Vice President of Innovation

For 100 years the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) has provided the policy and philanthropic communities with access to the social and behavioral scientists working to innovate and evaluate scalable solutions to pressing societal problems. In collaboration with our partners, we administer fellowships and research grants that support the innovation and evaluation of new policy solutions, convene researchers and stakeholders to share evidence-based solutions and incubate new research agendas, produce online knowledge platforms and technical reports that catalog research-based policy solutions, support mentoring programs that broaden problem-solving research opportunities, and provide fiscal sponsorship to innovative solutions-oriented initiatives. In our work we mobilize our extensive global network of over 250,000 researchers in the Council’s seven founding disciplinary associations, faculty and institutional leaders from member institutions in the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences, and our many funding partners.

Position Overview

The Vice President of Innovation, a new position at the SSRC, will lead work across the SSRC to leverage the organization’s unique assets in the development of new funded initiatives aimed at advancing research-led innovation. These assets include the SSRC’s growing consortium of colleges and universities committed to policy-relevant research, its extensive networks in the social and behavioral science research community, its longstanding relationships with public and philanthropic funders, and its recently launched Agenda Fund, which supports exploration of the most promising opportunities to leverage social and behavioral science in the service of advancing human well-being.

Particularly promising opportunities may lie in new initiatives developed in partnership with the 86 campuses in the SSRC’s college and university consortium to support universities’ production of research-led innovation in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The opportunity to collaboratively develop, test, and potentially scale initiatives that advance universities’ research-led contributions to innovation will be central to the work of the Vice President of Innovation, who will have a clear vision of how to capitalize on this opportunity, the entrepreneurial appetite to develop those initiatives in collaboration with internal and external partners, and the relationships with the philanthropic and policy communities that will enable realization of those initiatives.

The Vice President of Innovation will report to the President of the SSRC and will have the opportunity to build a small team, in addition to working closely with colleagues across the organization. Location is flexible within the United States.

Core Responsibilities

  • Partner with the SSRC President in deepening relationships with existing and prospective philanthropic, public, and private sector funders of SSRC-led initiatives.
  • Identify potential funding sources for new initiatives, including grants, contracts, and gifts, and work with SSRC colleagues to develop proposal materials.
  • Collaborate with leaders of member institutions in the SSRC’s College and University Fund for the Social Sciences to develop new funding proposals aimed at advancing research-led innovation.

  • Lead the work of the SSRC’s Agenda Fund to identify and launch pilot projects that can serve as proof of concept for new initiatives.
  • Ensure the successful implementation of communications strategies to support the development and execution of new initiatives.

  • Identify and hire new staff members to support the work of the Vice President for Innovation.

  • Facilitate effective and efficient operations.

Required Qualifications

  • Graduate degree in the social and behavioral sciences, public policy, and/or related fields.
  • A clear vision of the opportunities to create social value by mobilizing social and behavioral science research evidence.
  • A record of success in collaboratively building new funded initiatives that engage the social and behavioral science research community.

  • Relevant experience working with funding organizations, including philanthropic foundations, public funding agencies, and/or private investors, on initiatives engaging the social and behavioral science research community.

  • Strong leadership, people management, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.

  • Exceptional strategy development, project management, and organizational skills.

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate to diverse, nontechnical audiences.

Salary Range

$200,000 – $300,000

Benefits Overview

The Social Science Research Council is committed to providing a robust and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our current benefits package includes health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, outstanding pension plan and tax savings programs, and generous vacation and sick leave.

Application Instructions

Please submit your resume and letter of interest to VPinnovation@ssrc.org.

The Social Science Research Council is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunity and to cultivating and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. SSRC maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. All aspects of employment with the Council are made on the basis of competence, skill, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, creed, color, religion, sex/gender, national origin/ancestry, ethnicity, age, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital or domestic partner status, medical conditions (including pregnancy and/or genetic information) or physical or mental disability, citizenship status, or any other categories prohibited by law. 

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