Position Description

The Pratt School of Engineering and the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University (Durham, NC) invite applications for an Executive in Residence to lead and manage the new collaborative DESIGN Climate Program. This program aims to confront the climate crisis by deploying interdisciplinary teams of students and faculty to create highly innovative and sustainable climate solutions that can lead to dramatic reduction in green-house gas emissions and help societal stakeholders adapt to the effects of climate change. We strongly support an inclusive environment that is committed to being antiracist as well as the diversification of our faculty and staff ranks.

The major responsibilities of this position will be to (1) establish and grow the DESIGN Climate program; (2) serve as the thought leader and academic director of the program; (3) work collaboratively with the scholarly community at Duke and cultivate user-facing partnerships with industry and communities. In this role, you will be expected to

• enhance and oversee a world-class interdisciplinary academic program;
• collaborate across program, institute, department, and school boundaries;
• use best practices of culturally inclusive communication and pedagogy in partnerships and pedagogy;
• identify and recruit innovative faculty to serve as mentors to student teams;
• develop and deliver innovative and applied problem-based courses;
• advise and mentor students through the innovation life-cycle and accompanying projects
• maintain an industry-relevant curriculum through regular community and industry interaction;
• promote the program to external constituencies;
• direct student recruiting and student admissions processes;
• collaborate with our career center to ensure robust hiring of the graduates;
• recruit industry and community partners to serve as clients for student projects;
• engage with industry partners throughout student project duration and maintain effective communication with clients and students;
• assist in communicating program outcomes and measurable impact to broad audiences, including fund raising prospects and current donors to Duke.

Key Expertise and Strengths:

We are looking for one or two people with deep expertise in either climate assessment or sustainability design to fill this role. The candidate(s) hired should ideally have a combination of the following skillsets:

• deep passion to drive innovation focused on accelerating breakthrough solutions for climate change;
• desire to develop courses, and teach and mentor students at the undergraduate and graduate level;
• experience formally establishing collaborations and communicating with industry and/or community partners;
• design experience in either a corporate, government, community, or academic settings, ideally in product development or product qualification;
• ability to incorporate diverse perspectives, opportunities, and lived experiences into programmatic execution;
• ability to scale up the DESIGN Climate program (preferred).

The ideal candidate(s) will have knowledge in some, but not all of the following areas:

• scientific, technological, economic and social roots of climate and sustainability challenges;
• green tech innovation, including sustainable product and process engineering and development;
• public policy, finance, and regulatory compliance around green tech innovation;
• customer needs assessments, considering ethnographic and other factors;
• engagement with customers, clients and Duke faculty and researchers.

Existing industry relationships in the clean technology space are highly desirable.

Desired Educational Preparation:

The ideal candidate would have a master’s (or PhD) degree or commensurate industry experience and expertise in design, engineering, climate and sustainability science, or a related discipline.

This position is expected to be full time. Executive in Residence is a non-regular rank faculty position within the Nicholas School of the Environment and Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University.

We seek a faculty member who is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community that fosters excellence in teaching. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, cover letter, and a list of the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contacts of three references. The search committee, advised by the NSOE Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will begin reviewing applications in September 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates identified for interviews will be provided with all evaluation rubrics and information about potentially relevant University and School centers, programs, and resources.

Who We Are & What We Value

The Nicholas School of the Environment creates knowledge through basic, applied, and multidisciplinary research in the relevant physical, life, and social sciences designed to expand our understanding of the Earth and its environment. The Pratt School of Engineering’s mission is to provide a rigorous engineering education for both undergraduate and graduate students, enabling them to lead productive, rewarding and ethical lives for the betterment of society. To achieve these missions, Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging.

Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Information about Duke Engineering’s and Duke Nicholas School of the Environment’s diversity, inclusion, and antiracist work can be found at https://pratt.duke.edu/about/diversity and https://sites.nicholas.duke.edu/diversity, respectively.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.