Associate Director, Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of the Program on Sustainability Policy and Management, the incumbent will be responsible for supporting wide-ranging functions for the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management at the Climate School. The Associate Director will have two primary areas of responsibility : overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Research Program, including administrative, operational, and financial management of multiple research projects, and supporting fundraising and stewardship activities.

The Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the financial functions of the Program to ensure that activities operate within the guidelines of the University and various sponsors. The Associate Director will manage all aspects of pre- and post-award grant management for sponsored projects, and management of the unrestricted accounts, as well as administrative functions in order to advise stakeholders on the overall financial health of individual projects, as well as the overall Program. The incumbent creates and maintains detailed task plans and assignment of tasks; ensures measured tasks remain on schedule and on budget; maintains status of work product and monitors activities of team members; tracks issues / risk, prioritizes, summarizes resolution and escalates to the Director, Associate Directors of Research or PIs, as needed. The Associate Director works with Central University and other departments to resolve problems and clarify processes as needed.

In addition to financial management, the Associate Director will provide comprehensive administrative management for the Program, particularly in the areas of procurement, human resources, and communications / event planning. Responsibilities will include training and hiring junior personnel, including 3-4 interns at any given time. The incumbent will be responsible for the Research Program's website updating and maintenance, and drafting external communications, including articles for the State of the Planet blog about the Program's research activities. The Associate Director will be responsible for coordination and logistics planning for events, seminars, workshops, and conferences, as well as for overseeing planning and staffing meetings, managing the progress of action items, and following up on those items as necessary to ensure timely completion. She will also be participating in the center's strategic planning, including but not limited to fundraising, partnership opportunities, staff recruitment, data management, etc.

The Associate Director is a central player for the Program's development activities, providing input on overall funding strategies and working with the research team and faculty to advance the range of activity and priority funding needs. The incumbent will support the productivity of the Program's scientists by editing and consulting on grants; maintaining sound knowledge of the Program and its research priorities, and using that knowledge and understanding to seek and recommend grant, donor, and partnership opportunities. The Associate Director will assist in proposal writing and in the editing and submission of papers, articles, white papers, and reports. The Associate Director will stay abreast of research, trends, and innovations in sustainability policy and management and provide support for the PIs in their work as needed. The Associate Director will support stewardship activity, drafting final reports for sponsors and regular updates, and letters for donors. The incumbent will engage with audiences and stakeholders to promote the Program's research agendas and assist the team to proactively engage with a range of stakeholders, partners, policymakers, and audiences for various initiatives.

Responsibilities

Operations Management :

• Oversees the creation and maintenance of detailed task plans, ensuring efficient assignment and execution of responsibilities.
• Manages project timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring tasks remain on schedule and within budget.
• Maintains oversight of work product status, team activities, and issue tracking, escalating critical matters to the Director or senior leadership as needed. Provides comprehensive day-to-day operational oversight for the Program, particularly in finance, procurement, and human resources.
• Manages program expenses and budgets through university financial systems, ensuring accurate financial tracking and compliance.
• Takes primary responsibility for maintaining precise financial records, reconciling all accounts monthly, and processing invoices, check requests, wire transfers, reimbursements, travel advances in CONCUR.
• Manage and provide programmatic support for the program's wide-ranging activities including organizing meetings , public outreach events, conferences, and.
• Leads the recruitment, hiring, training, and supervision of student interns and administrative staff, while supporting the hiring process for future research staff.
• Maintain abreast of research, trends, and innovations in sustainability policy and management, and as requested by the Principal Investigators, engage in research support, assisting in desktop support of literature reviews and provide support for formatting and preparation of white papers and other practice-oriented reports.
• Draft external communications, including blog articles for the State of the Planet related to the Program's research activities and initiatives.

Fundraising and Stewardship :

• Maintains a comprehensive understanding of the Program and its research priorities and uses that knowledge and understanding to seek and recommend grant, donor, and partnership opportunities.
• Actively seek out potential opportunities, discuss potential funding opportunities with the Director and research team, and take the lead role in facilitating all aspects of relevant opportunities.
• Support stewardship activity, drafting regular updates and letters for donors, preparing materials and PowerPoint presentations for donor updates, and participating in donor meetings as requested.
• Maintains an organized pipeline of potential donors and partners, noting any changes in status, and provides regular updates to the research team.
• Engages with audiences and stakeholders to promote the Program's research agendas and actively collaborates with the team to proactively engage with a range of stakeholders, partners, policymakers, and audiences for various initiatives.

Grant Management :

• Oversee and manage all aspects of pre- and post-award grant management for sponsored projects, and management of the unrestricted accounts.
• Assist in the drafting, editing, and submission of grant proposals, and final reports for sponsors, as well as research papers, articles, and reports. Ensure awards are received and implemented appropriately.
• Monitor and coordinate grants, ensure deadlines are adhered to. Works closely with central university departments and external departments to resolve any issues, clarify processes, and ensure smooth operations for the program as needed.

All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required and a minimum of 5-7 years of experience.
• Excellent writing, interpersonal, and communication skills are necessary.
• Must be able to function independently and to exercise discretion and judgment in sensitive matters.
• Familiarity with fundraising concepts and proposal preparation, and the ability to give clear and concise presentations of complex and / or scientific materials.
• Must have excellent organizational skills and be extremely detail-oriented.
• Broad computer skills required, including word-processing and databases.
• Excellent analytical and research skills required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in an environmental field strongly preferred
• Preference will be given to candidates who have work experience and / or a degree in a field related to sustainable development and experience with administrative work, handling multiple tasks with deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with project management software is a plus. Experience with grant-writing preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.