Associate Director

Colorado State University, United States

Updated: 10 months ago
Location: Fort Collins, COLORADO
Deadline: 04 Jun 2023

Posting Details
Posting Detail Information


Working Title Associate Director
Position Location Fort Collins, CO
Work Location Position is fully in-office/in-person
Research Professional Position No
Posting Number 202300854AP
Position Type Admin Professional/ Research Professional
Classification Title Management II
Number of Vacancies
Work Hours/Week 40
Proposed Annual Salary Range 100,000 - 135,000
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for eligible employees in the following University benefit areas:https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ and https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/ . To see the value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, visit our compensation calculator – https://hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator/ .
Desired Start Date 07/01/2023
Position End Date (if temporary)
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 06/04/2023
Description of Work Unit
Founded in 1870, Colorado State University is among the nation’s leading research universities and enrolls approximately 32,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Located an hour north of the Denver metro area, Fort Collins is a vibrant community of approximately 157,000 residents that offers the convenience of a small town with all the amenities of a large city. Fort Collins is situated on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains with views of 14,000 foot peaks, and offers access to numerous cultural, recreational, and outdoor opportunities.
The Energy Institute is operated under the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at Colorado State University. The Institute builds on the long history of work in energy at CSU and is intended to foster greater collaboration among energy faculty across all eight colleges with broad access to new facilities for faculty and industry partners. The mission of the CSU Energy Institute is to accelerate the development, scaleup and adoption of clean energy and climate solutions on a global scale by harnessing the unique resources at Colorado State University. The institute seeks to accomplish this mission by accelerating energy and climate solutions research, developing and disseminating solutions, supporting entrepreneurship, promoting education, and supporting the development of informed policy. It is an institution wide program with participation by researchers from all colleges headquartered at the Powerhouse Energy Campus. The campus is a 100,000 sq ft laboratory collocating faculty, researchers, educators as well as energy and decarbonization focused private companies. https://energy.colostate.edu/
Position Summary
The Associate Director is an executive level position partnering with the Executive Director and Operating Director of the Energy Institute in fulfilling the department’s mission by ensuring efficient operation of the department through communication and collaboration with each of the area leads (outreach, communications, finance, engineering, research, etc.). This highly impactful position is involved in all facets of the departmental operations and plays a key role building and executing partnering strategies designed to increase impact of efforts aligned with EI’s mission and vision. The Institute is growing and needs a highly motivated individual to join the team, which is building Powerhouse II, an expansion of the current campus as well as re-envisioning the department for the next 10 years of success.
Required Job Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Five years of increasingly responsible experience serving on a team of senior management or executive-level staff, including experience leading and managing projects in a cross-functional team environment
  • Demonstrated effective communication skills with the ability to present technical and non-technical content to various stakeholders for tours and presentations
  • Experience creating professional content and communications for diverse stakeholders
  • Experience working in an environment that requires adaptability, independent management of competing demands, and adjustments to frequent change.
  • Demonstrated organizational, and problem-solving skills.
  • Effectively working with dynamic, diverse groups to include research sponsors and partners, families, students, faculty, alumni, professionals, university leadership and others.
  • Experience exercising sound judgment and discretion when working with confidential information.
  • Demonstrated commitment and promotion of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Including promoting CSU’s Principles of Community
    • Inclusion, Integrity, Respect, Service, and Social Justice

  • Strong computer skills in database management (including troubleshooting). Experience and working knowledge of accounting and information systems and the ability to resolve complex problems using a variety of tools including Microsoft Office and financial reporting software.
  • Ability to independently manage workflow processes and schedules.
  • Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license by the employment start date.
  • Must have the ability to work non-standard hours, including nights and/or weekends, and travel in and out of the state
  • The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by the position start date as department will not sponsor a visa for this position.
Preferred Job Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or related field and coursework
  • Strong working familiarity with policies, procedures, and financial rules of large organization
  • Demonstrated ability to be donor centric, building relationships, working collaboratively, strategically, and with integrity.
  • Demonstrated experience in alliance management with a variety of partners
  • Distinctive record of accomplishment with incorporating diverse perspectives within a team
  • Experience in higher education preferably within an administrative or academic unit.
  • Ability to review existing processes and identify gaps, provide recommendations, build a strategy to solve, and then implement solutions
  • Experience with technical writing and professional content creation
Diversity Statement
Reflecting departmental and institutional values, candidates are expected to have the ability to advance the Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Essential Duties


