Executive Director, School of Forestry

Executive Director, School of Forestry

Location: School of Forestry

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Job ID: 607540

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Workplace Culture

NAU aims to be the nation's preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility, and driver of social impact by delivering equitable postsecondary value in Arizona and beyond.

https://nau.edu/president/strategic-plan/

About NAU

Northern Arizona University serves almost 30,000 students. We are a vibrant community, with 21,000 students in Flagstaff—the home of our largest campus—and the remainder online or at our 20+ statewide locations. Our institution has carefully integrated on-campus education with distance learning, forming seamless avenues for students to earn degrees.

Committed to an inclusive university environment, NAU has all the benefits of a large institution with a personal touch. We carefully balance teaching, scholarship, and service for faculty members. Supporting our core value of student-centrism, NAU's faculty members promote learning and help students reach academic milestones.

Flagstaff is an outdoorsy mountain town with four seasons and a thriving cultural scene. Located at 7,000 feet, Flagstaff houses 70,000 people and sits at the base of the sacred San Francisco Peaks.

For more about inclusive excellence at NAU, visit the https://in.nau.edu/center-for-university-access-and-inclusion/.

About the Department/College

The School of Forestry (SoF) has 25 faculty (tenure-, teaching- and research-track) administering an SAF-accredited Forestry BS degree plus an active graduate (an online MF, and in-person MF, and MS and Ph.D. degrees) research program in forestry. Our building is shared with the USDA Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station. Flagstaff has a population of 76,000 year-round residents and, at 7,000 feet elevation, is in the world's largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest. The SoF has a long tradition of experiential learning for NAU forestry students in the NAU Centennial Forest and neighboring national forests. The NAU Centennial Forest is the University's research, teaching, and demonstration forest — a cooperative venture between Northern Arizona University and the Arizona State Land Department. At nearly 50,000 acres, the Centennial Forest covers the spectrum from windblown desert grasslands to stately ponderosa pine forests. Flagstaff and Coconino County are rich in sites of anthropological/historical significance and feature numerous national parks and monuments throughout the Colorado Plateau, including the Grand Canyon.

Northern Arizona University is a 20,000-student institution with its main campus in Flagstaff, a four-season community at the base of the majestic San Francisco Peaks. The total student enrollment for the SoF this fall semester is 344. NAU's emphasis on undergraduate education is enhanced by its graduate programs, research, and distance learning. The University is committed to a diverse and civil working and learning environment.

About the Position

Northern Arizona University invites nominations and applications for the position of Executive Director of the School of Forestry housed in the College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS). NAU seeks a strategic, visionary leader to shepherd a nationally recognized forest science curriculum into the future and to grow its internationally active research enterprise.

The Executive Director will collaborate with the college's academic leadership team to pursue a strategic agenda to build high-value programming that serves diverse students through inclusive academic excellence. Duties include overseeing educational programs, fundraising, and recruiting/retaining outstanding and diverse faculty, staff, and students. As the school's leader, the executive director is expected to collaborate across campus and champion the school's vision, goals, and achievements within the University and the community.

NAU seeks a dynamic administrator with proven ability to lead the school, who embodies a philosophy that promotes inclusive excellence. The successful candidate will support students of all backgrounds. The next Executive Director will advance the role of the School of Forestry as a leader in contributing solutions to climate adaptation, recognizing the needs of diverse societies inhabiting Arizona, including indigenous cultures, rural communities, and Arizona's rapidly growing urban centers. NAU seeks an individual who effectively engages with regional, state, national, and international partners and stakeholders to strengthen existing connections and develop new directions that support success among the faculty, staff, and students. They will be a spokesperson for the long-term vision of the School of Forestry. The Executive Director will be approachable, compassionate, supportive of the CEFNS team, and an inclusive decision-maker. They will be a person of integrity who listens well and communicates transparently.

The Executive Director reports to the dean of CEFNS. The executive director will develop productive relationships with institutional administration, faculty, staff, students, alums, industry, and community partners.

