Space Research Institute Executive Director Search

The Georgia Institute of Technology is excited to announce the internal search for the inaugural Executive Director of the Space Research Institute (SRI). This new Interdisciplinary Research Institute (IRI) will build upon the foundation laid by the Space Research Initiative, fostering a diverse and collaborative community including scientific, engineering, cultural, and commercial research that pursues broadly integrated and innovative projects with global impact on Earth and in space. SRI aims to lead the nation in catalyzing space discovery, training, policy development, and economic growth, inspiring the next generation of researchers.
Qualified candidates within the Georgia Tech community are invited to apply for this pivotal leadership role and help shape the future of space at our institution.
Town Hall
The office of the Vice President of Interdisciplinary Research hosted a town hall event on November 19, 2024 to keep the Georgia Tech space community informed about the search process and to answer questions, as well as to receive feedback about the search and what people wish to see in a future executive director. The event was recorded and is accessible at this link through Georgia Tech networks.
Search Committee
Search Committee Chair
Martha Grover, Professor and Thomas A. Fanning Chair in Equity-Centered Engineering, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies; ADVANCE Professor, College of Engineering; Savannah River National Laboratory Joint Appointment School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Search Committee
Morris Cohen, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Charles Domercant, GTRI
Paul B Foster, School of Modern Languages
Jon Goldman, Office of Commercialization
Frances Rivera-Hernandez, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Margaret E Kosal, School of International Affairs
Alexander Lerch, School of Music
Gongjie Li, School of Physics
Alex Oettl, Scheller College of Business
Tai Winters, HR Manager (Non-voting/support)
Ashley Mastin, Faculty Affairs/HR (Non-voting/support)
Rob Kadel, VPIR Team (Non-voting/support)
Punya Mardhanan, VPIR Team (Non-voting/support)
Job Description: Executive Director, Space Research Institute (SRI)
Overview: Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.
About Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.
Georgia Tech's Mission and Values: Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:
- Students are our top priority.
- We strive for excellence.
- We thrive on diversity.
- We celebrate collaboration.
- We champion innovation.
- We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
- We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
- We act ethically.
- We are responsible stewards.
Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.
About Georgia Tech Interdisciplinary Research Institutes: Georgia Tech has nine Interdisciplinary Research Institutes (IRIs) that bring together researchers from different disciplines to address topics of strategic importance to the Institution as well as local, state, national and international communities. Reporting to the Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research (VPIR), these institutes facilitate initiatives that cross disciplinary boundaries. This includes work that tackles national and international challenges and questions related to climate change, clean energy, public health, biotechnology, the bioeconomy, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductors.
Through the Office of the VPIR, Georgia Tech also supports the administration of interdisciplinary research through programming and fiscal management, prioritizing career development for research faculty and staff, and promoting and amplifying the impact of IRI-led research with proactive communications and representation in national thought leadership roles.
About SRI: Georgia Tech's Space Research Institute (SRI) is composed of faculty and staff across campus who have a common interest in space exploration and discovery. Collectively, SRI will research a wide range of topics on space and how it relates to human perspective and be an ultimate hub of all things space related at Georgia Tech. It will connect all the research institutes, labs, facilities, and colleges to pioneer the conversation about space in the state of Georgia. By working hand in hand with academics, business partners, and students we are committed to staying at the cutting edge of innovation.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job Close Date: February 25, 2025
Job Summary: The upcoming Space Research Institute (SRI) at Georgia Tech seeks a visionary and dynamic leader to serve as its inaugural Executive Director. The SRI is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge research in space-related fields, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and establishing strong partnerships with industry, government, academic, and international organizations. The Executive Director will lead the Institute's strategic vision, nurture a culture of innovation, and champion initiatives that position Georgia Tech, via the SRI, as a global leader in space research and exploration. This is an internal search only.
SRI reports centrally through the Georgia Tech Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, the ED will work with campus leaders, other IRI EDs, and faculty from across campus to execute SRI's goals. Like all IRI EDs, SRI's new ED will be expected to allocate 50% of their effort to the leadership of the IRI and 50% to their primary faculty affiliation, which could be in any of Georgia Tech's academic colleges or research units.
Responsibilities:
- Unifying Vision: Develop and communicate a unifying vision for space research and innovation at Georgia Tech, integrating life, physical, and social sciences, engineering, humanities, and other disciplines.
- Interdisciplinary Research: Advance interdisciplinary research by integrating scientific, engineering, computational, and humanistic approaches.
- Collaboration Building: Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across IRIs, institutes, colleges, and schools, building a cohesive space-related community that aligns with Georgia Tech's mission.
- Translational Research: Support efforts to translate fundamental space research discoveries into societal, and technological advancements. Support the commercialization of intellectual property and work closely with the Institute to address regulatory challenges in translational research.
- Comprehensive Strategies: Develop strategies to engage underrepresented disciplines and perspectives, fostering a comprehensive and collaborative research environment.
- Student Advocacy: Serve as an advocate for students and faculty, promoting experiential learning opportunities and facilitating connections with industry and professional networks, while fostering collaboration and acting as a unifying link among a variety of stakeholder groups, including students, faculty, external collaborators, and donors.
- Funding Initiatives: Secure funding for infrastructure, facilities, and initiatives, including potential capital projects, and manage external funding, including grants, philanthropic contributions, and industry partnerships.
- Global Partnerships: Lead the development of advisory panels and external partnerships to enhance SRI's impact locally and globally.
Desired Expertise for the New Executive Director:
- Manage large-scale research programs with significant budgets, personnel, and complexity.
- Oversee administrative processes, enabling researchers to focus on innovation by minimizing bureaucratic barriers.
- Foster collaboration across institutes, colleges, and schools, building a cohesive space-related community that aligns with Georgia Tech's mission.
- Develop strategic initiatives and partnerships with industry, government, and philanthropic stakeholders and create self-sustaining revenue streams.
- Engage with industry leaders, government agencies (e.g., NASA, NSF), international collaborators, and philanthropic organizations to secure funding and partnerships, promoting technology transfer and commercialization of research outcomes.
- Fundraise through grants, partnerships, or philanthropy.
- Unite research from a variety of perspectives and experience supporting and mentoring colleagues and trainees with many backgrounds and experiences.
- Pursue the addition and advancement of shared facilities and physical resources that can enhance a wide range of space-related activities.
Required Qualifications
- Credentials that merit faculty appointment as tenured Professor, Professor of the Practice, or Principal Research Faculty, as outlined in the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook.
- A national or international leader who is a faculty member in one of the Colleges at Georgia Tech or GTRI, who has a history of deep engagement and impact in interdisciplinary space-relevant work.
- Experience securing and managing external funding such as grants, philanthropic contributions, and industry partnerships.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage distinct audiences and build consensus.
- A commitment to transparency, and the advancement of a distinct research community.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
- Visionary leadership with the ability to inspire and rally a distinct interdisciplinary community around a shared mission.
- A collaborative approach to leadership, with the ability to balance advocacy for space research with institutional priorities.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively promote SRI's initiatives externally and internally.
- Patience, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the nuances of leading systemic change.
Contact Information: For any further details, please contact Rob Kadel at rob.kadel@gatech.edu.
USG Core Values: The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.
Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.
Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.
More information on these policies can be found here: https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/c2714 Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).
Other Information:
Candidates are requested to submit the following:
- A curriculum vitae and
- A letter of interest (not to exceed four pages) that summarizes your qualifications and includes a brief statement of your vision for SRI. The reference section may be skipped in the application but please note that reference letters shall be requested for finalists.
- The contact information for five references will be requested. (to be contacted with candidate's permission at a later date).
Background Check: The candidate of choice will be required to pass a pre-employment background screening. http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/pre-employment-screening.
How to Apply
Please follow the step-by-step instructions to access the SRI Executive Director job posting in OneUSG.
- Log into OneUSG Connect using the link: https://oneusgconnect.usg.edu/
- Navigate to Employee Self Service located on the top left of the screen and click on the drop down arrow to choose the Recruiting Self Service tile.
- To review job openings and apply: Click the Apply for Jobs tile
- Click on the first option to View All Jobs
- Search using the job id# 280891 in the search bar
- You can use the Apply for Job option to submit your application
- The required documents for this application are:
- A curriculum vitae and
- A letter of interest (not to exceed four pages) that summarizes your qualifications and includes a brief statement of your vision for SRI. The reference section may be skipped in the application but please note that reference letters shall be requested for finalists.
- The contact information for five references will be requested (to be contacted with candidate's permission at a later date).
- To check the status of your submitted application:
- Click My Job Applications link
- View Application Status