The School of Engineering
Stanford Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for nearly a century, creating pivotal technologies that have transformed the worlds of information technology, communications, health care, energy, business and beyond. Our faculty and students are creative risk-takers who pursue excellence across a breadth of disciplines. Our alumni include some of the world's most successful leaders in technology and business. Our staff are critical to enabling Stanford Engineering to accomplish its mission: seeking solutions to some of the world's most urgent challenges and educating leaders who will make the world a better place through the power of engineering principles, techniques and systems.
Student-Led Organizations at Stanford
Student clubs are vibrant hubs of creativity, collaboration, and growth. Clubs serve as invaluable complements to formal academic pursuits, offering unique opportunities for hands-on learning, leadership development, and community engagement. Hundreds of Stanford students are passionate members of clubs whose work involves the design, fabrication, and assembly of novel hardware, supported by a world-class ecosystem of fabrication facilities and faculty mentors. Many students enter fields directly related to their club activities and report that their experiences in student-led organizations were among the most impactful of their time at Stanford.
The Student Projects and Resources Clubhouse (SPARC)
Stanford Engineering has allocated an existing 12,000 ft2 building and associated funding to create a dedicated and dynamic environment to foster innovation and reimagine collaboration among student clubs engaged in hardware design projects from Engineering and the Arts, tentatively called the Stanford Student Projects and Resources Clubhouse (SPARC). We are seeking an Executive Director to develop and lead this new facility. The Executive Director will have the opportunity to create a truly unique institution on the Stanford campus, empower student organizations, elevate the level of work they produce, form a network connecting students, faculty, and external partners, and have an enormous positive impact on Stanford students and thereby the world.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the strategic planning process for SPARC. Conduct an intensive strategic planning process in the first year and update the strategic plan thereafter, engaging with student-led organizations, faculty advisors, School leadership, and other partners.
- Develop and implement governance policies for SPARC. Define the processes for evaluating club membership and residence in the space. Define policies that allow extensive student access while ensuring student safety. Establish equitable processes for allocating space, internal funding, and equipment access within SPARC across student groups.
- Develop and oversee the SPARC facility. Use information from student-led organizations to develop a proposal for renovating and equipping the space in the first year and for upgrades as needed thereafter. Work with Facilities Planning and Management to implement these plans.
- Consult with and provide mentorship to student-led organizations within SPARC. Meet regularly with club leadership to understand programmatic needs and ensure they have access to the resources they need to be successful. Coordinate support with faculty advisors and makerspace leadership. Identify external technical advisors and coordinate interactions with clubs. Advise student groups on how to obtain external funding to support the activities of their student-led organizations.
- Represent the constituents of SPARC to the University and beyond. Work with student-led organizations to help them communicate their activities to other students, School and University leadership, external partners, and the general public.
- Hire and manage SPARC staff. Recruit, hire, and manage a small team of professional and student staff who will be responsible for allowing access, maintaining equipment, performing training, ensuring safety, and providing other supporting activities.
- Work on the above activities in consultation with an Advisory Committee selected by School of Engineering leadership and comprised of faculty and staff who are deeply involved in undergraduate education and student extracurricular activities across the University.
Education & Experience (Required):
- Advanced degree and five years of relevant experience in area of specialization or combination of relevant education, training, and/or experience. For jobs with financial responsibilities, experience managing a budget and developing financial plans. Experience developing program partnerships and funding sources.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (Required):
- Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
- Advanced oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
- Ability to oversee and direct staff.
- Ability to manage budgets and develop financial plans.
Education & Experience (Desired):
- Experience in undergraduate education, for example in development and leadership of academic programs or extracurricular activities at a research university.
- Personal experience, including participation, leadership, fundraising or mentorship, with student clubs that design, build, and test hardware.
- Knowledge of common fabrication techniques used by student-led organizations in Engineering and the Arts, including mechanical, electrical, and aerospace processes.
- Experience with direct supervision of part-time student workers.
Working Conditions:
- May work extended hours, evenings or weekends.
- May travel locally.
- Occasional overnight travel.
Physical Requirements:
- Frequently stand/walk, sitting, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, perform desk-based computer tasks.
- Occasionally use a telephone, writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds.
- Rarely sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh >40 pounds.
- Ability to use voice to present information/communicate with others.
- On-campus mobility.
Work Standards:
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
- Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
- Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide.
How to Apply:
We invite you to apply for this position by clicking on the “Apply for Job” button. To be considered, please submit a cover letter and résumé along with your online application. The cover letter should briefly describe why you believe you are a good fit for this position.
The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.
Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