Responsibilities Include:

• Oversees ongoing committees.
• Develops and implements School policies and procedures.
• Acts as liaison with the community, students, faculty, and staff in facilitating university programs.
• Promotes the faculty development process.
• Serves as a representative of the University at state, regional, and nation meetings as assigned.
• Assists with the developments of long and short-range goals and strategic plans.
• Provides technical advice and problem-solving assistance and answers to questions regarding goals, and policy interpretation.
• Conducts surveys/studies relevant to organizational management.
• Completes reports related to recruitment, special programs, and professional development.

This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.

Minimum Qualifications

• An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) from an accredited institution in a natural resource science/management discipline; AND one degree in forestry, forest science or an applied, allied discipline (e.g., agroforestry, fire, wildlife, or watershed sciences).
• Demonstrated instructional and scholarly activity commensurate with the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
• 1 to 2 years of administrative experience in academic leadership (e.g., a chair or director of a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate academic unit).

Preferred Qualifications

• A record of collaborative leadership that would facilitate engagement of the School of Forestry with university strategic goals and initiatives.
• Disciplinary expertise that fits with the School of Forestry's Mission Statement, teaching, and research needs.
• An adaptive leader with a proven record of innovatively promoting program excellence and prominence at the university, state, and national levels.
• Collaborative experience working with natural resource enterprises, including private-sector industries, governmental agencies, and/or non-governmental organizations.
• An understanding of interagency policy development, workforce needs, program implementation, and information sharing and communication in the natural resources sector.
• Experience in fundraising and alums relations.
• Leadership experience that will contribute to the success of students, faculty, and staff.

Compensation & Benefits

Commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

This is a Faculty (FAC) position. NAU offers an excellent benefit package including generous health, dental and vision insurance; participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) or the Optional Retirement Program (ORP); sick leave accruals and 10 holidays per year; and tuition reduction for employees and qualified family members. More information on benefits at NAU is available at the NAU https://nau.edu/Human-Resources/Benefits/. Faculty are hired on a contract basis, renewable according to terms of the http://nau.edu/Provost/Resources-Policies/. Employees offered a position will be eligible for state health plans (including NAU's BCBS Plan). Employees will have 31 days from date of hire to enroll in benefits, and their benefits will then be effective the first day of the pay period following their completed enrollment. If a new employee chooses the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) retirement option, participation in the ASRS Plan (and the long-term disability coverage that accompanies it) will begin on the first of the pay period following 183 days of employment. New employees who choose to participate in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP; an alternative to the ASRS plan) will begin to participate on the first day of the pay period following election. The long-term disability plan that accompanies the ORP will begin on the first day of the pay period following election. More information about NAU benefits is available at the NAU https://nau.edu/Human-Resources/Benefits/.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Additionally, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States. Finally, each year Northern Arizona University releases an https://in.nau.edu/police-department/annual-security-and-fire-safety-reports/. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the https://in.nau.edu/police-department/annual-security-and-fire-safety-reports/ is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

FLSA Status

This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore will not earn overtime or compensatory time for additional time worked.

Submit Your Application

Vacancy will remain open until filled. Applications received before November 20, 2023 will receive full consideration.

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button at the end of the job description (if viewing this position through the NAU HR website). Otherwise, to view the original post and to apply, proceed to http://nau.jobs, follow the 'Current Openings' link, locate vacancy 607540, and then "Apply" at the bottom of the page.

Application must include (saved as PDF and/or Word documents):

• a cover letter highlighting your particular qualifications for this position;
• a curriculum vitae; and
• names and contact information for three references.
Please do not include any other documents.

If you need assistance completing your application there are instructions available on the https://in.nau.edu/human-resources/employment-application-instructions/ or in person in the Human Resources Department located in Building 91 on the NAU Campus - on the corner of Beaver and DuPont Streets.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, http://DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Northern Arizona University is a committed Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. NAU is responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

https://in.nau.edu/Human-Resources/Posters-Required-by-Law/

NAU is an Employer of National Service. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other National Service alumni are encouraged to apply.

To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/4717952

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