DescriptionThe Graduate Student Intellectual Diversity Initiative (GSIDI) seeks an executive director to oversee the operations of this innovative program to promote intellectual pluralism in higher education.
GSIDI is co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and the American Enterprise Institute. The aim of the initiative is to help broaden intellectual pluralism on college and university campuses by attending to the pipelines that eventually produce future university faculty. GSIDI seeks to advance this mission by identifying and assisting prospective graduate students who are dedicated to pluralistic inquiry, and especially those interested in questions, hypotheses or approaches that may be labeled conservative, moderate or heterodox liberal.
The initiative provides the graduate students with general insight into navigating the academic landscape, and matches them with professors in highly-ranked PhD-granting institutions who are committed to intellectual pluralism and who have agreed to serve as mentors. Those mentors then provide general advice concerning graduate school applications, peer review publications, and the prospects of a career in academia.
GSIDI currently focuses on political science and political theory, but the executive director would be expected to begin the work of broadening it to other disciplines in Spring 2027. The position will have a joint affiliation with the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Government and Policy.
Responsibilities include:
- Working with GSIDI co-directors to shape the initiative's ongoing growth and long-term vision
- Overseeing the implementation of the initiative's strategic direction, including by expanding the number of students reached by the initiative, extending the program to new disciplines, and growing the cohort of faculty who are part of its mentorship program.
- Managing the operations of the GSIDI program, including:
- Communication with senior faculty mentors
- Outreach to young people to solicit attendance at events and webinars, and to solicit applications to the mentor program
- Maintenance and expansion of mailing lists
- Overseeing the organization of meetings, webinars, and events
- Keeping the co-directors focused on the needed tasks
- Mentoring young people who might be interested in a career in academia
- Engaging in detailed discussions with participants to determine their interests and potential for graduate study;
- Organizing the matching process with faculty mentors;
- Keeping track of participants' progress in developing their applications, and assisting in choosing programs after they have secured offers.
- Managing and developing strategic partnerships with pipeline universities and organizations
- Conducting research or public-facing writing in an area related to GSIDI
- Possible topics include: public trust in universities, ideological pluralism/ viewpoint diversity on campus, the history and future of disciplines, civic education and civic thought.
The executive director may also be asked to assist in securing philanthropic support for the initiative as it expands in future years. This is a full-time position.
QualificationsApplicants should have experience in academia as well as organizational expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit. An MA or PhD is desired. The position will develop over time as the program expands. Pay will be commensurate with experience, with a target starting salary range of $100,000 - $125,000 annually.
Application Instructions Please submit a CV, cover letter outlining your experience in higher education, and include a brief statement of your vision for what "intellectual pluralism" means. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026.
Salary RangeThe referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.
Total RewardsJohns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
