Director of Mpala Secretariat - Princeton University

Princeton University seeks an ambitious, highly motivated, and experienced individual for a leadership role in its office of international affairs and operations.  Reporting to the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Director will lead a new unit, the Mpala Secretariat, to oversee Princeton’s programmatic and operational engagement with the Mpala Research Centre, a 48,000-acre research campus in Kenya.  The Director will be responsible for operationalizing the University’s role as managing partner of Mpala and leading a dramatic and durable increase in Princeton faculty and student engagement at Mpala.  Beyond the Mpala responsibilities, this individual will serve as a general strategic partner and deputy to the Vice Provost.

The Director will operate with a high level of autonomy and independence and collaborate with a range of stakeholders: the Mpala senior management team; the Vice Provost’s leadership team; colleagues in Princeton’s Office of Finance & Treasury and in the Offices of the Dean for Research, Dean of the College, Dean of the Graduate School, and Dean of the Faculty; and academic department chairs, department managers, faculty members, and students.

This position is based in Princeton, New Jersey and requires occasional work in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. The Director will be engaged in domestic and international travel, including one or more annual trips to Mpala.

Applicants must submit a cover letter. For best consideration, apply by November 1, 2024.

The responsibilities for this role include:

Facilitate Princeton faculty and student engagement at Mpala

The Director will advance the University’s 30-yearlong partnership with Mpala by spearheading a significant and sustainable increase in Princeton faculty and student research, teaching, and learning at Mpala.  Key duties include:

• Develop and implement a strategy to drive broad, multi-disciplinary engagement of Princeton faculty members and students in teaching and research at Mpala. Partner with faculty members, department chairs, and academic deans across the institution to ensure that engagement at Mpala advances Princeton’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Ensure that Mpala has the necessary infrastructure, staffing, and resources to facilitate increased Princeton faculty member and student activities.
• Ensure ethical, equitable, and compliant engagement of Princeton scholars at Mpala and support opportunities for Kenyan and African scholars to be engaged at Princeton.
• Support the new governance structure for Princeton’s relationship with Mpala, including staffing the Princeton Mpala Faculty Council.
• Manage and deploy internal endowment and donor funds to resource Princeton activities at Mpala.

Advance operational, financial, and programmatic priorities at Mpala

Princeton University is the managing partner of Mpala, which means that it has responsibility for ensuring that Mpala continues to be a productive location for research and teaching for Kenyans and visitors from all over the world.  As managing partner, Princeton is focused on its role in advancing basic infrastructure, safety, security, risk mitigation, compliance, crisis management, and communications.  The Director will lead efforts to effectuate this role and serve as a key point-of-contact with Mpala senior management on operational, financial, and programmatic priorities.  Specific duties include:

• Operationalize Princeton’s role as managing partner of Mpala by leading the Secretariat team supporting Princeton’s relationship with Mpala, including supervising an Associate Director. Work closely with Mpala’s senior management including the Executive Director/CEO, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Research Officer.
• Partner with Mpala management and the Associate Director to develop a long-term strategy for Mpala’s financial sustainability.
• Partner with Mpala management in advancing programmatic and intellectual priorities, including increasing the number of African students and scholars at Mpala, strengthening partnerships with African universities, and developing new policies and processes for research administration.
• Partner with the Vice Provost to conceive and implement a strategy to secure funding from foundations, government agencies, multilateral organizations, and corporations to support research infrastructure and programmatic activity at Mpala.
• Participate in Mpala’s board meetings, board strategy sessions, finance committee meetings, and serve on the Mpala Research Advisory Committee.
• Collaborate with the Mpala team to disseminate Mpala-based research to academic and policy audiences outside of Kenya, including at Princeton.

Lead special projects in the VPIAO portfolio

Beyond responsibilities related to Mpala, the Director will serve as a general deputy and strategic partner to the Vice Provost and represent him with key internal and external stakeholders.  The Director will support special projects to support programming, convene key stakeholders, improve communications, and streamline workflow.  For example, they will oversee the process through which the University initiates and maintains legal agreements with international institutions for research, teaching, and exchange.

Essential Qualifications: 

• 10-15 years of experience in international affairs, higher education, or research administration. Strong preference for individuals with experience working with African scholars and institutions.
• Deep understanding of world-class research and teaching, especially in environmental sciences. Extensive experience working with faculty members and students, ideally in a field-based context.
• Demonstrated commitment to international engagement and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a global context.
• Significant experience with financial management. Prior responsibility for developing and managing budgets.
• Self-starter with a strategic, entrepreneurial, creative, and outcomes-focused approach.
• Experience managing and coaching staff and supporting them to reach their full potential.
• Superior organizational and management skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail. Talent for prioritizing among many important tasks in a demanding portfolio and driving projects to on-time completion.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to present and facilitate; ability to discuss complex research concepts with expert and lay audiences.=
• Capacity to work effectively with diplomacy, patience, and flexibility in multicultural contexts. Ability to navigate the distinct cultures of elite higher education and an African field station.
• Ability to build and maintain strong and trusting relationships; influence and persuade without direct authority; and establish collaborative partnerships within and outside the University.
• Strong crisis management and problem-solving skills. The ability to deal with confidential and sensitive information.
• Ability to function with modest administrative support.
• Excellent judgement, humility, flexibility, maturity, diplomacy, patience, and sense of humor.

Preferred qualifications:

• PhD in a science or social science discipline.
• Experience working and living abroad, especially in Africa or other parts of the Global South.
• Demonstrated experience and success in securing funding from foundations, governments, and corporations.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS