Job Description

General Summary

The College of Education and Human Development is seeking a tenured, equity-minded leader who can advance our college mission, in leading the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). The Director will also hold a qualified Associate/Full Professor position in an academic unit within the College of Education and Human Development. The Director is responsible for providing overall direction and oversight for the ICI thereby implementing the ICI’s mission and values. The Director will work with senior staff to integrate operations, program development, strategic planning, academic and scholarly pursuits and external relationships across all interested partners and entities. The incumbent will be the public leader of the ICI and will help facilitate the integration of the activities of the ICI into the activities of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), as well as other institutes and centers of the University of Massachusetts Boston; and coordinate all ICI activities occurring at Boston Children’s Hospital. Specific areas of responsibility include strategic planning, organizational leadership and development, management of the ICI’s diverse programs and functions. The Director will supervise the Associate Director and core senior faculty/staff. The Director serves as the director of the University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and holds an appointment at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The incumbent is expected to lead with innovation, new ideas for future directions and growth, integrate with the college and be entrepreneurial in creating funding opportunities and partnerships that are not traditionally available. The incumbent will work in collaboration with the Associate Director and other senior leadership staff of the and will assume responsibility for the strategic development of new directions, develop and/or oversee the development of a portfolio of grants, contracts, fee for service and internal, as well as external funding; and be responsible for the development and maintenance of relationships with external public and private entities, organizations and programs in and outside of the University and Hospital community.  The ICI has a distributed workforce, and the Director needs to ensure that staff have shared identity / commitment to the mission and a collaborative work ethic across projects and regions.

Example of Duties

• Oversee and direct the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI’s) leadership structure (including strategic planning, organizational design and management); help set future directions for the ICI addressing high priority needs in research, training, service, capacity development, innovation and policy development across the life span of persons with disabilities; guide the ICI in the recruitment of staff and the development of new partnerships; and serve as the overall manager of all ICI activities at the planning, operational, implementation and financial levels; 
• Work with funding entities (e.g., foundations, federal) and local/state/federal/international agencies and/or organizations in developing additional resources to support the mission and programs of the ICI; work with funding entities, professionals, educators, researchers, policy makers, community programs and providers of services, families, persons with disabilities, elected officials and public entities in addressing high priority needs and areas of interest in the research, training, technology, technical assistance, capacity development, policy development, program innovation and dissemination at the international, national, state, regional and local levels; 
• Foster the creation, maintenance and advancement of collaborative working relationships with allied entities, including international, federal, state and local public and private agencies and organizations, trade associations, professional organizations, institutions of higher education and the private sector (businesses, community human service programs, consumer organizations as well as advocacy organizations);
• Manage the development of materials that will facilitate knowledge generation, capacity building and replication of promising or evidence based practices in the disability community;  support the dissemination of materials and findings through academic vehicles (journals, peer reviewed publications, conference presentations, curricula development), ICI publications, public media, advocacy entities and formal pre-service and in-service training for professionals and leaders in the disability community nationally as well as internationally;
• Guide and advance the establishment of evidence-based practices that will insure the inclusion of persons with disabilities regardless of age or condition in community settings;
• Develop and expand the relationship of the ICI within CEHD academic departments, centers, and institutes as well as other Colleges at UMass Boston (i.e., establish joint submission of grants; training and mentorship for student graduate assistants through the design, development and implementation of shared basic and applied research as well as training activities);
• Develop and expand the relationship of the ICI at Children’s Hospital Boston as well as other institutions of higher education through the design, development and implementation of shared basic and applied research as well as training activities and technical assistance activities that are funded through external resources;
• Represent the ICI on various public boards, task forces and organizations that are consistent with the mission of the ICI and support the implementation of that mission at the international, national, state and local levels;
• Supervise the senior staff of the ICI including the Associate Director and other senior leadership staff
• Provide oversight for administrative, marketing and communication, and finance functions of the ICI in collaboration with the Associate Director
• Work in collaboration with the ICI finance team, CEHD’s research team, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs in support of operations and grantsmanship.
• Represent the ICI’s interests in all administrative meetings of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) including service on the UMB Council of Centers and Institutes;
• Oversee and play a leadership role in the staff development activities of the ICI and represent the needs and interests of the ICI and its staff to the leadership of the SGISD and CEHD at UMass Boston and the Division of Developmental Medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston;
• Serve as the PI for the ICI UCEDD Core grant and work with the Director of the LEND program at Boston Children’s Hospital to effectively support collaboration across the two programs.
• Continue to build the leadership and global presence of the ICI internationally, nationally and at the regional and state levels, serving as the representative of the ICI in related venues in these settings; help to educate policy makers on evidence-based and innovative practices that support the inclusion of persons with disabilities;
• Maintain a strong working relationship with the academic, research, policy, community providers and advocacy organizations in the various community settings including UMass Boston, other institutions of higher education, Children’s Hospital Boston and entities at the local, state, regional, national and international levels;
• Serve as a member of the leadership team for the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) representing the interests of the ICI within the School, College and the University;
• Mentor SGISD graduate students and support graduate student mentorship across ICI; while teaching is not the primary role, the incumbent will have tenured appointment (associate/full professor) within a department in CEHD;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

