News
Job Posting:
Executive Director, The International Brain Bee (IBB)
The International Brain Bee (IBB) is a non-profit educational organization incorporated in the U.S. The formal establishment of the IBB was made possible through a partnership between the Brain Bee Founder and five founding partner organizations: the American Psychological Association (APA), the Dana Foundation, the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Each of the founding partners has committed seed funding for three years to support the successful implementation of this organizational structure and to facilitate the development of a long-term sustainability plan.
Over the past 20 years, the Brain Bee has grown from a grassroots effort to a successful global educational and outreach initiative. Almost entirely run by volunteers, there are currently approximately 175 local competitions in more than 50 countries, engaging over 50,000 students across six continents every year. The culmination of this program is the international competition held every year in conjunction with major scientific conferences, providing an enriching experience for the participants and those who witness the event.
As the number and success of the Brain Bees around the world have grown, so has the challenge of coordination between the local, national and international activities. To ensure the further development of the Brain Bee and its continued success as a connected global initiative, the IBB is now seeking to hire its first permanent Executive Director. The IBB Board has appointed a Search Committee to identify and recommend a candidate.
The Executive Director will serve as the chief staff executive of the International Brain Bee (IBB).The Executive Director reports directly to the Board of Directors and will implement the IBB mission of inspiring and motivating young students to learn more about neuroscience, neurology, psychology, and other brain related professions, and any other related charitable and educational programs and activities, in accordance with the strategic direction and policies established by the IBB Board.
Key Job Functions are listed below. A full position description is available upon request.
Mission and Programming:
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Manage the planning, implementation and evaluation of the annual International Brain Bee competition and other Brain Bee activities.
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Monitor the day-to-day delivery of the programs of the IBB to maintain or improve quality.
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Proactively develop plans that ensure the IBB is able to continue fulfilling its mission in the future.
Leadership:
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Collaborate with the Board in creating a vision and strategic plan to guide the IBB into the future.
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Act as a spokesperson for the organization, in consultation with the Chair of the IBB Board.
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Advise and report to the Board on all aspects of IBB activities.
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Positively represent the IBB to organizations and the public at relevant events and through all communications.
Financial:
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Prepare and recommend an annual budget for Board approval.
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Develop, implement and maintain sound financial policies, procedures and practices for the IBB.
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Develop, recommend and carry out fundraising strategies to support the IBB’s mission.
Operations:
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Establish operations at the IBB that meet the expectations of all stakeholders.
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Serve as the primary point of contact for Brain Bee coordinators.
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Provide staff support as appropriate for committees and working groups appointed by the Board.
Professional Qualifications:
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Demonstrated commitment to science outreach and education.
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8-10 years of experience in a senior management position, preferably in a non-profit setting.
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International experience highly desirable.
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General familiarity with neuroscience as a discipline.
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Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or other advanced degree preferred.
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Very detail-oriented, with the ability and willingness to be hands-on in a small-staff setting.
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Experience in financial management.
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Demonstrated prior success at fundraising in a not-for-profit environment.
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Experience interacting with a nonprofit or public board of directors preferred.
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Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, and strong public-speaking ability.
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Outstanding interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
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Ability to convey a vision of the IBB’s mission and strategy to staff, Board, volunteers, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
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Ability to elicit and sustain commitment from volunteers around the world in support of the IBB’s global mission.
Initially, the position will be half-time, but is expected to grow to full-time within one year as funding permits. Location is flexible, and the Executive Director may work out of a home office, or other location. Some domestic and international travel is required,
Interested candidates should apply by March 26, 2018, by submitting a resume and cover letter to:
Marty Saggese, Interim Executive Director, IBB; at: msaggese-eicsearch@sfn.org. All applications will be reviewed by the Search Committee. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place by Skype in April 2018. Any questions may be directed to Marty Saggese at the above email address.
