The Opportunity
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) seeks a dynamic and visionary Executive Director (ED) to lead one of the world’s largest and most influential organizations dedicated to advancing scientific exchange and supporting the neuroscientific community. The ideal candidate will bring an appreciation for scientific excellence and demonstrated leadership experience.
This position is hybrid with regular travel to the SfN headquarters in Washington, DC expected.
About SfN
Founded in 1969, SfN is an international professional society representing more than 36,500 scientists and physicians who study the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system.
Signature programs include The Journal of Neuroscience, a leading weekly subscription journal; eNeuro, a continuous publication, open-access journal; and a highly regarded Annual Meeting, which draws nearly 30,000 attendees and is one of the largest scientific gatherings in the world. SfN also manages Brainfacts.org, a public-facing website aimed at educating general audiences about neuroscience, and Neuronline, a member-oriented digital learning and community platform.
SfN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a staff of over 100 and an average annual revenue of approximately $20M.
The ED Role
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Oversee communications with Society members, stakeholders, and partners to meet and address members’ needs and ensure that appropriate programs are devised and implemented.
- Ensure that all activities of the Society are carried out in support of SfN’s mission and aligned with the Society’s values.
- Lead a staff that operates effectively and efficiently to achieve outstanding results.
- Facilitate a success-oriented office culture to deliver customer service which exceeds member expectations.
- Foster a respectful and accountable team-based environment within the organization to enhance recruitment and retention.
- Model, encourage, and ensure core values of integrity and transparency for the organization.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and legal requirements.
- Develop effective strategic relationships and collaborative initiatives with appropriate external partners, including other scientific societies and associations, health advocacy groups, foundations, public agencies, government entities, educational institutions, corporate entities, information technology service providers, etc.
Leadership/Governance
- Oversee all dealings with SfN Council, Committees, and other volunteer leaders.
- Facilitate Council’s work in setting the organization’s policies, priorities, and strategic direction.
- Reinforce the principle of distributed governance throughout the year.
- Ensure that the President, Executive Committee, and Council are kept informed of matters and developments that warrant their action and/or attention.
- Work with the President and Executive Committee to align the organization’s workplan and activities with key leadership priorities and goals.
- Assist the President with the identification and implementation of the Presidential initiatives.
- Assist each President in their role as the Society’s chief spokesperson to articulate the shared vision and mission of the Society and the neuroscience community.
- Implement the approved strategic plan; work with Council to revise and update periodically.
- Ensure quality volunteer leader experience, including interaction and communication between Committees and Council.
- Ensure adoption of and adherence to SfN Bylaws, Resolutions to the Bylaws, and other approved policies, in accordance with association best practices; facilitate periodic updates to the Bylaws and policies and suggest refinements as appropriate.
- Build iterative planning into the fabric of SfN governance and management processes, incorporating regular evaluation of initiatives and activities and periodic revisiting of major programs and activity clusters.
- Maintain and enhance relationships with NIH, NSF, and other key strategic partner organizations domestically and internationally.
Communications & Advocacy
- Work with Council, Government & Public Affairs Committee (GPA), lobbyists, and coalition partners to continue advocacy in support of increased federal research funding for science.
- Enhance SfN’s collaboration with biomedical industry leaders and brain-related advocacy groups.
- Continue program of Capitol Hill advocacy by the volunteer leadership and cultivating a strong network of advocates throughout the country.
- Continue to effectively leverage Annual Meeting and JNeurosci & eNeuro to increase public awareness of and support for neuroscience research (e.g., AM press events, press releases about significant neuroscience papers).
- Identify opportunities for and produce new communications products to increase visibility of neuroscience to the public and oversee periodic evaluation and updating of ongoing print and products such as the Brain Facts book, Research & Discoveries, and BrainFacts.org.
- Work with the Committee on Animals in Research (CAR) on strategies to enhance support for the responsible use of animals in research, monitoring opportunities to inform the public and policymakers about its importance.
- Build support for the responsible use of animals in research through outreach to other constituencies.
Finance, Real Estate, & Administration
- Oversee the development of SfN’s annual operating, capital, and real estate budgets, and ensure timely, efficient, and transparent financial management and reporting.
- Set performance targets with specific actionable goals and regularly review progress; manage SfN’s finances to meet yearly surplus targets and reserve strategy goals consistent with approved annual budget.
- Work with Finance Committee & Council to facilitate review and approval of annual and multi-year pricing, revenue, cash-flow.
- Work with Investment Committee to manage and monitor SfN’s reserve and investment accounts.
- Serve as Executive Director of subsidiary single member LLCs that oversee real estate and investments in other assets.
