Executive Director, STARS

The Executive Director will lead the STARS (Scientists Taking Astronomy to Rural Schools) program, driving its strategic vision, operational excellence, and organizational growth. Reporting to the Director of the Center for Astrophysics (CfA), this role will oversee the development and execution of key initiatives, secure sustainable funding, and foster collaboration among scientists, educators, and state agencies to transform STEM education for underserved K-12 schools in rural and tribal communities. This is a high-impact position requiring visionary leadership, operational expertise, and a deep commitment to education equity. The Executive Director will play a critical role in advancing the STARS program’s mission to provide equitable access to high-quality STEM education in rural and tribal communities. Through strategic leadership, sustainable funding models, and effective partnerships, this position will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers while strengthening CfA’s commitment to education outreach.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The STARS program, an initiative of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Center for Astrophysics, delivers telescopes, firsthand STEM curricula, and professional development to rural and tribal schools across the U.S. By bridging gaps in science education, STARS empowers students and teachers with the tools and knowledge needed to explore the universe and develop critical thinking skills. Our mission is to inspire the next generation of scientists through accessible, experiential learning opportunities.

• Establish learning, certification, and a core academy approach for key tools, methods, and elements. Maintain a close interface with the SAO Executive Leadership Team ensuring an effective cultural base transformation through the use of appropriate change management methods.
• Disaggregate and structure complex, business problems and evaluate different analytical approaches to develop potential solutions to revenue and reimbursement growth. Apply advanced analytic and quantitative tools, statistical modeling techniques, and data procedures and tools to derive business insights and solve complex business problems. Oversee the development of components of resources required to improve consistency across the programs and reduce risk to program and delivery staff.
• Oversee the delivery of telescopes, STEM curricula, and professional development to schools, ensuring alignment with state and national science standards. Establish and maintain partnerships with state education departments, tribal leadership, and local schools to facilitate program adoption and success. Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement, leveraging feedback from participating schools, teachers, and students. Financial Sustainability and Resource Management. Design and execute a sustainable funding model, integrating diverse revenue streams and addressing fiscal gaps. Oversee budgeting, financial reporting, and resource allocation to maximize impact and transparency. Partner with advancement teams to identify funding opportunities and secure resources for program growth.
• Assess and optimize operational systems to support program scalability and efficiency. Oversee IT infrastructure, data management, and compliance with regulatory standards to ensure effective program delivery. Develop and implement policies and procedures to promote accountability and operational excellence. Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy. Serve as the program’s primary liaison to the CfA Director and other institutional leaders, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. Build and maintain relationships with scientists, educators, and community leaders to strengthen program impact.
• Create business plans for achieving goals and objectives set in collaboration with the board of directors. Meet annual fundraising goals, in partnership with the oversight board and SAO board in coordination with our advancement director, by securing financial support from foundations, corporations, individual donors, and government funding sources. Collaborate with staff and board on annual fundraising benefit and additional events, and oversee all external communications, including website, marketing collateral, newsletters, and social media. Serve as the face of the organization and participate in external events to increase visibility, credibility, and market brand, and develop strategic partnerships to increase community awareness further and expand programs. Represent STARS in meetings with funders, policymakers, and educational leaders, advocating for rural and tribal STEM education

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Basic Requirements:

Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or above the grade 15 level in similar positions. Specialized experience is experience that has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the work of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required:

• Mastery of a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods for evaluating program effectiveness and for studying and improving the effectiveness of the STARS Program.
• Exceptional knowledge and skills in proven history in delivery through people and driving business performance.
• Superior sound understanding of the lending cycle and financial awareness such as budgeting and analyzing the programs financial performance.
• Expert knowledge and experience of collation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of statistical data.
• Strong knowledge of Collections & Recoveries policies and procedures.
• Advanced knowledge of PC literature (Word, Excel, and email applications),and social media.
• Superior ability to work independently as well as in a team environment functioning in a results-oriented manner.
• Excellent people skills with a strong diplomatic and collaborative approach. Flexible work style, sufficient to function effectively with changing directives and priorities, where all information is not known.
• Advanced knowledge in public education systems, state agencies, and rural community engagement.
• Superior knowledge and experience with STEM-related education or initiatives, particularly in astronomy or physics.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and presentation skills for a variety of audiences.
• Skills with Microsoft Office, database management and project management.
• Superior ability to interpret and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to develop relevant insights and guide the publication of research briefs focused on research-to-practice to inform program improvement and student outcomes.
• Superior knowledge of financial acumen with expertise in budget management and risk assessment.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Mastery ability to manage complex operations and drive organizational efficiency.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact hr@cfa.harvard.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: https://www.si.edu/oeesd.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is an equal opportunity employer. Please visit the SAO website at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/

About Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is joined by Harvard College Observatory to form the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. The Center is a collaboration between Harvard and Smithsonian designed to ask — and ultimately answer — humanity’s greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. Founded in 1973, the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is an ongoing collaboration designed to foster innovation and propel discovery. Our mission is to advance knowledge of the Universe through research in astronomy and astrophysics and in related areas of fundamental physics and geophysics.

At the CfA, scientists in a broad range of disciplines study the universe at every scale, from every wavelength, and using telescopes and instruments that span and orbit the globe, all with a single purpose: making groundbreaking discoveries that advance human knowledge.