Job Duty Category Business Development and Relationship Building
Duty/Responsibility
  • Lead efforts to increase alignment, mutual understanding, and trust between collaboration participants by facilitating relationships with research sponsors, donors and potential new partners, activities include hosting site visits, tours etc.
  • Recognizes the importance of collective strength, knowledge, and information. Builds effective strategic alliances internally and externally. Initiates and develops strong working relationships with colleagues across CSU.
  • Strategically facilitate relationships with researchers, staff, and CSU administration by providing accurate information, problem solving techniques and strategies
  • Provide strong organizational leadership and project management mentorship
  • Solve partner or research sponsor related issues that arise quickly and effectively, work diligently to ensure relationship is preserved throughout dispute process
  • Establishes standards and procedures for overseeing the effective and efficient daily operations of people, processes, and systems at the Energy Institute. Interacting with peers in an effective, supportive manner. Use discretion and maintain confidentiality of information, as appropriate, in all matters.
  • Interact with a wide variety of constituents, both internal and external to CSU, such as CSU Administration (President, Provost, Vice Presidents, Deans); Department heads, faculty, campus personnel; project agencies; federal and state officials; national and international delegates; faculty; staff and students.
  • Carries out executive-level initiatives authorized/delegated by the Institute Directors to ensure comprehensive department oversight.
  • Makes executive decisions to prioritize requests for the Institute Directors and carries out delegated decision-making.
  • Communicates on behalf of the Institute Directors (across all media types and all audiences as necessary for the circumstances) as well as attending and presenting at events.
  • Determine when and where to route issues and requests to other appropriate leadership
  • Facilitate Institute Directors’ decision-making by researching, assembling, and coordinating relevant supporting documentation and recommendations.
  • Recognize and exercise extreme discretion as appropriate over sensitive issues (including those related to personnel, constituents, political figures, university leadership, and others).
  • Apply sound decision-making to ensure the Institute Directors are aware of all matters requiring attention, and to triage high-level administrative concerns on behalf of the Institute Directors.
  • Act as confidential liaison between the Institute Directors and other university administrators on campus such as the Vice Presidents, Provost, Directors, College Deans, as well as external stakeholders.
  • Determine, collect, direct and/or compile necessary information in response to ad-hoc or recurring requests including annual reports or activities. Often this requires the need to determine the appropriate information data points and identify valid, reliable sources across multiple units and individuals. It further can include extremely sensitive information and very short response timelines.
  • Working in collaboration with the Institute Directors, VPR communications team, and EI communications lead, this position will serve as an internal communications strategist, responsible for the content, and tone reflective of the department’s strategic vision, timing in coordination with events or initiatives, and delivery methods to engage faculty, researchers and staff from across campus.
  • As a member of the executive team, it is crucial that the incumbent participates in education and initiatives related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and promote and engage these principles within their work and leadership at the Energy Institute.
  • Execute and deliver special projects and assignments as delegated by the Institute Directors.
Percentage Of Time 75
Job Duty Category Collaboration and Process Improvement
Duty/Responsibility
  • Establishing and ensuring smooth execution of agreements with external partners, such as the protocol for formal governance meetings and procedures for decision making, project team meetings, data exchange, and other kinds of interactions
  • Anticipate changes in partnerships, manage transitions smoothly and serve as the partnership’s memory, as well as facilitating complex discussions with the partner to map a way forward when unanticipated situations or institutional decisions in either party trigger the need for change
  • Attend university and college meetings as needed to be informed about policy changes and impacts to Institute operations. Clearly understand CSU processes and impacts to external partnerships Improve internal processes and policies in support of organizational goals.
  • Liaison with Energy Institute Executive Director, Operating Director and campus leadership in the development of strategic plans for operation, growth, and development.
Percentage Of Time 10
Job Duty Category Direct Tenant Occupied Space
Duty/Responsibility
  • Leasing agent for leased space including identification and active recruitment of potential tenant companies Energy Institute signature authority on Facilities Use Agreements (leases) for Research Enterprise Partners Zone (office and lab space located at the Powerhouse which is leased to clean-tech entrepreneurs).
  • Direct operations of the leased space at the Powerhouse; on-boarding new tenants and coordinating with the CSURF Real Estate Office, and the CSU Office of General Counsel.
  • Negotiate and manage the IT contract with network vendor for public Wi-Fi in common areas, and coordinate tenant-managed network services for leased spaces.
Percentage Of Time 10
Job Duty Category Manage External Advisory Board
Duty/Responsibility
  • Schedule meetings, coordinate the setting of agendas, and prepare related materials including an EAB brief sent in advance of every meeting
  • Coordinate all meeting logistics including travel reimbursements and associated events
  • Manage meeting outcomes by ensuring minutes are recorded and tracking action items to ensure completion
  • Serve as an External Advisory Board ex-officio (non-voting) member
Percentage Of Time 5

Application Details


Special Instructions to Applicants
Please submit a cover letter which addresses how professional experiences align with identified required and preferred qualifications of the position; a current resume; and the names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three (3) professional references. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates. If you have questions, please contact Kate Laughery, [email protected]
Conditions of Employment Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Valid Driver’s License, Travel
Search Contact Kate Laughery, [email protected]
EEO Statement
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.
The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, [email protected] .
The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University’s Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, [email protected] .
Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education .
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

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