Center for Career Excellence to expand internship and post-graduate opportunities in a wide range of environmental fields.
- Identify and secure funding to support the activities of the Center in partnership with the university’s advancement team.
- Identify, promote, and support student and faculty research, funding, and scholarship and creative work related to sustainability and the environment.
- Develop and manage the Center’s budget and fundraising efforts.
- Represent the Center and the university in local, regional, and national sustainability and environmental organizations and initiatives.
- Supervise and mentor staff, interns, and volunteers to ensure the successful operation of the Center.
- Assess programs and prepare and submit regular reports to university leadership, stakeholders, and funding agencies.
History of the Position
An initiative of the board of trustees and president, the Center for the Environment is being created to support the wide range of existing university environmental initiatives. The executive director will develop new projects and opportunities that will advance SLU’s sustainability commitments and provide opportunities for integrative experiences for all St. Lawrence students. The executive director will oversee an initial operating budget of $800,000 (not inclusive of the director’s salary), and there are plans for targeted fundraising in which the new director will play a key role.
Opportunities and Challenges of the Role
As founding executive director of the new Center for the Environment, there are considerable opportunities to shape the Center’s vision through collaboration and input from the wide range of internal and external stakeholders invested in SLU’s commitment to environmental and sustainability goals and initiatives. However, the Center itself is a new type of initiative that will require inclusive communication and internal marketing skills to help students, staff, and faculty understand the mission and goals of the Center and become full stakeholders in its work.
In transitioning to St. Lawrence University, the new executive director will encounter the following additional opportunities, priorities, and challenges, as shared by key campus stakeholders:
- There is a unique opportunity to coordinate a wide range of exciting and substantial environmental initiatives to highlight St. Lawrence’s distinctive contribution to a liberal arts education that fuels students’ passions and provides integrative experiences that support student career opportunities.
- The executive director will be expected to build on SLU’s external communities and organizations to create new student learning opportunities, internships, and career options.
- This inaugural leader must be ready to hit the ground running, creating visible and substantial opportunities in the Center that draw external fundraising support and encourage SLU student, faculty, and staff participation in the Center’s activities.
Measures of Success
The items listed below will define the new executive director’s success throughout the first year of employment:
- Complete the environmental scan initiated by the Center for the Environment taskforce to ascertain what SLU is already doing with regard to environmental initiatives and identify where SLU’s best new opportunities lie.
- Refine the Center for the Environment’s mission, goals, and strategic plan in collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders.
- Establish university recognition for the Center that promotes a clear understanding of how stakeholders can involve themselves in its activities.
- Develop a coordinated outreach plan with the enrollment management and advancement offices to increase revenue through enrollment, retention, and fundraising activities, highlighting the Center for the Environment’s activities and student opportunities.
- Create and implement one or two new signature initiatives for the Center that foster learning, professional development, and career opportunities for SLU students.
- Establish an external advisory council for the Center.
- Provide knowledge and expertise that advances SLU’s sustainability goals.
Learn More and Apply Here: https://spelmanandjohnson.com/position/executive-director-center-for-the-environment/