Director of the Schiller Coastal Studies Center

Posting Details

Posting Details

Title Director of the Schiller Coastal Studies Center Posting Number S00969JP Department Schiller Coastal Studies Center Job Summary
Bowdoin College, a highly selective, undergraduate residential liberal arts college located on the coast of Maine, seeks a dynamic, inspiring, and collaborative leader to serve as Director of its newly expanded Schiller Coastal Studies Center. Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Dean for Academic Affairs, this position offers a unique opportunity to guide the future of the Schiller Coastal Studies Center and contribute to a thriving learning community.

Applications will be reviewed as received, with interviews beginning June 2022.

Schiller Coastal Studies Center
The Schiller Coastal Studies Center , situated among 118-acres of coastal forest, is located approximately thirteen miles from Bowdoin’s main campus. It is a singular site for teaching, learning, and research particularly with respect to studying the ocean, the environment, and the impact of climate change in the Gulf of Maine. SCSC facilities include a marine laboratory with flowing seawater and a sophisticated experimental seawater system capable of simulating climate change; a fleet of small vessels used for teaching and research; and a 155-foot pier and dock used for science and recreation. The pier supports an array of ocean sensors monitoring water quality in real-time, and provides access to the Bowdoin Buoy, a project that allows for continuous monitoring of Harpswell Sound. This year-round coastal campus also includes a single-story, open-studio terrestrial lab particularly suitable for artistic work, a two-story farmhouse with a small classroom and dedicated computer lab, and hiking trails open to members of the Bowdoin community and the general public; the site is also home to the Bowdoin Sailing team. The recent expansion of SCSC, completed in 2021, marks a transformative moment in the history of this site, with the addition of a 4,200-square-foot, state-of-the-art dry laboratory adjacent to the marine laboratory; a 5,000-square-foot Living and Learning Building with a large meeting space, smart classroom, and dining facilities; and three new residential cabins designed to support immersive learning and research, visiting residencies, and community building. The SCSC operates with a talented staff that includes an assistant director, laboratory instructor, research and laboratory support technician, marine operations manager, and caretaker.

Leadership and Organizational Management
The Director, working with a cross-section of the College community, will develop, articulate, and advance a long-term vision for the SCSC and mobilize internal and external stakeholders around it. In advancing this vision, the Director will build strong, positive, and productive relationships with faculty, staff, and students across the College; work with an internal faculty advisory board; and initiate and maintain relationships with external partners and collaborators including other institutions of higher education, industry, research centers, field stations, and non-profit organizations. In partnership with development and alumni relations and the grants office, the Director will help cultivate and steward major donors and institutional funders and will lead efforts to secure institutional grants from government and private funders to support ongoing SCSC operations and new initiatives. The Director will ensure that the SCSC is well managed, with budgetary and operational oversight.

Program Development and Integration
The Director will be responsible for developing new initiatives that leverage the SCSC’s strengths in the study of the ocean and the environment, invite interdisciplinary engagement by faculty and students, and connect to coastal communities, organizations, and industries. The Director will work with faculty across departments to connect curricular offerings on the main campus to the SCSC’s resources and facilities and will help further programmatic connections with Bowdoin’s Roux Center for the Environment, the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies, and the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island.

Research and Instruction
The Director is expected to facilitate, support, and promote research opportunities and scholarly engagement at SCSC for Bowdoin students and faculty as well as those from other institutions, and for visiting scientists and scholars; the Director may build and lead their own research program on-site if applicable. The Director will assist in planning the College’s immersive, semester-long program of instruction on coastal studies and may teach one course a year as part of the program’s curriculum.

Inclusive Excellence
The Director will be responsible for nurturing an inclusive and intellectually engaging environment that attracts and supports exceptional scholars, researchers, students, and staff, and reinforces Bowdoin’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Demonstrate a commitment to valuing diversity and contribute to providing an inclusive working environment.

Work effectively with others and perform to the best of personal abilities to successfully accomplish individual, departmental, and College goals, as well as punctual and regular attendance.

Adherence to and enforcement of College policies as necessary

Other duties as assigned Education/Skills Requirements
Graduate degree required. Applications from all fields are welcome, but candidates must be fluent with issues of coastal and environmental concerns to represent the SCSC among diverse audiences. Record of teaching or scholarly work desired but not required.

The successful candidate must be passionate about Bowdoin’s educational mission and about engaging students, faculty, scientists, scholars, and members of the community with the resources available at the SCSC . The successful candidate will possess (1) a demonstrated ability to translate vision to action, with a proven record of developing and implementing new initiatives; (2) exceptional active listening and communication skills and the ability to relate well to scientists and non-scientists; and (3) the ability to interact with diverse constituents including faculty, staff, students, administrators, funders, and community members. This position calls for strong leadership skills and a commitment to place-based learning and research, community and program building, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Experience Requirements and/or Equivalents
Leadership experience at a research or academic institution, or other relevant organization strongly preferred. Working with undergraduate students (or equivalent) and academic communities a plus. Experience securing external support from private and institutional funders desired. We welcome interest from candidates outside of academia with backgrounds in non-profit administration or other relevant fields. Standard Work Days and Hours
M-F 8:30-5. Occasional Evening or Weekend duties required About Bowdoin
Bowdoin embraces diversity in all forms, and the College is home to talented students, faculty and staff—with a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; religious beliefs; and gender identities, among other factors.

We encourage applications from candidates committed to the support of an inclusive campus community and those who will enrich and contribute to the College’s multifaceted diversity. We value a community in which individuals of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed and encouraged to succeed.

Founded in 1794, Bowdoin has maintained its commitment to the liberal arts for well over 200 years. Bowdoin’s reputation as a preeminent liberal arts college rests on the excellence of its faculty, students, and staff; intimate size; strong sense of community; and connections to the people, history, and natural beauty of Maine.

Bowdoin’s campus is situated in a beautiful natural setting. Located in Brunswick, Maine, a town of approximately 20,000, the College is a short drive from the Maine coast, twenty-five miles from Portland and 120 miles from Boston. Shift Employment Category Full Time Year Round FTE 1.00 Benefits Eligible Yes Pay Type Salaried Background Check Package Requirements Administrative Staff + MVR Is driving a vehicle (e.g. Bowdoin vehicle or off road vehicle, rental car, personal car) an essential function of this job? No Is a pre-placement physical required for this position? No Posting Date 06/03/2022 Applications Accepted Until Open Until Filled Yes Type of Posting Internal/External Special Instructions to Applicants EEO Information
Bowdoin College complies with applicable provisions of federal and state laws that prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment, admission, or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry and national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, marital status, place of birth, genetic predisposition, veteran status, or against qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities on the basis of disability, or any other legally protected statuses. Supplemental Questions

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Applicant Documents
Required Documents

1. Resume / Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents