OVERVIEW OF POSITION:

The founding Executive Director will lead the development and execution of the strategic plan and vision of a specialized logistics and advanced manufacturing institute to drive growth and sustainability. The duties include creating operational and technical strategic plans through collaboration with the leadership team, stakeholders, and industry; creating and executing strategic roadmaps for the institute’s development; and building/managing relationships with public and private partners and stakeholders. The Executive Director is a dynamic leader with technical and business experience. They are tasked with creating business plans; driving technical execution; directing organizational strategy; overseeing day-to-day activities; driving performance metrics; developing organizational culture; supervising faculty, post-docs, and staff within the institute; and developing/managing the organizational budget/revenue.

ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVE:

The mission of the institute is to create cost-effective, secure, and dependable integrated solutions to support a diverse portfolio of logistics systems for public and private sector partners. This will be achieved by bringing together the best minds in advanced manufacturing and logistics, researching and testing the latest technologies, and developing partnerships that build a highly capable workforce to drive economic growth through advanced manufacturing and logistics excellence.

Research: The institute will identify and obtain funding from public and private sources for active research/projects that drive its mission.

Service: The institute will provide high-quality professional expertise to industry, government partners, and the general public.

Teaching and Professional Development: The institute is committed to developing and delivering curriculum content and upgrades that promote a deeper understanding of the major principles and emerging concepts in advanced manufacturing and logistics. The institute will collaborate with relevant academic institutions, universities, and stakeholder groups on campus and in the broader community to prepare students for postgraduate training and professional employment.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

• Post-graduate education in engineering, logistics, or a related technical discipline commensurate with executive-level professional experience
• Experience working with or collaborating with private and/or public sector partners in advanced manufacturing and/or logistics to deliver best practice performance – with preference for regulated environments/industries
• Demonstrated accountability for delivering sound financial performance, including securing grant/other funding sources and managing to agreed performance standards
• History of developing and implementing strategic plans to grow and sustain an organization
• Demonstrated experience in innovation, anticipating industry trends, corporate governance, and managerial best practices
• An analytical mind capable of “out-of-the-box” thinking to solve problems
• Outstanding organization and leadership abilities
• Demonstrated experience with executive-level written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• Ability to apply successful fundraising and networking techniques

DUTIES: Management Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver a compelling, cohesive, and ambitious vision for the institute aligned to the strategic objectives.
• Support, infrastructure, and planning maximizing collaboration for research opportunities that advance the institute.
• Develop and direct organizational strategy, including creation and implementation of policies
• Provide strategic leadership and vision to staff and associated faculty in identification, proposal, negotiation, contracting, execution, and administration of research, proposals, grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and sub-awards
• Create sound business plans and oversee day-to-day business activities
• Prepare comprehensive budgets, report on revenue and expenditures, and oversee financial accounts
• Engage with community and industry partners to ensure relevance of business strategies and plans
• Coach/mentor staff, including performance management