Executive Director
Full Time Position – (OPEN)
Senior Management
District of Columbia, Washington, DC, US
The American Political Science Association seeks an Executive Director to serve as the chief executive officer of the Association beginning in or around August 2024. Following more than two successful five-year terms as Executive Director, Steven Rathgeb Smith’s long-planned departure from the role is set to immediately follow the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting in September 2024. We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Smith for his work on behalf of the association and seek a broad pool of candidates for this exciting and challenging position.
To ensure a successful and diverse pool of candidates, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply. We also encourage members to share this announcement widely and to nominate or recommend colleagues for the position. A position announcement, including information on how to apply, is available here. Review of applications will begin on March 8, 2024; the position is open until filled. If you have any questions, please email recruiter@apsanet.org.
The Executive Director Position
The Executive Director is the chief executive officer of the corporation and an ex officio member of the Council. The executive director reports to the Council and works closely with the President and other APSA officials. The Executive Director provides leadership and vision; gives strategic advice to the governing officials and committees and implements their goals; communicates with members; manages the staff and budget, oversees all Association activities; and represents the Association to the outside world.
Major responsibilities include:
- Providing leadership and strategic guidance in policy, program, and service development that anticipate and respond to disciplinary needs and broader issues in higher education;
- Overseeing and supporting program and service delivery including several research grant programs, multiple fellowship programs, and events across a variety of program areas;
- Working to support and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion for the discipline, APSA programming and staff management;
- Communicating with and supporting the political science community world- wide, including political scientists who work in all types of educational environments, government, journalism, think tanks, and business;
- Promoting the use of a variety of types of media, including social media, to reach APSA members and the broader public;
- Representing the Association’s interests to outside parties including the U.S. Congress, foundations, funders, and other associations in the U.S. and abroad; and fostering expansion of APSA’s public face and of political scientists’ contributions to political knowledge and discussion outside the discipline;
- Overseeing the planning and implementation of a large annual conference, along with other virtual and in-person meetings and events, to convene members for exchange of scholarly and disciplinary information, professional development and networking, and conduct of APSA programs and business;
- Coordinating the management of major scholarly journals, and guiding the Association planning for the future of scholarly publishing;
- Directly supervising APSA Senior Staff members and overseeing the work of staff of 35 with diverse professional backgrounds who work in a collaborative culture with approximately 25 working in hybrid arrangement in the DMV and 10 fully remote staff working in the US and abroad;
- Overseeing the management of the Association’s finances including its substantial investments and the preparation of the $9 million operating budget;
- Philanthropic fundraising and continued resource development including new public and private grants.
Further specifications on the duties of the Executive Director are contained in the APSA By-Laws.
Qualifications
Preferred qualifications include a PhD in political science or related field, substantial experience in nonprofit management or academic administration; demonstrated capacity to think creatively and strategically and meet the challenges of a changing environment; outstanding leadership, management, and advocacy skills; sensitivity to and demonstrated experience of constructively working with constituents of diverse interests; a proven track record of resource and program development; a commitment to public engagement on behalf of the association and the discipline of political science; and a deep appreciation of the Association’s commitment to excellence and diversity in research and teaching in all fields of political science.
To Apply
Applicants should submit a 1-2 page letter of interest describing why you are interested in the position as well as how your previous experience connects with the job responsibilities and qualifications as well as a resume or curriculum vitae. Review of applications will begin on March 8, 2024; the position is open until filled.
You can find the full position announcement here. To apply, click the application link here.
The appointment is for one five-year term and is renewable at the discretion of the APSA Council. Salary is commensurate with experience, and a competitive benefits package is provided. Successful candidate will be expected to complete a background check. APSA is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and welcomes applications from anyone with the qualifications indicated above.
The American Political Science Association (APSA)
The APSA is a membership organization with 11,000 active individual and 500 institutional members, both domestic and international. As a scholarly society, APSA core objectives include: promoting scholarly communication, research, teaching, and education about politics and government; diversifying the profession of political science and representing that diversity; increasing academic and non-academic opportunities for members; strengthening the environment for political science, representing the professional interests of political scientists, defending the legitimacy of scholarly research into politics and government; recognizing outstanding work in the discipline; encouraging rigorous ethical and intellectual standards in the profession, and serving the public through disseminating research and preparing citizens to be effective political participants.
APSA activities are wide-ranging, including in-person and virtual conferences and special topic meetings, journals and other publications, research support, recognition awards, job boards and internships, advocacy, administration of a major fellowship program, maintenance of a research center, professional development, and provision of other types of assistance to the discipline of political science and the members. APSA publishes four major professional journals directly, and is affiliated with publication of numerous additional journals through its organized sections. The Association facilitates the work of over 50 organized sections and supports numerous standing and project committees on topics of importance to the discipline and to the political life of the nation. The Association has a long tradition of support for advancement of underrepresented groups in the discipline. APSA staff and committees frequently work with other professional organizations and government entities.
Located in Washington DC, the APSA has 35 staff, $51 million in assets, and $9 million in annual operating revenues, and owns and manages two buildings. The Association, accountable to its membership, is governed by a Council, including elected members, the President, Treasurer and other officers, and ex officio members including the Executive Director. The Association is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation under the federal tax code and is incorporated in the District of Columbia. A complete description of the Association and its activities can be found at www.apsanet.org.