Miami University Seeks Executive Director of Paper Science and Engineering Foundation

The Paper Science and Engineering (PS&E) Foundation at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA, is searching for an executive director. The executive director is the key operating officer of the PS&E Foundation and is responsible for all functional aspects of the organization. These include revenue generation, scholarship distribution, long-term planning and analysis, appropriate records management, support to several entities such as the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, sub-committees, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Other responsibilities include the direction of various Foundation initiatives, coordination with certain Miami administrative departments, and other functional activities that arise from time to time. This position directs the activities of the Foundation’s assistant director. The executive director reports to and is responsible to the president of the board of trustees. 

With PSEF/Company Members: 

• Provide all necessary support to the Executive Committee, such as meeting planning issues identification, record-keeping, periodic updates of day-to-day program activities including a standard monthly report. 
• Prepare annual budgets of the Foundation, review with the Finance Committee, and obtain Board approvals. Monitor budgets throughout the year and report regularly to the Finance Committee and the Board. 
• Coordinate and guide consistent communications and reporting formats between committee chairs and the Executive Committee. 
• With the Nominations Committee, identify desirable candidates for seats on the Board of Trustees and for officers of the Foundation, as well as key committee positions.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the Membership Committee, develop and implement plans to expand the number of corporate and individual members of the foundation and increase member contribution revenue; play roles, as needed, in securing annual membership renewals. 
• With the Enrollment and Sholarship Committee, encourage student enrollment in the programs supported by the Foundation and establish appropriate scholarship levels consistent with the Foundation’s resources. 
• With the Endowment Committee, develop and implement plans to grow the endowment. 
• Guide and counsel the Academic Committee and the Facilities Committee as they serve the needs of the department chair and the faculty. 
• Interface between corporate member companies and students, facilitating internship/co-op and permanent employment opportunities. 
• Initiate a variety of communications such as regular newsletters, membership renewal letters, and annual reports. 
• Plan and oversee the Foundation’s Annual Meeting in the spring of each year. 

• Maintain a strong working relationship with the Office of the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing, using a structure of quarterly meetings that include the chair of the Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering Department. 
• Maintain a strong working relationship with the Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering faculty. 
• Coordinate activities with Miami administrative departments such as the Treasurer’s office, Advancement Services, Admissions, Career Services, Alumni Services, Conference & Event Planning, and others. 
• Consistently promote the Foundation within Miami University through high visibility articles on the PSEF and CEC websites by working with the Dean’s Office representative. 

With Students: 

• Serve as mentor in leading students to choose the Paper Science minor, exposing them to internship and co-op job opportunities, and helping them think through their choices for final job placement. 
• Provide resume and interviewing skills advice in conjunction with Miami’s Career Services office. 
• Play leadership role in accompanying students on annual TAPPI/PIMA Student Summit trip as co-advisor to Miami’s Student TAPPI Chapter. 
• Facilitate mill tours, company speakers, and other industry activities as requested by the Student TAPPI Chapter officers or members. 

 

The latitude of responsibility is dependent on that given by the Board of Trustees. This position maintains regular contact with the Executive Committee of the Board, which is responsible for overseeing all of the affairs of the Foundation throughout the year. This contact usually involves the president and may involve one or more other members of the Executive Committee. 

 

The Executive Director is responsible for the administration of the Foundation. This includes responsibilities handled personally and others delegated to the Assistant Director, or others on the Foundation staff. 

Administrative duties include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Supervision of the Foundation staff 
• Support of, and supervision, guidance, and participation in all standing committees, and ad hoc committee(s) if any 
• Budget preparation with input from the Executive, Facilities, Finance, Enrollment and Scholarship (and other, if necessary) committees 
• Develop adequate revenue (from outside sources and Foundation resources) to support the budget 
• Oversee the management of Foundation financial resources with special emphasis on the endowment; coordinate observations and suggestions with the Finance Committee 
• Monitor scholarship awards, including working closely with the Enrollment and Scholarship Committee in recommending scholarship values; keep scholarship values relevant with respect to competing colleges and student cost increases (especially tuition); determine eligibility of all those qualified in the PS&E undergraduate student body; and monitor scholarship expenditures to keep them within budget limitations 
• Stay current with the CPB Department, the College of Engineering and Computing, and the University administration, with the object of being a good interface between those entities and the pulp, paper, and associated industries represented by the companies and individuals who support the Foundation financially, and including those companies who hire our graduates but do not contribute otherwise 
• Provide daily updates to the Foundation website and social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), publishing relevant data and articles of interest to relevant stakeholders 
• Provide paper industry overview session for new Paper Science students once each semester or as needed as a part of first-year scholarship program. 

• Significant paper industry and/or related support industries experience 
• Understanding of the global paper industry 
• Familiarity with the role of process engineering, sales, and research in the paper industry 
• General business acumen 
• Understanding of accounting and investment principles 
• Good organizational skills 
• Good writing skills 
• Good presentation skills to individuals, small and large groups 
• Good group facilitation skills 
• Strong short-term and long-term planning skills 
• Ability to network among corporate representatives and in a university setting 
• Ability and willingness to effectively solicit financial contributions 
• Good salesmanship 
• Leadership and vision 
• Honesty and integrity 
• Creativity in developing publications and promotional materials 
• Computer and administrative skills. 

Education should consist minimally of a Bachelor’s Degree in a Business, Science, or Engineering discipline. MBA is useful. 

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be an asset: a position at industry corporate executive level; or with a state or national political action committee; or with non-profit development responsibilities particularly in major gift solicitation.

 

Must work effectively with various industry and university constituencies including the Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering faculty and staff, the department chairperson, the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computing, and other university and industry personnel as appropriate. Critical to successful performance is a thorough understanding of the needs of the industry and the mission and potential of the CPB Department, and a desire to help and inspire young men and women for careers of leadership within the pulp, paper, and affiliated industries. 

Peter Flynn, Chair

Nominations Committee

Paper Science and Engineering Foundation

c/o Kadant Black Clawson

7312 Central Parke Boulevard

Mason, OH 45040-6802

peter.flynn@kadant.com 

(513) 229-8104