Executive Director, Keller Center

Situated in the School of Engineering at Princeton University, the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education empowers its constituents to create meaningful real‑world impact through entrepreneurship, innovation, and design. Founded in 2005, the Center offers curricular and co‑curricular programs to undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. As a trusted thought partner to the Center's faculty director, the Executive Director holds a distinctive and overarching perspective across the breadth and activities of the center. Working alongside the Director, the Executive Director leads strategic priorities to develop, articulate, and implement center‑wide strategies to achieve the center's goals.

Leading administrative, operational, outreach, financial, and programmatic aspects of the center, the Executive Director provides leadership to all members of the Keller Center community, including faculty and staff, to establish a culture of engagement in teaching and learning centered in design, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The Executive Director designs organizational strategy to create, own, and enforce processes to drive coordination, communication, and excellence to support the smooth and effective operations of the center.

The Executive Director is a senior professional with a broad and deep understanding of strategic planning, finance, people leadership, and operational acumen, with an entrepreneurial, energetic, and optimistic approach. Reporting directly to the center's faculty director, with a secondary reporting relationship to the Associate Dean for Administration in the Dean's Office in the School of Engineering, the Executive Director represents the Keller Center both internally within the University and externally with strategic partners, advisors, donors, and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Deeply engage in the development, creation, and evaluation of new strategic initiatives.
• Advance strategic priorities through planning and programmatic steps.
• Lead important strategic priorities, including investing in operational and programmatic excellence.
• Design organizational strategy, develop internal policies, and lead efforts to acquire resources to establish an internal structure that ensures the center flourishes and reflects operational excellence.

Administrative Leadership and Operational Management

• Oversee center team members; set goals and priorities for their respective areas; manage hiring, performance review, and merit increase processes.
• Support faculty recruitment for core Keller Center courses and provide input on faculty performance reviews.
• Ensure smooth, effective, and compliant operations of the center across administrative, financial, technological, space, and facility components.
• Improve current processes and coordinate organizational procedures for increased efficiency and productivity.
• Represent the center on various internal committees and working groups.

Outreach and External Engagement

• Engage in development, fundraising, and stewardship activities on behalf of the center.
• Forge key relationships across internal and external entities to support center activities.
• Develop avenues to engage faculty and students with industry representatives, cultivate a strong sense of community, and foster synergies.
• Help define center identity and narrative to develop a communication plan to increase center visibility.
• Oversee and manage multi‑constituent collaborations, events, and projects including external partners.
• Partner with the faculty director on the center's advisory council membership and annual meeting.

Financial Oversight

• Set and oversee the center's overall budget; ensure appropriate usage of funds and oversight of all financial activities.
• Ensure appropriate and timely stewardship of donor funds.
• Routinely review financial reports and provide financial analysis to support strong business and programmatic decisions, prioritizing funding for maximum impact.

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• Master's or professional degree and 7+ years of experience, ideally in entrepreneurship, design, or higher education.
• Experience leading an organization toward a shared vision and building consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to design and formulate strategic vision, leadership, and implementation.
• Track record in operational management, including responsibility for budget creation and oversight, personnel management, and policy adherence.
• Proven ability to navigate ambiguity and complex situations, problem solve while being innovative, and recommend courses of action while balancing competing priorities.
• Strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.
• Strong background in new program development, implementation, and analysis.
• Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to build strong relationships with multiple constituencies.
• An entrepreneurial, energetic, and optimistic approach to leadership along with a bedrock belief in the power of higher education to positively impact the world.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in an academic/higher education setting.
• Prior experience in a design and/or entrepreneurial setting.
• Leadership in a large, complex organization.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full‑time position; salaries for part‑time positions are pro‑rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.

Standard Weekly Hours

36.25

Eligible for Overtime

No

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Probationary Period

180 days

Essential Services Personnel

No

Physical Capacity Exam Required

No

Valid Driver’s License Required

No

Experience Level

Director

Salary Range

$155,000 to $175,000

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