Director

Working/Functional Title

Director

Position Summary

The successful candidate will enter the position at the rank of professor, although associate professors with established records of accomplishment in research and teaching, as well as obtaining external financial support for their work and evidence of collaboration with local, state, or national education agencies, with particular attention to issues of educational equity, are encouraged to apply. 

The selected candidate will establish and maintain strong partnerships and relationships within State government and across the state, along with research, teaching, and service responsibilities. The associated duties include (but are not limited to) working alongside EPIC’s managing director, EPIC’s research and administrative staff, and affiliated faculty to:
•    Serve as principal investigator to produce high-quality, timely, relevant “research with consequence” based on large-scale research projects and ad hoc analyses in support of education policymakers and practitioners , serving as principal investigator and author.
•    Establish and maintain relationships with state, local school district, agency, and stakeholder partners.
•    Attract financial support from a diverse array of government and philanthropic entities in support of EPIC’s mission to provide “research with consequence” to improve the educations and lives of Michigan’s students and educators.

In support of this mission, the successful candidate will be able to leverage key features of EPIC and the College, including: 
•    EPIC’s unprecedented data sharing agreement with the State of Michigan that provides access to all administrative educational data sets with regular updates.
•    EPIC’s team of researchers, staff, and affiliated faculty from MSU and across the country 
•    EPIC’s track-record of securing grant funding to support research projects co-constructed with partners, as well as several existing external research and evaluation grants and contracts from a diverse array of philanthropic and government sources.
•    EPIC’s prominence in education policy decision making in Michigan, including well-established relationships with policy and practitioner partners, and a significant media presence. 
•    Three #1 ranked programs in the College: elementary and secondary teacher education, higher adult and lifelong education program, and K-12 educational administration. The 6th ranked education policy program, as well as top 10 rankings in educational psychology and curriculum and instruction. 
•    A campus-wide community of scholars with research interests in education policy from other departments such as Economics, Political Science, and the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. 

The position includes a standardized administrative adjustment to recognize and support the additional responsibilities associated with the director role

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate

Minimum Requirements

•    Earned doctorate and a record of national stature in scholarly achievement in a field related to education policy and practice.
•    Current academic position at the rank of full professor, or an associate professor on a strong trajectory or extensive experience leading and influencing education policy within state government or national education agencies.
•    Record of research and publication in peer-reviewed journals and other forms of communication.
•    Evidence of leadership in funded, large-scale research projects with policy relevance 
•    Evidence of deep engagement or collaboration in partnerships with local, state, or national education agencies. 
•    Evidence of obtaining large external funding. 
•    Experience with communicating research in ways that reach partners, stakeholders, and the public, including through policy briefs, reports, and a presence in the media. 
•    Record of success in grant writing/proposal development and the acquisition of extramural funding. 
•    Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.
•    Record of high-quality leadership/mentoring experiences with students, faculty and staff. 
•    Evidence of a capacity to contribute to the intellectual, research and instructional life of the College and the University. 

Desired Qualifications

•    A record of service and leadership in national or international professional associations

Required Application Materials

Qualified applicants should submit:
1.    A cover letter detailing qualifications for this position;
2.    A brief statement of research interests;
3.    A brief statement of teaching/advising philosophy and outcomes;
4.    A brief statement of leadership philosophy that highlights your experience working with partner organizations and leading large project teams or centers;
5.    A current curriculum vitae;
6.    Name and contact information for three professional references.
These materials should reflect a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion throughout.

Special Instructions

Review of applications will begin 2/20/2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted electronically to the Michigan State University Human Resources website http://careers.msu.edu.

Questions may be directed to the search chair Sheneka Williams or Emily Mohr.
Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

Review of Applications Begins On

02/20/2025

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Website

https://epicedpolicy.org/

Department Statement

The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC)
Founded in 2017, EPIC is an independent, non-partisan education policy research center located in the College of Education at Michigan State University. EPIC is the strategic research partner to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and local school districts, providing evidence to produce new insights that decision-makers can use to create and implement policy. EPIC is devoted to research with consequence and the idea that rigorous evidence using a variety of methods can improve education policy and practice and, ultimately, students’ lives. EPIC functions as the research arm of the Michigan Education Research Institute, a collaboration between the Michigan Education Data Center (MEDC) at the University of Michigan, the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), and MDE.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.