Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - Program Director, STEM Education Needed!

ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION

Program Director, STEM Education Needed!

 

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation seeks a bright, highly motivated and
well-organized individual with at least 7-10 years of experience for the
position of Program Director to manage its programs in STEM (science,
technology, engineering and mathematics) education, including its
highly-regarded underrepresented minorities Masters and PhD programs.

 

The Program Director serves as the Foundation's key manager of grantee
relationships for the assigned program(s), developing and managing a strong
portfolio of grants that, taken together over time, achieve a significant
impact.  The position shapes this and other assigned program areas and stays
abreast of developments and emerging trends in relevant fields.  The
position initiates collaborations and cooperates with other Program
Directors in areas of overlapping interest; and participates in the
development of overall Foundation strategy and other Program Directors'
strategies.  The position reports directly to the President, Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation.

 

The Program Director is responsible for developing program strategy and
proposal ideas, and effectively managing the processes of inquiry response,
proposal review, grant approval, ongoing grants management and monitoring,
and program evaluation.  In day-to-day operations, the position works
closely with other Program Directors and Vice Presidents, Programs; the
Director of Grants Management; the Vice President, Human Resources and
Program Management; and the Financial Vice President and Board Secretary.

 

The Program Director directly manages one or two (often shared)
administrative staff positions (generally an Administrative or Program
Assistant, and/or Program Associate), guiding, managing, and evaluating all
aspects of the work performed by these positions.

 

Organization:  

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit founded in 1934,
makes grants to support research and education in science, technology,
economic performance and the quality of American life.  As of December 31,
2009 the Foundation’s endowment was $1.6 billion.

 

Qualifications:  

The Program Director position for STEM education requires interest and
expertise in this topic, including increasing opportunities for women and
underrepresented minorities, primarily at the graduate (MS and PhD) level;
and improving the retention rates and shortening time-to-degree for all
students in STEM fields at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  The
successful candidate will also have broad interest in other Foundation
programs.  The position requires a minimum of 7-10 years experience in the
non-profit, public or private sector, preferably in multiple, challenging
assignments or in interdisciplinary scholarship; a Ph.D. or equivalent
degree in science, social science, engineering, and/or education; and a
strong record of achievement and relevant experience.  Breadth of knowledge,
experience, and interests are important attributes for a successful Program
Director at the Foundation.  

 

The Program Director position requires a high level of intellectual,
analytic, problem-solving, leadership, entrepreneurial and management
ability.  The position requires sound judgment and integrity and the ability
to objectively analyze novel situations based on available information,
formulate and evaluate possible courses of action, and to respond or offer
recommendations in an appropriate and decisive manner. The successful
candidate must have the ability to work effectively in a small,
collaborative, and semi-structured environment with other Program Directors
having a wide range of educational backgrounds and experience, as well as
with the Foundation’s managerial and support staff.

 

The position requires superior organizational and quantitative skills as
well as strong oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.  The
position also requires good project, budget, and time management skills.
The position requires proficiency in Microsoft Office 2007 (Outlook, Word,
PowerPoint and Excel), Adobe Acrobat Professional, and the ability and
willingness to learn additional applications and systems in use at the
Foundation, such as the Gifts database software, Google Scholar and ISI/Web
of Science.

 

Compensation:

This is an exempt position.  The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation offers
competitive compensation and benefits.

For consideration,
 please submit a cover letter and resume to Gail Pesyna (pesyna@sloan.org). 

--Sara Xayarath Hernández--

Director, Diversity Programs in Engineering

 Cornell University, College of Engineering