Job announcement: President, School for Advanced Research (Santa Fe, NM)

Presidential Search Announcement - SAR

The School for Advanced Research invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of president.

One of the premier anthropological think tanks in the US, the School for Advanced Research (SAR) is an independent, nonprofit intellectual center dedicated to supporting advanced study and the communication of knowledge about human culture, history, biology, archaeology, and creativity. Founded in 1907, SAR operates with an endowment of nearly $30 million, an annual budget of $3.5 million, and a staff of thirty-eight people. SAR’s flagship programs—Resident Scholar, Advanced Seminar, SAR Press, and the Indian Arts Research Center—support highly creative individuals through residencies and seminars that provide time to think, write, create, and engage in in-depth discussions with other scholars and artists. SAR’s preeminent research collection of Southwest Native American art, housed at its Indian Arts Research Center, serves as a nexus of inquiry and inspiration to artists and scholars.

The beautiful and historic SAR campus is near downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, the oldest capital city in the United States with a population of nearly 70,000. Santa Fe sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet among the vibrant cultures of northern New Mexico including Native Americans from Navajo, Apache, and nineteen Pueblo tribes, as well as Hispanic communities dating to the 1500s. In addition to great museums, arts markets and festivals, numerous commercial art galleries, and the performing arts, Santa Fe is home to the Santa Fe Institute, the Institute for American Indian Arts, St. John’s College, and the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera.

 

Role of the President

The president reports to the Board of Directors and leads SAR’s programs in collaborative research and creative activity of broad significance, building on SAR’s strengths in archaeology, anthropology, history, and Native American art. The president is responsible for guiding the organization towards the goals established in the Board’s strategic plan, general administration, as well as supervising and managing the staff. The president oversees institutional operations, programs, policies, and fiscal affairs, including generating both ongoing revenues and long-term endowment to ensure a sustainable and stable resource base.

The president works collaboratively with a diverse and engaged Board of Directors, which includes business professionals, academic administrators, scholars, artists, and philanthropists. Expectations are that the president will foster a culture of philanthropy that facilitates fundraising; encourage collaborative relationships among the board, staff, grantors, donors, and other research institutes; be SAR's public representative in the community as well as in state, national, and international settings; and ensure that SAR fellows and staff maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and accountability. It is the president’s responsibility to oversee and ensure SAR’s compliance with all legal and regulatory obligations for a 501(c)(3) organization.

 

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate or terminal degree in a field that is relevant to SAR and an established record of professional achievement. We seek candidates of the highest intellectual caliber, integrity, and vision. The successful candidate will apply her or his experience toward shaping an institutional ethos for advancing the state of research, cultivating and nurturing the creative capacities of new and existing colleagues, and disseminating the fruits of advanced research beyond the SAR campus including to the general public and scholarly audiences. The candidate must demonstrate effective performance as an administrator in an academic setting, including fiscal management responsibilities. The ideal candidate will have a reputation for cultivating a working environment of mutual respect and ethical conduct. Other qualities include an intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary scholarship and an open, receptive, and engaged attitude toward innovative and accomplished scholars.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• An ability to inspire a broad range of audiences to support advanced research
• An appreciation and respect for the politics and history of indigenous peoples of the US and the world
• A skill set that can help formulate strategy and vision working in collaboration with the board and staff
• A management style that acknowledges and respects the essential value of a small, cross-trained staff and an engaged, working Board of Directors
• An understanding of and enthusiasm for developing an organizational culture in which administration, staff, and board work together with grantors, donors, and other constituencies to build current and long-term resources

Salary and benefits are negotiable. The president is expected to reside in Santa Fe or its environs. Confidentiality is assured until the list of finalists is identified and interviews are arranged. 

Submissions

Applications in a single .pdf form should include a letter of interest; names and addresses of three professional references (who may be contacted at a later date); and a complete curriculum vitae.
 
Nominations, expressions of interest, and applications should preferably be submitted electronically to:

Carol Sandoval, personnel director at: sandoval@sarsf.org
or by US Mail to:
SAR Presidential Search c/o School for Advanced Research
P.O. Box 2188, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2188.
Review of applications will begin in mid-November and continue until the position is filled.