Director, Center For Data Science

Director, Center for Data Science

Bucknell University invites nominations and applications for the inaugural position of Director of the Dominguez Center for Data Science. Reporting directly to the Associate Provost for Research and Creative Inquiry, the Director will play a pivotal role in launching the Center and shaping its future at the University. As an intellectual and administrative torchbearer, the Director will guide the Center from its early stages to a recognized institution of excellence. The role encompasses a broad spectrum of responsibilities ranging from setting a forward-looking vision, to establishing the Center's foundation, all the while collaborating with diverse and engaged community stakeholders.

The new Dominguez Center for Data Science will launch in 2024, and with it, programming that leverages curriculum, research, and the expertise of faculty from all three of Bucknell's colleges. The Dominguez Center for Data Science prepares Bucknell students to solve global problems in a digital age and enables the integration of Data Science into programs across the University. By emphasizing the practical application of data in innovative ways, the Center teaches students to push beyond the assumed boundaries of data as a discipline. Students can expect real-world, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for 21st century careers and foster ethical data-driven decision making and creative problem solving.

Reporting to the Associate Provost for Research and Creative Inquiry, the Director of the Center for Data Science will work across the institution to lead this unique, interdisciplinary Center. The Director will elevate cross-college programming and research, expand existing expertise in data visualization for multidisciplinary initiatives, create pathways for community engagement, and develop a summer bridge program surrounding Data Science challenges to attract students from under-resourced schools. The Director will be both an intellectual and administrative leader, crafting a vision to take the Center from nascency to reality, setting the agenda and vision of the Center, building the organizational model, working collaboratively to bring together faculty and administration with a common purpose, attracting resources and external funding to achieve its potential for national recognition. Leveraging institutional trajectory, Bucknell’s talented faculty, and their connection to industry, the Director will work to position Bucknell as a hub of excellence that attracts top students, faculty, and research partners. 

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned higher education administrator with a master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Data Science or a related field, and a minimum of seven-to-ten years of directly related experience. The Director will be a strategic thinker and dedicated, visionary leader who can foster transparent and collaborative working relationships among a diverse set of stakeholders. They will have a proven commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and will be willing to contribute to the programs and initiatives that support Bucknell’s efforts to create an inclusive and equitable culture. Additionally, the Director will ideally have worked in both higher education and industry, have previous experience managing an academic center, and possess a record of accomplishment in business development and growth, including fundraising in either nonprofit or for-profit arenas. The Director will have a high EQ, energy, and stamina; a deep respect for the Bucknell community; and a dedication to growing and fostering a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community.

Bucknell is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse community and promotes all its members’ full participation and inclusion. Grounded in the belief that diversity challenges assumptions, opens minds, and unlocks collective potential to solve any problem, the Director will share the University’s mission to create and sustain a campus community that welcomes, understands, supports, and celebrates diversity of all kinds.

This is a full-time position that will be performed on site in Pennsylvania. Salary commensurate with experience with a generous benefits package.

For best consideration, please send all nominations and applications, which should include a résumé /CV and letter of interest, electronically and in confidence, to:

Carly Rose DiGiovanni, Managing Associate
Ruth Shoemaker Wood, Managing Director
Erin Meissner, Senior Associate
BucknellDirectorDS@storbecksearch.com

For more information about Bucknell, please visit the University’s website at Bucknell.edu

Bucknell University is committed to excellence through diversity in its faculty, staff, and students. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, Bucknell University especially welcomes applications from candidates underrepresented groups in higher education.