Executive Director, The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation

Department
 

AI Mansueto Institute

About the Department
 

The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation at the University of Chicago is seeking an Executive Director to help set and implement strategic goals for the Institute, identify growth opportunities, and oversee the Institute's internal operations and external engagement. The Executive Director will report to the Institute’s Faculty Director, Professor Luís Bettencourt. The Executive Director must have a proven record of partnership development, policy engagement, urban stakeholder engagement, and staff management. This is a senior-level position, which provides the creative opportunity to work directly with a network of leading academics and policymakers to lead high impact urban research and practice.

Job Summary
 

Reporting to the Faculty Director, the Executive Director will serve as a key leader for the Institute with primary focus on continuously developing, enhancing, representing, and effectively overseeing programming and operations. The Executive Director will take a leadership role in developing support strategies ensuring the continued success of the Mansueto Institute while generating new and creative events and initiatives. The Executive Director will also work closely with key campus partner offices. In conjunction with the Faculty Director, the Executive Director manages the work of the Institute’s other staff.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, builds, and manages strategic relationships, including with University-affiliated organizations and individuals, funders, academic organizations, and other urban stakeholders.
• Identifies, builds, and manages strategic relationships with University-based partner organizations, including institutes and centers, academic departments and divisions, and other groups.
• Develops and executes strategy to facilitate effective outreach to parties interested in the work of the Institute and represents the Faculty Director and the Institute in national and international collaborations, conferences, and consortiums.
• Develops and executes a development strategy to support the Institute’s strategic goals in consultation with the Faculty Director and central University development. Engages with donors and development prospects to represent the strategic and philanthropic goals of the Institute.
• Meets with and builds relationships with key partners in governments, non-profits, foundations, aid agencies, and the private sector.
• Develops relationships with foundations and federal program officers to obtain new grants or renewals. Advises on proposal development, progress reports, and the negotiation of terms of awards as needed.
• Provides ideas, structure, and leadership, in coordination with the Faculty Director, for the development of events and programs, including seminars, conferences, and workshops.
• Promotes an organizational culture that fosters commitment to the Institute’s mission, excellent work, and building and maintaining a collaborative, inclusive, interdisciplinary, and multi-cultural work environment.
• Develops and advises on personnel recruitment and retention strategies that pursues diversity and excellence and assures competitive recruiting status.
• Manages program operations and administrative functions which may include planning and scheduling, program evaluation, policy implementation, personnel administration, budget, marketing, fundraising and proposal development.
• Contributes to design of program content, policies and strategic planning efforts.
• Works closely with faculty, students and other leaders across campus to foster experimentation and multi-disciplinary inquiry and teaching by coordinating and developing Center programming. This may include workshops. Conferences, colloquia, training programs, community outreach, etc.
• Oversees a communication strategy and marketing efforts aimed at increasing the visibility of the Center. Collaborates with others to make the center a valuable resource to all students and contributes to the broad goals of creating a stronger campus community.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Master’s or PhD. 

Experience:

• Ten years of administrative, managerial, and/or program management experience.
• A minimum of five years of directly related work experience in an organization of similar size and complexity.
• Fundraising and development experience, both individual giving as well as corporate, private and federal grants.
• Experience with program planning, budget management, and staff management.
• A minimum of two years of program management or related experience.
• Experience in higher education and research. 

​Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of standard computer programs such as Word, Excel, Adobe, standard email and internet applications, and graphics programs.

​Preferred Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Communicate to large groups as well as one-on-one with faculty and others.
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.
• Prioritize, delegate, and manage effectively.
• Understand and communicate goals and progress.
• Work under pressure.
• Attention to detail and rigorous reasoning.
• Demonstrated success in navigating the challenges of working within a complex, decentralized environment.
• Exposure to, and an understanding of, an academically rigorous research university environment.
• Use of analytical and problem-solving skills to exercise sound, self-motivated, independent, and ethical decisions.
• Successfully manage a workload which balances long-range planning with the unanticipated daily demands of managing a busy operation.

Working Conditions

• Travel domestically and internationally.
• Work some evenings and weekends.

​Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

People Manager

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.