Michigan State University Director, NCI

Position Announcement
Director, NCI
Michigan State University School of Planning, Design, and Construction
MSU Extension, Greening Michigan Institute

Michigan State University’s School of Planning, Design, and Construction (SPDC) and MSU Extension seek a Director for their NCI unit. The position is 100% funded by MSU Extension through its Greening Michigan Institute.

Formerly known as the National Charrette Institute, NCI recently moved from independent non-profit status to a unit supported by MSU Extension and fully integrated within SPDC on the main campus at Michigan State University. Based in a landscape architecture/urban planning tradition, NCI is currently focused on non-credit training and developing collaboration by design process techniques to address pressing social problems, with focus on urban and regional issues. With its long history as an independent non-profit, NCI brings nationally recognized training curricula and hands-on community-based procedures along with its established networks.

The NCI Director is charged with fully integrating the new unit into MSU systems and expanding the depth and scope of NCI offerings by leveraging its new location within a top-100 university with strong state, national and international linkages in partnership with MSU Extension professionals, SPDC faculty, and others. At the same time, the Director is expected to maintain NCI’s current offerings and participate in delivery of those offerings, while creating opportunities for others in the MSU system to develop their skills and contribute to new and ongoing NCI initiatives. The Director is expected to be a dynamic, entrepreneurial individual able to relate easily to people from many different backgrounds to build teams to achieve common goals. The Director should take a practical approach with design, planning, or construction and be able to see the opportunities and work through the challenges of interdisciplinary relationships. The Director will balance the many competing goals of NCI in a fast-paced setting.

This is an Academic Specialist-Outreach position with a fixed-term three-year appointment, with reappointment possible based on performance and budget. This is a full-time, annual year (12-month) appointment. Duties will be 70% Outreach, 20% Curriculum Development and 10% Administration.

The MSU School of Planning, Design, and Construction is a global leader in uniting academic programs related to the built environment: Construction Management, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning, providing an excellent work environment for 43 faculty and academic specialists and 8 staff members. The School offers eight degree pathways to career success ranging from Bachelors to PhD – including 5 professionally accredited degrees with over 350 undergraduate and 50 graduate students. The School reports to the Colleges of Agriculture & Natural Resources and Social Science.

The School also hosts two semi-autonomous institutes: The Land Policy Institute and NCI. The School collaborates closely with other units of the University, such as the Center for Community and Economic Development, and the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Community Sustainability, and Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences.

The mission of the School is leading the integration of planning, design and construction to create a sustainable built and natural environment that enriches communities, economic and family life, through leadership, entrepreneurial creativity, social responsibility, cultural relevance and environmentally sustainable planning and policy. Please refer to the School’s homepage available at: http://www.spdc.msu.edu/.

MSU Extension helps people improve their lives by bringing the vast knowledge resources of MSU directly to individuals, communities and businesses. For more than 100 years, MSU Extension has helped grow Michigan’s economy by equipping Michigan residents with the information that they need to do their jobs better, raise healthy and safe families, build their communities and empower our children to dream of a successful future. MSU Extension includes staff in county offices throughout Michigan and on the MSU East Lansing campus. Please refer to MSU Extension’s homepage available at: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/.

Within MSU Extension, the NCI is expected to coordinate closely with programs and personnel in MSU Extension’s Greening Michigan Institute, a unit focused on sustaining and improving Michigan’s communities and natural resource systems.

Required Qualifications
 Master’s degree in a discipline related to community development, design, or urban planning.
 Direct experience participating in community design charrettes or related design processes
 Fluent written and spoken English; excellent public speaking ability.
 Ability to drive a car.

Desired Qualifications
 A background in community planning or design is desirable.
 Experience leading community design charrettes.
 Experience in community or university settings.
 Private sector planning or design experience.
 PhD in a discipline related to community development, design, or urban planning.
 Experience supervising or mentoring staff, students and volunteers.
 Evidence of ability to foster collaboration and where necessary resolve disputes through charrettes.
 Evidence of commitment to diversity.
 Curriculum development, especially in adult-learner settings.
 Securing and executing grants and contracts.
 Energetic and creative leadership.
 Ability to manage budgets, fiscal and annual reporting to on and off-campus entities.
 Evidence of entrepreneurial experience.
 Evidence of ability to design, execute, monitor and report on programs and initiatives.

Primary reporting will be to Director of School of Planning, Design and Construction. Salary dependent on qualifications.

The School of Planning, Design and Construction and Michigan State University Extension are committed to achieving excellence by creating and sustaining an accessible and inclusive culture that values cultural and academic diversity. We are an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. We are particularly interested in candidates of all backgrounds who are committed to the principle that academic excellence is achieved through open access and proactive inclusion.
Qualified applicants should submit a) current resume/CV, b) a cover letter describing your leadership experience and philosophical approaches related to community development and achieving a culture of diversity and inclusion, and c) names and contact information for up to three professional references. Apply for Posting #432559 at http://careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/listing/.

Contact for administrative inquiries: Mary Beth Graebert, email: lakemary@msu.edu. For position-related questions, contact the search committee chair, Pat Crawford, email: crawf203@anr.msu.edu. Formal review of applications will begin June 12, 2017, and the search will remain open until the Director position is filled. The preferred starting date for the successful candidate is September 1, 2017.