Arboretum Director

The mission of the Arboretum is to conserve and restore Arboretum lands, advance restoration ecology, and foster the land ethic. The Director oversees all activities at the Arboretum, a center within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR).
Founded in 1934, the Arboretum serves as a research and teaching center that includes remnant and restored ecosystems and classic horticultural areas for use by campus students and educators, as well as tens of thousands of members of the public annually. The Arboretum is the site of the first successful prairie restoration and serves a worldwide community of scholars, researchers, and practitioners engaged in restoration, research, and education. It is an urban greenspace visited by close to a million people a year, with over 1200 acres of natural areas and gardens and 17 miles of trails. It offers a variety of educational programming, including summer day camps, lecture series, classes, and guided hikes. Hundreds of volunteers help carry out mission-related activities.
Created as a field research and teaching laboratory for university faculty and students, the Arboretum has a long history of scholarship in the field of ecological restoration and management. The Director is expected to continue this tradition of research excellence.
The Arboretum Director reports to the Vice Chancellor for Research and works in collaboration with University and Community Advisory groups, including the Friends of the Arboretum, the Arboretum Board of Visitors, and the Arboretum Committee. The Director provides leadership to approximately 30 full and part-time staff members and is responsible for overall strategic direction that informs day to day management of the Arboretum.
Roles and responsibilities of the Arboretum Director include the following:
Provide leadership and vision to affirm the Arboretum's leadership position in the fields of ecological restoration and conservation research, practice, and education.
Develop major short and long-range policies to guide the Arboretum's programs and activities.
Administer and facilitate Arboretum research and outreach programs.
Work with Arboretum staff to plan and direct the development, management, and preservation of the Arboretum's biological communities (restorations and remnants) and plant collections, and the maintenance and development of the Arboretum's buildings and infrastructure.
Supervise, encourage, and evaluate the performance of Arboretum staff; facilitate staff program initiatives, including professional development; and support working relationships with a diverse community within the Arboretum and with other partners.
Oversee administration, management, and budget of the Arboretum.
Communicate effectively with Arboretum stakeholders, including donors, leaders in the Wisconsin environmental community, Native Nations representatives, volunteers, and neighbors, among others.
Foster a culture of development and fundraising by providing leadership and direction to staff and volunteers involved in fundraising and development activities, ensuring that all efforts are aligned with the organization's goals and priorities.

• 25% Provides leadership and vision for a research environment that accommodates a diverse range of activities related to the mission of the center/institute
• 10% Creates a scientific climate that fosters creativity, collaboration, and productivity in research, and ensures the scientific success of the center/institute
• 10% Maintains knowledge of significant developments in scientific fields relevant to the research mission of the center/institute
• 10% Represents the center/institute in national and international domains
• 20% Identifies, develops, and directs all center/institute activities to maximize efficiencies and align operations with overall strategy and mission
• 10% Develops and audits the unit budget in accordance with established rules and regulations
• 15% Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Preferred
Terminal Degree
Ph.D. (or near completion of PhD) in biological science, environmental science, conservation science, natural resource management, or other related field with a strong record of research and at least ten years of leadership experience in Environmental or Biological Research, or effective leadership of an organization similar to the UW-Madison Arboretum.

Commitment to the fields of ecology or conservation research, practice, and education documented by a strong record of research and scholarly publications.
An understanding of the importance of formal and informal environmental education and participatory science.
Inspirational leadership and organizational skills, with an emphasis on teamwork and open communication and the ability to work with a diversity of people and programs.
Demonstrated ability to oversee a diverse fundraising portfolio (grants, donations, and program revenue) in support of research, land care, or outreach activities.
Experience that includes budget, personnel, public policy issues, and successful program development (preference given to previous leadership experience in an academic research or outreach setting).
An ability to work collaboratively with internal and external constituencies including university administrators, non-profit agencies, community organizations, alumni, advisory groups, neighbors, and the public.

Full Time: 100%
It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $150,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; and retirement benefits. Benefits can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/  

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position. Please be aware that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position, you will have to provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply Now" button and use the online UW Job Application system to submit the following: a cover letter highlighting your qualifications as they relate to the position and a current Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Dr. Florence Hsia
[email protected]
608-262-1250
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Research Center Director(RE105)

A34-OVCR/ARBORETUM/ARBORETUM

Limited

289499-LI