Executive Director

Journal of Emerging Investigators

JEI: A STEM Education NonProfit

Job Description

 

Executive Director 


About the organization

The Journal of Emerging Investigators, Inc. (JEI) is a multi-national nonprofit STEM education and outreach organization that uses the scientific method -- from hypothesis to communication -- to mentor and educate middle and high-school science students (www.emerginginvestigators.org). JEI was founded to address a large gap in today’s STEM education environment, where K-12 students are not exposed to authentic scientific communication practices, hampering their ability to understand and engage with scientific advances. 


At JEI, we address this need and break down barriers with the online, open-access Journal of Emerging Investigators, a scientific journal operated by over 300 PhD students and scientists to review and publish original, secondary student research manuscripts. Since its inception in 2010, JEI has published over 270 scientific articles from over a dozen different countries, and we project to publish 100 articles in 2020 alone. JEI also operates diverse STEM programming beyond the journal, such as a “mini-PhD” science research camp for public school students, an annual STEM research conference, and an online science mentorship platform that directly connects student researchers with experts in their field. 


JEI is currently headquartered in Boston, USA where a volunteer leadership team consists of 8 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows at local Boston universities and a Board of Directors of 7 professionals. 


The role

JEI is seeking a paid, full-time Executive Director to help transition into the next phase of our growth as a STEM education and outreach non-profit. The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director will be to ensure JEI’s financial stability and to build out our business and managerial practices, including: refinement and execution of a long-term business plan, maintaining and establishing new strategic partners, and coordinating the marketing of our services and resources to student authors, teachers, and other stakeholders. The Executive Director will also be involved in expanding and diversifying our core publication program, and further developing educational programming. We envision this role as a flexible leadership position and anticipate that the successful candidate will bring their own ideas for advancing JEI’s mission to the table.


The Executive Director will be supported by the current volunteer leadership team and will report to the JEI Board of Directors, consisting of business, STEM education, and scientific publishing professionals. 

 
Beyond broadening the overall reach of our programs, JEI’s organizational goals also include the expansion and refinement of our activities to specifically reach and serve underrepresented demographic STEM student populations, and the establishment of independent JEI student chapters that will serve as self-sustaining social groups for our university staff. 


Responsibilities

  • Fundraising and financial growth
    • Refine fundraising plan and acquire stable funding streams from diverse sources
    • Generate quarterly budget to calculate projected expenses
    • Raise at least $150,000 in first year to support Executive Director compensation and continuation of education programs
    • Coordinate payroll and oversee tax & legal concerns
  • Non-profit strategy and business development
    • Coordinated development of JEI’s existing and new education programs
    • Impact assessment and cost-effectiveness of individual programs
    • Management of new program or JEI chapter launches
    • Establishment of strategic partnerships with STEM education and outreach organizations
    • Development of coordinated marketing approach and visual identity
    • Development of short- and long-term strategic plan
  • Staff management
    • Meet on a regular basis with Board of Directors to provide updates and connect board members to the leadership team
    • Oversee and plan efforts of volunteer leadership, conducting bimonthly all-hands meetings to stay abreast of major issues within organization
    • Coordinate across leadership branches to support teams and encourage collaboration
    • Provide miscellaneous support to JEI university chapters across the United States

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of experience working in a non-profit organization, preferably in a leadership capacity and preferably an organization with a STEM-related mission. 


Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s Degree in related STEM or Education field.
  • 2+ years leadership experience in the nonprofit sector.
  • Demonstrated ability to raise significant funds from diverse sources (public, private, corporate).
  • Experience evaluating and executing strategic decisions as a part of a non-profit organization or business.
  • Track record of strong managerial experience and facilitating excellent communication between teams.
  • Highly organized, self-disciplined, and capable of working from home with flexible hours.
  • Willing to travel multiple times per year for conferences and JEI chapter visits.
  • Strong passion and enthusiasm for accessible and high-quality STEM education.

Preferred

  • Prior experience conducting scientific research in a professional setting.
  • Prior experience in secondary STEM education or academic publishing.
  • Significant experience creating and implementing institutional diversity programs in a collaborative way.

Compensation

Base salary starts at $65,000, commensurate with experience, with total compensation exceeding $85,000 (includes incentive pay and health benefits).  Stipends for professional development and travel also provided. 


Materials to Submit

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter describing your interest in our organization and experience to [sarah@emerginginvestigators.org]. Materials should be addressed to Dr. Sarah Fankhauser, Board Chair.  Please include “Application for Executive Director” in the subject line.  


The Journal of Emerging Investigators, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to promoting diversity in STEM. In that spirit, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds in regards to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.


Review of applications will begin April 15th, 2020 

Intended start date: June - September 2020