Associate Provost for STEM Strategy

Office of the Provost, Rose Hill

Fordham University

Fordham University has an excellent reputation as a dynamic institution located in New York City.  Founded in 1841, Fordham enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students in its 9 Colleges and Schools. 

• Fordham University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to its employees, which includes medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• We offer tuition remission for employees and their dependents 
• A generous employer match towards a 403(b) retirement plan.
• As a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Fordham is considered a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, a federal program designed to forgive student loan debt for employees of certain public and certain nonprofit employers.
• As part of its work-life balance program, the University provides generous PTO including 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 4 personal days, 6 summer Fridays, and holidays that include paid time off between Christmas and New year.  
• University employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP provides no-cost, professional, and confidential services, to help employees and family members address a variety of personal, family, life, and work-related issues.

Position Summary

Fordham University, the Jesuit University of New York, invites applications for the Associate Provost for STEM Strategy, who will be a key strategist for refining and implementing Fordham’s comprehensive STEM vision, including overseeing the launch of new innovative degree programs and a STEM Honors program, sequencing the hiring of appropriate faculty/staff, and coordinating the design of a state-of-the-art Integrated Science Complex on the Rose Hill campus.

Reporting directly to the Provost, the Associate Provost for STEM Strategy will be responsible for:

• Partnering with senior leaders, deans, department chairs, and representative faculty/staff in refining Fordham’s comprehensive STEM strategy, advancing along promising STEM frontiers, and coordinating the launch of new STEM initiatives flowing out of the strategic plan.
• Collaborating with faculty, administrators, the Director of University Facilities Planning and Programming, as well as with external architects, engineers, and consultants, to help design the Integrated Science Complex to achieve the following goals:
• Provide a premier facility in which the University’s science faculty, students, and programs can thrive;
• Promote interdisciplinarity across the sciences and in collaboration with the humanities, social sciences, and professions;
• Accommodate realistic growth over the next decade; and
• Maintain flexibility in infrastructure to be readily adapted for a rapidly evolving STEM future.

Working closely with Finance to develop and test robust financial models for the operating and capital budgets associated with the comprehensive STEM plan.

The successful candidate will be a highly organized, collaborative, and strategic leader who can ensure that Fordham’s STEM endeavors and the new facility meet the academic and research needs of the science departments while adhering to the University’s long-term strategic goals, financial parameters, and aesthetic standards for campus development.

Essential Functions        

• Engages in continuous environmental scans (informed by student market research, competitor analysis, and employer hiring trends) to improve Fordham’s STEM strategy and identify future opportunities to improve and distinguish Fordham’s STEM programs.
• Refines the details and implementation of Fordham’s comprehensive STEM project plan:
• Develops project timeline with key milestones, decision points, staffing goals, infrastructure requirements, resource allocations, and revenue targets.
• Monitors performance in realizing project timeline and post weekly updates to the Monday.com dashboard.
• Identifies and mitigates potential risks related to budget, schedule, or scope.
• Schedules regular meetings with all stakeholders, including faculty, department chairs, deans, and external partners, to ensure clear communication, alignment, and coordination.
• Supports the relevant academic units as they prepare to launch new STEM degree programs or revise existing programs.
• Collaborates with Fordham faculty, deans, and Provost’s Office team to develop pro forma program budgets and gain NYSED approval for cutting-edge STEM academic programs.
• Ensures that necessary resources (instructional personnel, marketing, recruiting, instructional spaces, and operational support) are in place for a successful program launch.
• Serves as the central academic coordinator throughout the design phase of the Integrated Science Complex.
• Works closely with science faculty, department chairs, and deans to understand and articulate their specific needs for research labs, teaching labs, shared instrumentation, faculty offices, collaborative spaces, and classroom environments.
• Translates academic and research aspirations into clear programmatic briefs for the design team that can inform the building’s design and functionality.
• Ensures that the building design incorporates best practices in STEM education and research facility design, including flexibility for future growth, safety protocols, sustainability, and accessibility.
• Prepares and delivers presentations to various University committees, Board of Trustees, and prospective donors as needed.
• Works with DAUR to draft specific funding proposals as part of the University’s next fundraising campaign.

Essential Functions Note

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Management Responsibilities  

Supervises the work of other Fordham employees who are individual contributors. Responsible for hiring, training and developing, managing performance and administering corrective action. Has significant input in compensation decisions.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience        

• Master’s degree.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience working in Higher Ed on STEM
• strategy, programmatic planning, and/or the design of complex scientific facilities.
• Demonstrated experience in managing large-scale projects with diverse stakeholders.
• Familiarity with the design of learning spaces and lab planning for scientific teaching and research facilities

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills     

• Exceptional organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to lead and manage cross-functional teams and build consensus among diverse groups.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate technical and programmatic needs into actionable plans.
• A deep understanding of the academic and research culture within a university setting.
• Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

Preferred Qualifications 

• A degree in a STEM field or a related discipline is strongly preferred.

Minimum Starting Salary: $180,000

Maximum Starting Salary: $225,000

Note: Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and skills.

START DATE: ASAP

APPLY HERE: https://careers.fordham.edu/postings/10246

ABOUT FORDHAM

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its 9 colleges and schools.  It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom. 

Fordham University is committed to excellence through diversity and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.

Fordham is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories