The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government

Position Open: Director

Organization
The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York (SUNY)

Location
Albany, NY

Reporting Relationship
The Director reports to the President of the University at Albany and serves as a Senior Advisor to the Chancellor of SUNY.

Contact the Search Committee
Interested candidates should forward a cover letter and resume to: cheri.griffin@kornferry.com. Recommendations for potential candidates should be sent to the same address.

Position Overview

The Director is responsible for the management, administration, fiscal health and the long-term success and prominence of the Institute.  S/he is responsible for providing both day-to-day and strategic leadership for the organization, including oversight and direction of its research activities.  S/he would have the opportunity to become a tenured member of the University of Albany facility.  Beyond simply carrying on the Institute’s current programs, the Director will set goals for future distinction and implement plans to achieve those goals. The Director will devote substantial efforts to fundraising (through solicitation of corporate, foundation, and individual donations), and work with New York State Legislature and executive staff to ensure that the Institute continues to be well-supported. S/he will partner with stakeholders including federal officials, local government and nonprofit organizations, business leaders, academics, and the media.

The Director will also be appointed by the Board of Trustees to concurrently serve as Senior Advisor to the Chancellor. This will enable the Director to play a major role in advising on University-wide matters and to allow the Institute to bring its expertise to bear at the Chancellor's request on national and international public policy issues to which the institute’s work is germane.

It will be the responsibility of the director to enhance the Institute’s stature and broad linkages. As such it is the Chancellor’s intention to provide the Rockefeller Institute with space in the SUNY Global Center in New York City and to provide a direct link with SUNY's Washington, D.C. office.

Under the current configuration, the Director has immediate supervisory responsibility over Directors for Finance and Administration; Publications and the Institute Press; the Fiscal Studies Program; the Urban and Metropolitan Studies Program, the Federalism Studies Program; Higher Education Studies; the New York State Network for Economic Research; and a Special Assistant to the Director. 

The Director will be expected to:

• Articulate and build stakeholder support for a strategic vision that enhances the Institute’s role in policy, public affairs, and academic arenas, thereby burnishing its image.  S/he will have the capacity to turn this vision into reality. 
• Provide advice and counsel to the Chancellor on special projects on an as needed basis as Senior Advisor.
• Develop and support the strategic goals, including academic mission, of the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
• Provide administrative support to facilitate and promote academic excellence in the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
• Develop and implement a fundraising plan to increase Institute revenues—and more broadly, to develop and implement annual budgets and long-range fiscal plans that ensure the Institute’s success.
• Publish both scholarly and public policy-oriented papers, articles, and books that are relevant to the Institute’s areas of strength that explore important and emerging areas, and break new analytical ground.
• Serve as the Institute’s chief external representative and principal spokesperson.  This involves making presentations at scholarly conferences, public policy fora, in the media, and in regular dealings with university and government officials.
• Explore opportunities to build the Institute’s presence in New York City and Washington, DC.
• Work in collaboration with leadership across all SUNY campuses to identify new areas of interest and opportunity for the Institute and incorporate expertise from across the SUNY system in the Institute’s work.
• Recruit, retain and manage a talented team of researchers and senior staff.