The Renaissance Society of America
Executive Director
Institution Type: | Nonprofit |
Location: | New York, United States |
Position: | Director |
The Renaissance Society of America
Executive Director Search
Founded in 1954, the Renaissance Society of America, or RSA, is an organization of scholars studying the Renaissance or Early Modern period. Composed originally of scholars from North America, the Society finds itself welcoming scholars in increasing numbers from Europe and the rest of the world. Its members primarily teach in colleges and universities or are studying for advanced degrees, but they also work in museums, libraries, research institutes and other cultural institutions, or pursue their interest in Renaissance studies as emeritus or independent scholars.
The sub-disciplines represented by the RSA include the Americas in the Early Modern Period, Art and Architecture, Book History, the Classical Tradition, Hebraica, History, Humanism, Legal and Political Thought, Medicine and Science, Music, Performing Arts and Theater, Philosophy, Religion, Rhetoric, Women and Gender, as well as English, French, Germanic, Italian, Spanish and neo-Latin Literatures and Comparative Literature. This year Digital Humanities and Islamic World were added to accommodate widespread interest in these fields. An atmosphere of intellectual and geographical openness has contributed to the rapid growth of the Society over the past decade, and it now numbers slightly over five thousand members.
More information on the RSA, its programs, and its Board can be found at http://www.rsa.org.
The Position of Executive Director
For the first fifty years of its existence, the RSA relied on an Executive Director who maintained his or her university position, combining teaching, publishing and running the affairs of the Society. Once the threshold of five thousand members was passed, however, the Board decided it was time to engage an Executive Director dedicated entirely to the task. The Executive Director will serve as a member of the Executive Board and will work with the Board and the office staff to administer existing programs and implement new ones.
Responsibilities
The Executive Director is the chief administrative officer of the RSA. Duties include the administration and oversight of the daily operations of the Society, office personnel, the Society’s website, and RSA’s program activities, which include several book series and Renaissance News and Notes. Renaissance Quarterly has its own editors for articles and reviews, but the Executive Director oversees its general management, working with the representatives of the University of Chicago Press. The Executive Director will know the constitution and by-laws of the Society and over time will embody the institutional memory of the Society. He or she will represent the interests of the RSA to the like-minded organizations represented in the American Council of Learned Societies, as well as to regulatory bodies, the media, and the broader educational community. He or she works with the Board and office staff to assess members’ needs; creates and implements programs and services of value and interest to existing and prospective members; develops strategies for membership recruitment and retention; manages member relations and communications. He or she collaborates with the Board on staffing requirements, organizational management, and the effectiveness of overall operations.
The Executive Director prepares the Society’s annual budget, subject to Board approval, and oversees the finances of the Society. He or she collaborates with the Board in strategic planning. The fund-raising role of the Executive Director will grow in coming years, and thus will have to have the skills to communicate to the world of donors and institutional funders the importance of the Society’s mission.
One of the most important duties of the Executive Director is the annual meeting. Sites for the meeting are chosen by vote of the Board. The Executive Director, working with the staff and various consultants, contracts for the required hotel, meeting, and reception spaces, and insures the smooth running of the meeting. Sites for five future meetings have already been determined: Berlin (2015), Boston (2016), Chicago (2017), New Orleans (2108), and San Juan (2019).
The Executive Director also serves as Executive Secretary for the Board, keeping the minutes of all meetings of the Board (or arranging for them to be kept), and taking responsibility for serving all notices of the Society.
Qualifications
Interest at a high level in Renaissance studies and an advanced degree, preferably a doctorate, in one of its specialties. A sense of leadership and vision within realistic parameters. Management skills in running a small, dedicated staff in the service of a large, highly diverse membership. Skills in information technology, and a personality adept at communication at all levels.
Compensation:
The annual salary range is commensurate with qualifications and experience and with the size of the Society. Benefits include: health and dental insurance, retirement program through TIAA-CREF, and vacation and sick leave. Salary is administered through the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RF-CUNY). As the office is in New York, the Board considers the position to be New-York based.
Contact: |
The application process is managed via Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/26724 Application materials should include: (1) An eloquent letter of application. (2) A résumé or c.v. (3) A list of three references, with addresses, telephone numbers and email contact information. (Letters are not required for the moment.) Applications will be reviewed beginning on October 17th, 2014, and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. It is hoped that there will be a considerable overlap with the current Executive Director, who returns to full-time teaching at the end of the spring semester of 2015. |
Website: | http://apply.interfolio.com/26724 |
Primary Category: | Humanities |
Secondary Categories: | Architecture and Architectural History Cultural History / Studies Early Modern History and Period Studies Medieval and Byzantine History / Studies Music and Music History |
Posting Date: | 09/29/2014 |
Closing Date | 12/28/2014 |