INSTITUTE BACKGROUND/CULTURE
The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government (the “Institute”) is the public policy “think tank’ of the State University of New York (SUNY) located at the University of Albany. The Institute is a prime locus of reliable information, thoughtful analysis and wise debate about the role of government both within New York State and across the nation. Founded in 1981 to educate rather than advocate, the Institute researches and publishes on a wide and ever-evolving range of public policy topics including: state fiscal issues, education, federalism, local government, intergovernmental relations, urban issues, health care reform, social welfare policies, and faith-based solutions to social issues. Based in Albany, NY, the Institute often draws upon or coordinates with University resources and expertise all across SUNY. The Institute is SUNY’s principle locus for bringing the resources of the state university to bear upon meeting the needs of the state and its communities. It supports the research and public service components of the University’s mission in ways that are useful to public policy practitioners and scholars alike.

The Institute provides assistance and information on a regular basis to state and local officials in New York. All of its research, papers, and reports are available at: (www.rockinst.org). The Institute also regularly conducts Public Policy Fora at which invited experts and panelists deliver presentations on critical and topical issues. Guest speakers include top elected and appointed leaders from New York and other states, as well as academic experts. Recent speakers include: Donald Blinken, the former U.S. ambassador to Hungary and a current member of the Council on Foreign Relations; national charter schools expert Chester E. Finn, Jr.; Richard P. Mills, then New York education commissioner; Michael J. Malbin, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Finance Institute; Harvard School of Public Health Professor Katherine Swartz; and Wall Street Journal editorial board member Jason L. Riley.

Finally, the Institute publishes books on various public policy issues through the Rockefeller Institute Press, including New York State Government, the leading text on the subject for students, government officials, and citizens, and the annual New York State Statistical Yearbook containing a vast array of data about the State. This data is also made generally available on the Institute’s website.

The Institute currently employs approximately 40 researchers, senior fellows, executive managers, graduate students and support staff, including both fulltime staff and specialists brought in for specific projects. Use of faculty and students from across the SUNY system is central to the Institute’s work and supports the University’s mission.

While the Institute receives some annual appropriations from New York State that are channeled through the University of Albany, the majority of its funding is derived from grants and contracts to conduct research for a variety of foundations and federal/state government agencies. For example, The Ford Foundation provided the initial funding for the Institute’s research on Gulf Coast recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Annie E. Casey Foundation has supported research into states’ spending on programs for children. The New York State Health Foundation has underwritten ongoing research on health policy reform in the State, while the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis contracts with the Institute to study local government expenditures.

The Institute provides an important neutral venue within New York for exchanges on major question on public policy. It employs an empirical, academic approach to deliver unbiased, independent research that in turn can be used by governments to improve their capacity, make smarter decisions, and become more effective. A particular specialty is field network research, which involves working with experts all across the country. The success of such studies relies on good working relationships with elected policymakers from both major political parties. The Institute also maintains excellent relationships with such bipartisan and nonpartisan organizations as the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Institute has entertained foreign visitors and scholars in residence, and has undertaken programs of international exchange for subnational governmental leaders and decision-makers working in several key areas of domestic policy.

Striving to be independent and objective, the Institute’s raison d’etre is to educate the public, as well as elected and appointed government officials. The goal is to enhance the understanding of how state and local governments work, with the ultimate mission of improving the formulation of public policies, the operations of governments, and the accountability of the public sector.

Recognized as one of the leading national think tanks studying state and local government fiscal health and effectiveness, the Rockefeller Institute’s research is regularly cited in national news media outlets ranging from The Wall Street Journal to CNN. In addition, critical blogs covering national economic issues – such as The New York Times Economix blog – often cite Rockefeller Institute research as an important economic indicator.

