DescriptionExecutive Director, John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International AffairsThe
John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs at Southern Methodist University (SMU) invites applications and nominations from accomplished scholars and experts in public policy and international affairs for the position of
Executive Director of the Tower Center. This leadership position will also include a non-tenure track appointment as
Professor of Practice in Dedman College. The successful candidate will commence their position on
August 1, 2027.
The John Goodwin Tower Center for Public Policy and International Affairs is an interdisciplinary center for research and teaching housed in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. The Center works with schools and departments across SMU and brings together faculty, students, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to advance research, education, and informed discussion on important issues in public policy and international affairs.
Established in 1992 to commemorate the late U.S. Senator John G. Tower, the Center seeks to bridge the worlds of scholarship and teaching with public policy and public service. The Tower Center is a nonpartisan academic center committed to rigorous inquiry, intellectual diversity, and the exchange of ideas and perspectives.
The Center supports interdisciplinary research, teaching, and public programs addressing public policy and international affairs. Its activities include research initiatives, conferences, lectures, seminars, symposia, and engagement with policymakers and practitioners. Through these activities, the Center connects the SMU academic community with consequential questions in domestic and international affairs.
Undergraduate education is central to the Tower Center's mission. The NexPoint Tower Scholars Program is a selective and interdisciplinary minor in public policy and international affairs that provides students from across SMU with exceptional experiences and opportunities to integrate academic study with research, policy analysis, internships, experiential learning, and engagement with practitioners. The Executive Director will provide leadership for the Tower Scholars Program, including teaching in the Program, curricular development, and oversight of participating faculty and staff.
The next Executive Director will have an exceptional opportunity to work with faculty, students, Center staff, multidisciplinary fellows, Dedman College leadership, University partners, including the George W. Bush Presidential Center, board members, alumni, donors, policymakers, practitioners, civic organizations, and community leaders to advance the Tower Center's mission and develop an ambitious vision for its future.
The OpportunityThe Executive Director will provide strategic, academic, financial, and administrative leadership and oversight for the John Goodwin Tower Center. Working collaboratively with faculty, staff, multidisciplinary fellows, students, the Dean of Dedman College, University leadership, the Center's board, and internal and external partners, the Executive Director will be responsible for advancing the Center's research, teaching, public outreach, and programming while ensuring the effective administration and operation of the Center.
The Executive Director will assume leadership of the Tower Center at an important moment in the development of SMU and Dedman College. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to position the Center as a significant contributor to the College's ambitious trajectory by connecting world-class research and a liberal arts education grounded in the humanities and sciences with policy innovation, public engagement, and a commitment to bettering society.
A central responsibility of the Executive Director will be to establish and implement a long-term vision for the Tower Center that aligns its research and teaching mission with innovation in public policy. The Executive Director will provide strategic and administrative oversight of the Center's operations
, oversee its program portfolios, and supervise a highly qualified team of professional staff and multidisciplinary fellows dedicated to research, teaching, public outreach, and programming.
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Provide strategic leadership for the Tower Center and collaboratively develop and implement ambitious long-term goals for its research, teaching, public engagement, and programming;
- Provide comprehensive administrative oversight of the Center, ensuring effective management of its operations, personnel, policies, procedures, programs, and institutional resources;
- Align the Center's research and educational activities with emerging opportunities and challenges in public policy and international affairs and encourage innovative approaches to policy research and education;
- Oversee the Center's portfolio of programs and initiatives, ensuring their successful development and delivery, appropriate compliance, and effective evaluation;
- Supervise, mentor, and support a highly qualified team of professional staff and multidisciplinary fellows engaged in research, teaching, public outreach, and programming;
- Provide leadership for the NexPoint Tower Scholars Program, a selective and interdisciplinary minor in public policy and international affairs, including teaching in the Program, curricular development, and oversight of participating faculty and staff;
- Develop opportunities for faculty and students to engage with policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, civic organizations, nonprofit organizations, scholars, and other practitioners;
- Build and sustain productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including University leadership, faculty, students, alumni, donors, civic entities, community leaders, policymakers, and other external constituencies;
- Work effectively with the Tower Center's board, including supporting board engagement and ensuring that board members are meaningfully connected to the Center's mission, strategy, and activities;
- Provide leadership for fundraising and resource development, including cultivating relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, alumni, and other prospective supporters;
- Support and expand conferences, lectures, seminars, symposia, and other forms of public-facing intellectual engagement;
- Enhance the national and international visibility and impact of the Center's research, educational programs, and public engagement; and
- Serve as a visible and effective representative of the Tower Center within SMU and to local, national, and international audiences.
The Executive Director will join a university committed to intellectual diversity, academic freedom, rigorous inquiry, and the development of students as ethical and engaged leaders. The position offers an unusual opportunity to bring together scholarship, teaching, public policy, and engagement with practitioners while drawing upon intellectual resources from across SMU.
QualificationsQualificationsCandidates should be accomplished scholars or experts in public policy, international affairs, or a closely related field and should possess the experience and record of accomplishment appropriate for appointment as Executive Director.
Minimum qualifications: A Ph.D. (or another terminal degree) in a relevant field, such as public policy, economics, political science, or history is preferred. The candidate must have demonstrated experience in leadership of complex organizations in the public and/or private sectors and competencies in project management, strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a commitment to collaborative and inclusive workplace practices.
Application Instructions ApplicationApplications must be submitted via Interfolio (https://apply.interfolio.com/193860) and should include a letter of application, curriculum vitae, evidence of teaching effectiveness, a writing sample, and contact information for three references. To ensure full consideration for the position, the application must be received by January 15, 2027,but the search will remain open until the position is filled. All letters will be acknowledged. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check.