A Ph.D. or other doctoral degree and a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in a disability or related field with demonstrated leadership in a multidisciplinary center in a disability or related organization required.  Extensive experience and expertise securing external funding as well as developing and implementing strategic planning and organizational partnerships is required. Prior university teaching, grantsmanship, administrative, research, management and leadership experience, a history of contributions to the disability field and community service and the ability to organize, manage, prioritize and ensure effective completion of multiple projects is required. A strong and positive track record in securing external funding for projects from public as well as private sources is required. The incumbent is required to travel locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. As the UCEDD director, the incumbent will hold an appointment at Boston Children’s Hospital. The incumbent will also need to be granted tenure in one of CEHD programs with a research agenda that supports CEHDs’ and ICI’s missions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a disability or related field and a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in an academic and/or executive leadership and managerial role in an organization focused on disability and/or related issues preferred.
• Tenured faculty appointment in an academic unit at a research university.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated and significant accomplishments in the securing of external funding for projects from public and private sectors including, but not limited to, governmental agencies, foundations, business and community organizations and associations;
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• Proven administrative and management ability within a transdisciplinary professional environment and proven ability to work across disciplinary boundaries and administrative structures with a variety of stakeholders;
• A record of critical scholarship in the field of disability (Dis Crit) or related field, nationally invited presentations, substantive community service; recognized expert in the field of disability research, services, supports and/or policy development;
• Recognized and prominent role in the field of disability and/or human service supports, community services, training and research;
• Strong leadership and management skills across a range of settings including academia, business, public and private organizations and agencies as well as community organizations. 
• Demonstrated performance in strategic and financial planning and program/budget analysis and ability to operate within budget parameters;
• Outstanding interpersonal, written, organizational and project management skills;
• Proven problem-solving skills including innovation, flexibility and creativity with a clear capacity to work effectively and efficiently in a blended academic and entrepreneurial environment;
• Proven technical expertise and imagination to catalyze new basic and applied research directions, technology applications, program innovations, contract development, and external fund development;
• Ability to analyze and collect information from diverse sources, apply professional principles in performing various analyses, and summarize the information and data in order to solve problems and offer insights into program impacts; and
• Demonstrated leadership skills including the ability to build productive teams and motivate individuals at all levels of an organization in the pursuit of common goals.

Application instructions:

Please submit the following materials through the application portal. The materials include: (a) cover letter including a statement of research, teaching and leadership experience, as well as how they advance ICI's mission and our college mission particularly as it relates to community engagement (b) curriculum vitae; (c) names and contact information for five professional references; and (d) representative publications (i.e., links to at least three samples of scholarship published in academic venues such as peer-reviewed journals, academic books, and conference proceedings).

For questions, please contact the Director of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development/Associate Dean for Innovative Research and Community Partnerships: S. Tiffany Donaldson, Ph.D. (tiffany.donaldson@umb.edu).

UMass Boston expects to pay within an approximate range between $135,000 to $205,000 which includes the Director stipend. 

The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on the consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend an offer of employment. Exceptional candidates may be considered for salaries above the published range to ensure competitiveness within the academic market.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.

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