About University at Albany
Strategically located in the state capital of New York, the University at Albany is an internationally recognized public research institution that brings "The World Within Reach" to nearly 18,000 students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The varied perspectives and life experiences of a student body and faculty which represent more than 100 nations provide a diversity that enriches learning at U Albany. Students choose from more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors and 120-plus graduate programs. Many of these programs are nationally ranked, among them criminal justice, information technology, public administration, social welfare and sociology. The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany is proud to be among the top schools of public affairs in the country according to U.S. News and World Report. Our mission is to prepare students so that they can contribute to public service in a myriad of ways—as citizens, as professionals and as future educators. We do this through a series of undergraduate and graduate degree programs and our graduates work in the public, private and non-profit sectors both in the United States and abroad. Alumni of our doctoral programs in political science and public administration are on the faculties of universities and colleges throughout the country. The College continues the legacy of Governor Rockefeller by emphasizing research that matters—focusing on many of the pressing issues such as educational reform, immigration, homeland security and terrorism, some of the most pressing public policy challenges in the 21st century. Since the College is in the capital of one of the largest seats of government in the United States, we naturally also emphasize enduring topics such as federalism, intergovernmental relations and state and local government. This is accomplished by research activities of faculty and staff, regularly scheduled seminars and speaker series and professional outreach to governmental agencies, the legislature and non-profit organizations.

About The StateUniversity of New York
The nation’s largest and most comprehensive state university system, The State University of New York (SUNY), was founded at Potsdam, New York in 1816. Years later, the Morrill Act of 1862 led to the creation of four Ivy League land-grant SUNY colleges, which now currently exist at Cornell University. SUNY was officially established in February 1948 when New York became the 48th state, of the then 48 states, to create a state university system. SUNY initially represented a consolidation of 29 unaffiliated institutions, including 11 teachers colleges. All of these colleges, with their unique histories and backgrounds, united for a common goal: To serve New York State. Since 1948 SUNY has grown to include 64 individual colleges and universities that were either formerly independent institutions or directly founded by the State University of New York.

Today, the State University of New York’s 64 geographically dispersed campuses bring educational opportunity within commuting distance of virtually all New Yorkers and comprise the nation's largest comprehensive system of public higher education. The State University of New York’s 64 campuses are divided into four categories, based on educational mission, types of academic opportunities available and degrees offered. SUNY offers students a wide diversity of educational options including short-term vocational/technical courses, certificate, associate, and baccalaureate degree programs, graduate degrees and post-doctoral studies. SUNY provides access to almost every field of academic or professional study within the system via 7,669 degree and certificate programs.

SUNY attracts the best and brightest scholars, scientists, artists and professionals and boasts nationally and internationally recognized faculty in all major disciplines. Faculty are regular recipients of prestigious awards and honors. SUNY colleges and universities range from world-renowned community colleges, such as the Fashion Institute of Technology, to first-rate graduate schools and the nation’s top veterinary school. The highly-regarded doctoral degree granting universities are home to top research programs and attract experts in a variety of fields. Students study in campus classrooms and laboratories or work from a distance through the SUNY Learning Network, which provides educational opportunities to more than 70,000 students through 4,000 courses and 60 degree and certificate programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director is responsible for the management, administration, fiscal health and the long-term success and prominence of the Institute. S/he is responsible for providing both day-to-day and strategic leadership for the organization, including oversight and direction of its research activities. S/he would have the opportunity to become a tenured member of the University of Albany facility. Beyond simply carrying on the Institute’s current programs, the Director will set goals for future distinction and implement plans to achieve those goals. The Director will devote substantial efforts to fundraising (through solicitation of corporate, foundation, and individual donations), and work with New York State Legislature and executive staff to ensure that the Institute continues to be well-supported. S/he will partner with stakeholders including federal officials, local government and nonprofit organizations, business leaders, academics, and the media.

The Director will also be appointed by the Board of Trustees to concurrently serve as Senior Advisor to the Chancellor. This will enable the Director to play a major role in advising on University-wide matters and to allow the Institute to bring its expertise to bear at the Chancellor's request on national and international public policy issues to which the institute’s work is germane.

It will be the responsibility of the director to enhance the Institute’s stature and broad linkages. As such it is the Chancellor’s intention to provide the Rockefeller Institute with space in the SUNY Global Center in New York City and to provide a direct link with SUNY's Washington, D.C. office.

Under the current configuration, the Director has immediate supervisory responsibility over Directors for Finance and Administration; Publications and the Institute Press; the Fiscal Studies Program; the Urban and Metropolitan Studies Program, the Federalism Studies Program; Higher Education Studies; the New York State Network for Economic Research; the New York State Forum for Information Resource Management; and a Special Assistant to the Director.

