Full Professor and Director, Center for Climate Change Communication

The State of Virginia is hiring a Full Professor and Director for the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. This full-time, 9-month tenured position includes responsibilities for research programming, collaboration with stakeholders, fundraising, and overseeing center operations. The role also involves teaching graduate courses and conducting interdisciplinary research. The university encourages diverse candidates to apply, emphasizing a commitment to inclusivity.
About the position

The Department of Communication at George Mason University seeks to fill the position of Director of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. This is a full-time 9-month tenured faculty appointment at the Full Professor level in the Department of Communication. The additional assignment of 4C Director is a 12-month position that includes summer responsibilities. Our university has a strong institutional commitment to achieving excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff and strongly encourages candidates who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment to apply. Working in close collaboration with a range of internal stakeholders (including the leadership of the Department of Communication and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, other Mason climate-related centers [e.g., Virginia Climate Center] and institutes [e.g., Institute for Sustainable Earth], and Mason 4C faculty, program directors, staff, and students) and external stakeholders (including funders, partner organizations, government agencies, civil society organizations, and policymakers), the Director leads the Center's strategic research and programming initiatives and ensures the necessary resources are in place to advance the Center's mission to the fullest extent possible.

Responsibilities
• Establishing the Center's research and communication programming priorities
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• Being ultimately responsible for all Center activities and operations
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• Leading the collaboration between the Center and internal and external stakeholders, including the Center's Advisory Council
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• Leading Center development and fundraising activities and ensuring that Center fiscal resources are utilized strategically and in compliance with university and sponsor regulations
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• Supervising the Center's faculty, Associate Director, and program leads
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• Overseeing all core functions of the Center including marketing and communication activities, program management and reporting to program sponsors, administrative infrastructure including IT and financial management support systems, and financial operations and human resource requirements
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• Building and sustaining community and engagement among Center faculty, staff, students, and collaborators
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• Program development, strategic oversight, and operational supervision for Mason 4C communication programs
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• Supervises 4C faculty and staff
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• Acquires and manages partnerships with external organizations in academic, government, and the civil and private sectors
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• Oversight of all Mason 4C development, fundraising, marketing, and communication activities
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• Financial oversight for all 4C activities
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• Participates in media interviews to represent the work of the Center
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• Engages with the Mason 4C Advisory Council
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• Writes grant proposals to support 4C research
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• Conducts disciplinary (communication) and interdisciplinary (climate change) research with Mason faculty, students, and colleagues beyond Mason
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• Publishes research in journals, monographs, and books, including self-published Mason 4C polling reports and research briefs
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• Teaches graduate courses in climate & sustainability communication and other undergraduate courses
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• Serves as faculty advisor for doctoral and master's students
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• Serves on comprehensive examination committees for doctoral students
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• Chairs or serves on doctoral dissertation committees for students
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• Mentors Mason 4C post-doctoral fellows
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• Serves on standing and ad hoc committees for the Department of Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the university
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• Conducts peer reviews for relevant journals, funding agencies, and APT committees at other universities
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• Advises government agencies, civic organizations, professional societies, and other organizations seeking to enhance their climate communication initiatives

Requirements
• Terminal degree in a related field
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• A doctoral degree in communication or a related field
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• Progressively responsible leadership and management experience including proven effectiveness in conducting strategic communication research and public communication programs to advance important societal goals
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• A track record of supervisory, administrative experience, and fundraising effectiveness to support applied research and/or strategic communication initiatives
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• Must be eligible for appointment with tenure at the rank of full professor
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• A strong understanding of climate change including its causes, impacts, and risk management options to interact effectively on a peer basis with senior internal and external stakeholders, community members, scientists and policymakers from science to society
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• Capacity for long-term strategic planning to advance the center's mission and goals

Nice-to-haves
• Experience with supervising grants or research center, and collaborative work
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• Ability to secure external grants

Benefits