Director of the IDEAL Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

Lafayette College invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the IDEAL Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. One of the nation’s most academically competitive and selective residential undergraduate institutions, Lafayette College offers a distinctive combination of programs in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and in engineering, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year. Lafayette is in Easton, PA, a city in the Lehigh Valley within easy reach of New York City and Philadelphia.

The Director will have the extraordinary opportunity to lead a Center that is a presidential priority. The Center encourages innovation and entrepreneurship as a way of addressing societal challenges and demonstrating the value of a liberal arts education. Established by the Lafayette College board in 2013, the Center has relied on part-time faculty leadership, but will now be led by a full-time Director reporting to the Provost. The Center will be housed prominently in Lafayette’s $75 million Integrated Sciences Center, which is designed by Payette Architects and scheduled to open in 2019.

Overall Responsibilities:

• The Director will rely on an active board of faculty and partners to plan and carry out initiatives
• Working collaboratively and relying on close communication with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external partners, the Director will champion the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship for student education at a liberal arts college
• Clarify a bold and practical vision for the future of the Center
• Manage existing and attract additional resources to facilitate the Center’s mission

Qualifications:

• In addition to an advanced degree, the ideal candidate for the Director’s position will have five to ten years or more of operational experience, background in either commercial or social entrepreneurship (along with the desire to work in both areas), and experience and knowledge of higher education, including the academic study of entrepreneurship
• We seek a builder, collaborator, and innovator who values and wants to contribute to the life of an academic community
• Is adept at establishing and managing relationships with social and commercial entrepreneurs, as well as with faculty, community, and alumni partners
• Able to arrive at a prescient vision for innovation and entrepreneurship at a liberal arts college
• Has the ability to bring creative and relevant programming and partnerships to life
• Able to represent this initiative well in person and through communications media on and off campus
• Enjoys working with students
• Has experience in managing budgets and allocating resources strategically, and experience in identifying and pursuing external funding
• Able to demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion

To apply, please use the following service: https://apply.interfolio.com/38651. Send nomination, and queries in confidence and electronically to:

Director of the IDEAL Center Search

Lafayette College

provostoffice@lafayette.edu

Lafayette College is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications

from women and minorities.