The Director will be expected to:

• Articulate and build stakeholder support for a strategic vision that enhances the Institute’s role in policy, public affairs, and academic arenas, thereby burnishing its image. S/he will have the capacity to turn this vision into reality.
• Provide advice and counsel to the Chancellor on special projects on an as needed basis as Senior Advisor.
• To develop and support the strategic goals, including academic mission, of the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
• Provide administrative support to facilitate and promote academic excellence in the Rockefeller Institute of Government.
• Develop and implement a fundraising plan to increase Institute revenues—and more broadly, to develop and implement annual budgets and long-range fiscal plans that ensure the Institute’s success.
• Publish both scholarly and public policy-oriented papers, articles, and books that are relevant to the Institute’s areas of strength that explore important and emerging areas, and break new analytical ground.
• Serve as the Institute’s chief external representative and principal spokesperson. This involves making presentations at scholarly conferences, public policy fora, in the media, and in regular dealings with university and government officials.
• Explore opportunities to build the Institute’s presence in New York City and Washington, DC.
• Work in collaboration with leadership across all SUNY campuses to identify new areas of interest and opportunity for the Institute and incorporate expertise from across the SUNY system in the Institute’s work.
• Recruit, retain and manage a talented team of researchers and senior staff.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will have established credibility in the public policy, academic, and government arenas. S/he should have a minimum of 12 years experience in a related position at a university, a think tank/research institute, state or federal government, on Capitol Hill, or a combination thereof.

S/he should have a national reputation for leadership and public policy expertise in fields such as public management, finance, U.S. federalism, state and local government, social science research, and public policy formulation and implementation. Knowledge of New York State government and links to related academic and public policy organizations are a plus. This individual should have extensive experience in managing research and public affairs studies and related publicity and outreach activities.

Additional qualifications should include:

• A natural leadership presence, with the ability to raise the profile of the Institute and represent it externally in an effective manner.
• Superb strategic thinking skills; ability to develop a compelling vision for the Institute’s future, anticipate emerging issues, and prioritize among them.
• A proven, quantifiable track record of performance in an entrepreneurial role or business development function. S/he should be able to give concrete examples of successfully building a strong organization.
• A history of substantial success in fundraising, especially from foundation, government and other nonprofit sources.
• Experience working with federal, state, and/or local government officials, Members of Congress, and their respective staffs. The Director should genuinely value the role and possibilities of government, be politically astute, and able to forge alliances with and earn the respect of political figures of all stripes and affiliations.
• Appreciation for--and comfort working in--an academic setting, including understanding the complexity of SUNY and the opportunities for intellectual leadership available within such a large University system.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A well-deserved reputation for ethical conduct and a commitment to ethical behavior.
• Ability to utilize resources intelligently and be sensitive to expense management.
• Considerable energy and passion for the work at hand.

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS

Making Complex Decisions

• Can solve even the toughest and most complex of problems; great at gleaning meaning from whatever data is available; is a quick study of the new and different; adds personal wisdom and experience to come to the best conclusion and solution, given the situation; uses multiple problem-solving tools and techniques.

Getting Work Done Through Others

• Manages people well; gets the most and best out of the people he/she has; sets and communicates guiding goals; measures accomplishments, holds people accountable, and gives useful feedback; delegates and develops; keeps people informed; provides coaching for today and for the future.

Focusing on Action and Outcomes

• Attacks everything with drive and energy with an eye on the bottom line; not afraid to initiate action before all the facts are known; drives to finish everything he/she starts.

Being Organizationally Savvy

• Maneuvers well to get things done; knows where to go to get what he/she needs; politically aware and agile; knows what the right thing to do is; presents views and arguments well.

Communicating Effectively

• Writes and presents effectively; adjusts to fit the audience and the message; strongly gets a message across.

Managing Diverse Relationships

• Relates well to a wide variety of diverse styles, types, and classes; open to differences; effective up, down, sideways, inside, and outside; builds diverse networks; quick to find common ground; treats differences fairly and equitably; treats everyone as a preferred customer.

Acting with Honor and Character

• Is a person of high character; is consistent and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and beliefs; deals and talks straight; walks his/her talk; is direct and truthful but at the same time can keep confidences.

EDUCATION
Doctoral Degree (Ph.D. or J.D.) preferred. Other degrees considered in combination with extensive public policy experience.

A cover letter and resume must be submitted for consideration.

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Korn/Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Korn/Ferry shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the performance of duties pursuant to this Agreement, including but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state and local anti-discrimination laws to the extent applicable.