Job Description

The Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences (the Manning College) at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) seeks applications for a full-time tenured faculty position at the rank of Full Professor in the Department of Gerontology to begin on September 1, 2024. The person who fills this position will also serve as the Director of the Gerontology Institute starting January 2025.

Responsibilities: The Director is responsible for guiding the Gerontology Institute (the Institute) and its four Centers in its continued development as a leading international research, policy, and service center focused on aging issues. The Director provides leadership for enhancing the impact of research and service activities carried out through the Institute’s Centers and by its more than 50 fellows. The Director pursues opportunities for the Gerontology Department’s faculty and students, as well as strengthening collaborations with external partners, with the goal of increasing the impact of the Gerontology enterprise. The Director leads the Institute’s strategic planning, direction, management, and coordination with other university units; the Director also oversees the administrative, personnel, and fiscal operations of the Institute.

The Director manages the Gerontology Institute staff, with administrative oversight of the Centers affiliated with the Gerontology Institute: The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging; the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; and the Pension Action Center.

Administration

• Articulate and lead a vision and execution plan for integrating the Department of Gerontology’s academic responsibilities with the Institute’s core agenda (e.g., in the areas of faculty research, student success, and diversity, equity, and inclusion).
• Strengthen the research, policy, and public service capacity of the Gerontology Institute through aligning the Institute’s infrastructure, including the configuration of staff and fellows, with the mission of the Institute, the Manning College, and the University.
• Supervise Institute staff, including Center directors as well as the Director of Finance, Grants and Operations, the Director of Communications, and other administrative staff, including student employees. Meet regularly with Institute support staff and carry out annual staff reviews to ensure appropriate feedback, as warranted.
• Collaborate with the Gerontology Department Chair, faculty and staff to enhance the cooperative relationship between the Institute and the Department.
• Cultivate a culture throughout the Institute that inspires commitment by supporting respect, professionalism, diversity, inclusion and equity, work-life balance, and professional development.
• Represent the Institute on the UMass Boston campus and throughout the UMass system to promote the mission and visibility of the Institute (e.g., serve on the UMass Boston Institutes and Centers Council; on the Manning College executive leadership team). 
• Organize and lead meetings and events within Gerontology to strengthen communication and a shared mission, including monthly meetings of the Institute Coordinating Committee, made up of Center directors, Institute staff, and Department leadership.
• Participate in Gerontology Department meetings and serve as primary liaison between the Institute and the Department.
• Provide administrative oversight for the four Centers within the Institute: The Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging; the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; and the Pension Action Center. Meet regularly with each Center director to review plans and ensure alignment of Centers’ activities with the mission of the Institute, the Manning College, and the University.

Budgets and fundraising

• Provide entrepreneurial leadership resulting in favorable growth.
• Ensure the financial health and sustainability of the Institute.
• Work with Institute stakeholders, including Center directors and fellows, to build a strategy for growth and financial sustainability, employing a variety of mechanisms such as external grants and contracts, and partnerships with corporations and foundations.
• Manage Institute budgets and provide oversight for Center budgets, as appropriate.
• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, such as federal and state agencies, businesses and industry, and foundations whose goals are consistent with the mission of the Institute, in order to enhance private and public financial and non-financial support.

Outreach and engagement

• Communicate the mission and importance of the programs of the Institute to key leaders and other stakeholders within the University, as well as with external stakeholders, in government, non-profit organizations, and the business community. 
• Contribute to engagement and outreach efforts undertaken by the Centers and the Department.
• Develop networks, partnerships, and other collaborative relationships to expand the Institute’s reach and promote its strategic growth, both internally and externally.

The Director reports to the Dean of the Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Research expectations

The successful candidate is expected to have a history of securing substantial external funding. Area of specialization is open, with preference given for research expertise at the intersection of aging and health arena. Preferred research foci include but are not limited to cognitive aging and dementia, behavioral health, healthcare utilization, long-term services and supports, and health behaviors. Strong preference will be given to those with research agendas focusing on underserved and marginalized communities.

Teaching obligations

Candidates will be expected to teach during the academic year, with course load reductions for serving as Institute Director and the possibility of buying out courses with external funds with the approval of the department chair and dean. The successful candidate may teach in the Department of Gerontology’s undergraduate, masters, or doctoral programs, or in partnering academic programs. The faculty member/director will be expected to participate in mentoring students by serving as an advisor, on doctoral dissertation, comprehensive examination, and research practicum committees, and including students in their research.

Applicants must have an earned doctoral degree in one of the following fields: gerontology, nursing, sociology, psychology, demography, economics, social work, public health, or an interdisciplinary program. Applicants with terminal degrees in other fields will also be considered.

UMass Boston is an urban public research university with a teaching soul, whose impact is both local and global. We are the third most diverse university in the country - more than 60% of our undergraduate students come from minoritized communities and groups and more than half of our students are the first in their families to attend a college or university. Thus, our students come to us from richly diverse life experiences and backgrounds; they bring to our classrooms and research settings the robust range of perspectives growing out of the socio-cultural, economic, and historical contexts in which they have lived, along with the challenges they encounter, engage, and strive to overcome. We invite applications from candidates who engage the diverse life experiences of our student body, who appreciate that students bring their holistic selves into the academic setting, and who recognize and articulate how their own life experiences and backgrounds have shaped their journeys, practices, and commitments as researchers, scholars, and educators.

Application instructions:

To apply, submit  a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of at least three references. Inquiries regarding the position may be directed to the Search Committee Chair, Edward Miller (Edward.Miller@umb.edu). Review of applications begins 3/24/2024 and continues until the position is filled.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HRDirect@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.