HRI Director Job Posting

Director, Humanities Research Institute (HRI)
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation (OVCRI)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Position Overview

The OVCRI invites internal applications for the position of Director of the HRI. HRI fosters interdisciplinary study in the humanities, arts, and social sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A vibrant hub for humanities activity on campus, HRI convenes distinguished scholars from around the world, supports Illinois faculty and graduate student research through fellowships and a bimonthly seminar, cultivates collaborative faculty driven initiatives through its Research Clusters, hosts multi-million-dollar external foundation grants, and awards prizes recognizing excellence in faculty and student humanities research.

The Director will provide visionary leadership to ensure the institute’s position as a world leader in interdisciplinary and convergent research, training, and outreach of the highest quality, transcending the traditional university organizations, units and structures. The Director will plan and implement strategies to address grand challenges and deliver internationally recognized results for the creation of new knowledge and societal impact on society at scale.

Appointment Details

Applicants are expected to have achieved the rank of tenured full professor at the time of appointment. The stipend range of current institute directors is $20,000 to $60,000 annually (on a 12/12 service basis). Compensation via stipends, base salary, and/or base salary buy-out are variable and will reflect workload, equity with peer institute directors, and department expectations of faculty. Additional compensation (e.g., summer salary, course buyouts, discretionary funding) may be negotiated based on the selected candidate’s appointment and departmental needs. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. A suitable workload adjustment will be negotiated with the successful candidate’s unit as part of the appointment; it is probable that the position will require approximately 50% of the candidate’s time depending on existing obligations and degree of administrative experience. The starting date of the appointment would be August 16, 2026. The appointment is renewable on an annual basis, with the expectation that the Director will serve for five years, at which time there would be a formal review.

Position Responsibilities

The director is expected to provide overall leadership and vision, guided by the Institute’s mission and core values, and advocate for interdisciplinary research, training, and outreach. With strong management skills, the director coordinates research, training, and outreach activities and initiatives with academic and research leadership, faculty, staff, and student groups as appropriate. A servant leader of high integrity, and exceptional listening and communication skills, the director must have a strong commitment to the institute’s mission and interdisciplinary research via expanding existing programs and establishing new programs to provide a welcoming culture at the institute.

A collaborative and empathic leader, the director engages and guides the institute researchers and staff in developing the strategic and implementation plans for the Institute. The director is expected to provide direction and overall administration for the development, coordination and implementation of interdisciplinary research, facilities, service programs, initiatives, activities, and professional services undertaken by the institute. The director fosters a culture of innovation and high-level performance both at the individual and organizational level.

The director actively solicits input from key stake-holders including research faculty and staff leads, other Illinois institute directors, and campus leadership regarding challenges, opportunities, concerns, and priorities for the institute, and integrates the advice from the institute’s management team for continuous improvement. The director is expected to be a faculty mentor and assist affiliates in acquiring external sponsorship for research, and support activities that foster community engagement and technology transfer, where appropriate.

The director manages and oversees the institute’s staff, human resources, and operational processes for maximum impact to the institute. As a priority, enable and create opportunities for professional development of the faculty, staff, and students. The director is expected to diligently develop innovative solutions to ongoing and emerging problems and challenges, as well as identify and seize opportunities for innovation and excellence in administrative and operational management.

The director represents the mission, vision, and research accomplishments of the institute to audiences within and outside the University of Illinois to steward and grow financial and other resources to invest in advancement of the infrastructure and the institute’s strategic priorities and success. The director is expected to identify and secure state, federal, and private sources of funding for the institute and the university to actively support collaborative efforts in sciences, engineering, arts and the humanities.

The director should identify and stimulate opportunities, as well as advocate for Illinois research and innovation by actively engaging with external sponsors, including federal and state agencies and partners, community partners, foundations, and the private sector. This strategic effort includes building consortia with partners such as other research and academic institutions, training and educational centers, industry as well as other entities with missions in research, innovation, and community engagement to promote sponsored projects that are led or co-led by Illinois.

The director provides inspiration and leadership for development and fundraising activities, in collaboration with campus and college leadership and stakeholders, and stewards the unique relationship between the institute and donors. The director is expected to cultivate and maintain collaborative relationships with external entities.

The director is expected to be a renowned scholar in their area of scholarly expertise, as well as an accomplished educator. The Director is also expected to continue their research program and scholarly activities at Illinois while serving as the director of the institute.

Qualifications

Required:

Tenured faculty status at the rank of full Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Exhibit an outstanding record of scholarly accomplishments appropriate for the rank of professor at a leading research university. A strong leader with an exceptional record of achievements that demonstrate an understanding of multi-investigator interdisciplinary research, training and outreach activities. Management experience in research and/or innovation leading groups, organizations and/or programs in academia, government, or the private sector.

Energy and enthusiasm for expressing the value of interdisciplinary, collaborative research at the national and international scale. Effective leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills including interacting with many diverse constituents of the campus and external communities. Excellent budget management, resource allocation and decision making skills. Strong advocate for a spectrum of diverse research areas, fostering empathy, and improving organizations in the areas of access and representation.

Preferred:

Experience in academic research leadership administration

Application & Nomination Process

Applications:

Faculty members may apply by sending a curriculum vitae and a statement summarizing their vision for the program, and how their personal/scholarly goals will intersect with the direction they see for HRI. These materials should be submitted to Susan Key, Human Resources, OVCRI, susankey@illinois.edu. The endorsement of the candidate’s dean and unit head/chair will be solicited. Applications are due Monday, January 12, 2026.

Nominations:

Deans and Department Heads/Chairs may nominate faculty members by sending their names and a short statement of their qualifications to Susan Key, susankey@illinois.edu. The OVCRI HR office will solicit additional required information from the nominee. Please submit nominations by Monday, January 5, 2026.

For further information regarding application procedures, contact Susan Key, susankey@illinois.edu.