Director of Texas Water Resources Institute

Job Title

Director of Texas Water Resources Institute

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Research Director Management

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Director - Texas Water Resources Institute

About TWRI : Although established in 1952, Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) became the state’s official water resources institute in 1964, and it is one of 54 institutes within the National Institutes for Water Resources, partially supported by the United States Geological Survey. The Institute is in College Station, Texas at Texas A&M University (TAMU) the flagship of the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), which administers 10 other regional universities. Within this framework TWRI connects multidisciplinary research teams within a national network of water institutes, other universities, and water resources organizations and of course TAMUS.  

Collaboration Strengths: Within TAMU, the Institue is housed within the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (COALS), which administers 4 state agencies, the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Additionally, there are strong connections to the Texas A&M College of Engineering , the College of Arts and Sciences , and the Texas A&M Law School in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as state and federal agencies. Connecting this network with faculty and staff across the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), the Institute serves as a gateway connecting community needs with interdisciplinary expertise.

Appointment and Location:  The Director will have a 12-month appointment and will be linked with a departmental affiliation within Texas A&M University that best fits the candidate’s background and interests. To facilitate communication with leadership and staff, the position will be in College Station, Texas.

Administrative Relationships: This position reports to the Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research with input from the Directors of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service , and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station .

Position Description and Responsibilities:  The Director of TWRI will lead the Institute, which focuses on water-related challenges and applications, including water resources, water quality, water supply, and water use in Texas, the United States, and internationally.

The Director will engage key stakeholders to address existing and emerging water-related needs. The Director will build connections with university faculty in developing research, extension, and education agendas; coordinate and manage multidisciplinary teams; and lead in the pursuit of funding from external sources to address identified needs.

TWRI’s involvement in national organizations is crucial to building and maintaining networks of potential collaborators, identifying emerging national issues, identifying new research directions, and disseminating research results. The Director should be a recognized leader in their area of expertise; a member of national water-related organization(s) including involvement in the National Institutes for Water Resources, discipline appropriate professional societies, and/or other organizations necessary to maintain TWRI’s leadership in national discussions.

The Director will provide leadership, management, and administration of TWRI, including overseeing sponsored and non-sponsored project accounts; providing guidance on communications activities; and managing TWRI faculty, staff, and students. Additionally, the Director will build relationships with other leaders, and work with TAMUS administration to manage key water-related initiatives and other activities to ensure positive management and advancement of TWRI and associated programs.

The Director will lead a talented team of 35+ scientists, support staff and graduate students located in College Station and at regional Research and Extension Centers. The Director will focus efforts on water-related technical needs and policy areas, including water quality, supply, and use in Texas, the United States, and internationally. The Director will lead the operations and administration of TWRI; maintain responsibility for assigned major functional units; and represent the Institute in making key decisions. Additionally, the director will:

• Develop a vision for the continued role of the Institute and the TAMUS in the dynamic environment of water science and policy in Texas and elsewhere;

• Develop collaboration relationships and opportunities with TAMUS faculty and programs;

• Provide intellectual, philosophical, and strategic leadership to TAMUS system faculty and TWRI scientists, staff, and students to enhance teaching, research, and extension missions;

• Develop strategic responses to water-related issues and opportunities;

• Manage human and fiscal resources, including team building and leading a contract and grants program that elevates water-related efforts throughout the TAMUS;

• Provide leadership for continued acquisition of internal and external resources needed to build teams and support activities for planned outcomes;

• Represent the Institute to state and federal agencies, private organizations, partners, collaborators, key industry groups, and international organizations; and

• Liaison with the administration of TAMUS to plan initiatives, convey research and extension information, and pursue fundraising opportunities that will benefit the Institute and TAMUS far into the future.

TWRI Director Qualifications

Required Education/Experience:   The successful candidate should be a well-recognized leader in a water-related field, with a documented record of distinction in one or more of the following: teaching, research, policy and regulatory, government agency and/or extension; and a Ph.D., or J.D. in one or more water-related fields that include, but are not limited to engineering, hydrological sciences, water policy, and environmental management, and at least ten years of direct experience.

• Documented expertise in a water-related field, with a record of scholarly contributions in research, policy, water-law, and/or extension;

• Demonstrated ability to engage with stakeholder groups, identify critical issues, and then act on those needs to fund research and extension activities that bring resolution to problems;

• Demonstrated success in building, supporting, and leading interdisciplinary water-related programs and teams;

• Proven track record in leading and growing projects and programs that collectively achieve an organization’s mission;

• Experience in managing human and fiscal resources.

Preferred Education/Experience:

• Nationally recognized expertise in a water-related field, with a documented record of distinction.

• Education/experience includes a Ph.D. or other applicable terminal degree in water-related, agriculture, engineering, science, law, policy, government or management and fifteen years of post-graduate job-related experience.

• Knowledge of the Land Grant University System and a track record of using research and extension to solve problems and convey practical solutions to stakeholders; and

• Demonstrated experience navigating conflicting interests to achieve accepted practices among groups (e.g., stakeholders; trade associations; county, councils of government; boards; state and/or federal agencies; non-governmental organizations, etc.).

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent English oral, written, and electronic communication skills;

• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty, staff, administration, and stakeholders;

• Ability to manage multidisciplinary and interagency teams, while assuring communication flows among groups and members;

• Ability to utilize leadership skills to inspire Institute employees, manage teams, and invest in individual success of staff members;

• Knowledge of fundraising, where development ideas advance the goals of the Institute;

• Ability to coordinate with broad-based partners and stakeholders to address water challenges statewide, nationally, and internationally;

• Ability to work with and appear before legislative and regulatory bodies as a trusted source of expert knowledge; and

• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Application Instructions

An application should contain:

1) a cover letter which outlines the candidate’s vision for the position;

2) a current resume or curriculum vitae; and

3) contact information for three references.

Review of applications will begin, Dec 10, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.  

Questions?

Address inquiries to Search Committee Chair:

            David D. Baltensperger

            Professor and Head, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

            College Station, TX  77843-2474

            [email protected]

            979-845-3041

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.