- Ensure completion of annual audit in accordance with GAAP and applicable federal auditing standards, under the direction of the Society’s Audit Committee.
- Ensure that the Society’s present and future information technology and information/data security needs are effectively met.
- Ensure management of the Society’s human resources activities are compliant with federal and local law, organizational needs and values, and best practices
- Oversee effective office management and procurement functions in line with Society goals and environmental values.
- Implement appropriate and cost-effective risk management and insurance strategies.
Contribute to Organizational & Member Success
- Take appropriate steps to sustain and increase SfN membership and provide quality services to members; encourage and support the development of local SfN chapters.
- Effectively gather and mine information about members in support of key strategic plan goals, including the continued use of analytics to support decision-making around member needs.
- Support professional development and training activities initiated by Council and relevant committees, leveraging the Neuronline platform to engage members in digital events and opportunities year-round.
- Continue to promote greater diversity in SfN’s meetings, conferences, committees, editorial boards, awards and recognition, and governance processes and ensure scientific programming is representative of all SfN members.
- Collaborate as appropriate with strategic partner organizations and sponsors that share SfN’s goals.
- Oversee effective management of externally funded neuroscience training grants in compliance with federal and donor grant management and reporting guidelines.
- Oversee SfN’s international programs and activities, and key relationships with international partners.
- Develop options and strategies to enhance SfN’s outreach to the public about neuroscience.
- Expand staff ability to work with Committees to identify and apply for grant and funding opportunities.
Annual Meeting
- Continue to enhance the scientific dynamism and vitality of the Annual Meeting, in any format, while maintaining the accessibility of science for diverse attendees.
- Oversee management of logistics and contracts for each annual meeting.
- Support the Program Committee in its planning of the scientific program for the meeting.
- Showcase and market the annual meeting to prospective attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors.
- Negotiate new and continuing sponsorship arrangements consistent with revenue goals and organizational values.
- Plan and contract for future annual meeting venues and services, consistent with evolving future operational challenges, threats, and opportunities.
- Continue to refine abstract submission, sessioning, and meeting navigation tools.
- Ensure scientific programming is representative of all SfN members. Maintain a balance of diversity and inclusion, with regard to the annual meeting scientific program and key lecturer opportunities. Provide support as required to the President in crafting and implementing the annual Dialogues Lecture and ancillary programming.
Scientific Journals
- Maintain organizational commitment to publish first-rate journals, providing appropriate support from Society resources while maintaining an overall balance in publication revenues and expenditures.
- Work with Council and Scientific Publications Committee on future strategy and business model issues for both journals and other Society scientific publishing efforts.
- Maintain and seek to cultivate institutional subscription revenues for the life of current business model, subject to the constraints of external factors and trends.
- Monitor industry trends and practices to anticipate, plan for, and adjust to possible mandates and new models that will significantly impact operations, expenses, and revenue streams (e.g., preprints, open access, copyright, submission & subscription arrangements, etc.)
- Manage, maintain, and enhance online manuscript submission end editorial review systems and processes.
- Support the Editors-in-Chief (EiC) in planning and implementing strategies for enhancing the quality and reach of their journals; facilitate strategic publisher discussions with the two EiCs to create synergies and appropriate alignments between the two publications where appropriate and necessary.
- Support the search process for Council selection of new Editors-in-Chief, when needed.
Required Skills and Experience
- At least 15 years of supervisory experience as a senior executive of a professional society, association, governmental or university division, or other public or nonprofit organization with comparable staffing, programs, responsibilities, and budget.
- Experience in interacting with a Council of Directors.
- Experience in board relations, committee support and governance, with a commitment to a model of “servant leadership” and “leading from behind”.
- Strong manager with experience in complex procurement and project management.
- Deep experience in the fundamentals of administration and finance in a nonprofit setting.
- Excellent facilitation skills for getting results through board consensus and staff and committee collaboration.
- Extensive personnel management experience, with strong mentoring skills and the ability to delegate responsibility as necessary.
- Superior written, verbal, presentation and interpersonal communication skills, with the capacity to elucidate and persuade.
Personal Qualities and Competencies
- An understanding of, and appreciation for, the scientific and public missions and culture of the Society.
- Demonstrated ability to foster a culture of trust, fairness, and equity.
- Ability to lead, motivate, and inspire others to perform well and accept feedback from others
- Ability to serve as a strategic visionary with sound organizational management skills, analytical ability, and good judgement, high ethical and moral standards.
Compensation
The starting salary for this position is $400,000 – $500,000. A competitive compensation and benefits package will be offered to attract an outstanding candidate.
