Director Bruce D. Benson Center Study of Western Civilization

Job Summary

The University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a Director of the Bruce

D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, an endowed senior chair within any department of the College of Arts and Sciences. The Director will be a distinguished scholar and academic leader, bringing intellectual vision, collaborative instinct, and entrepreneurial energy to this highly endowed university-based center focused on Western civilization, civic culture, and free inquiry.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished, tenured faculty member with a record of scholarly distinction, teaching excellence, and experience in administrative leadership. The Director will lead with credibility and care, engage productively across differences, raise and steward philanthropic resources, and position the Benson Center as an indispensable contributor to campus life, student success, and public discourse.

• Provide intellectual leadership and strategic vision for the Center.
• Strengthen the Center’s national reputation and outreach.
• Raise and steward philanthropic resources.
• Engage across campus and external communities, fostering dialogue on fundamental values and controversial questions.
• Oversee Center operations, including financial and administrative management.

• Advanced academic credentials with an earned doctorate or terminal degree.
• A distinguished record of scholarship and teaching in a relevant field such as history, classics, political science, philosophy, or economics that would warrant a tenured faculty appointment (associate or full professor) within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Demonstrated interdisciplinary engagement and public‑facing scholarship.

• Demonstrated leadership experience required to lead and strengthen a nationally recognized academic center, for example leadership of a department, center, institute, think tank, or comparable organization.
• Ability to conceive, articulate, and execute a strategic vision.
• Strong organizational, financial, and administrative and personnel management skills.
• Demonstrated ability or clear potential to engage successfully in fundraising and donor relations.

• Collaborative, transparent leadership style aligned with shared governance.
• Exceptional communication and listening skills.
• Capacity to build trust across ideological, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries.
• An appreciation for shared governance and institutional context.

• Commitment to academic freedom, intellectual diversity, and free inquiry.
• Intellectual humility, resilience, and sound judgment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset balanced with institutional awareness.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the Benson Center’s mission and for leadership in a public research university.

• Annual compensation of $90,000 plus a base academic‑year faculty salary of $175,000‑$220,000, depending on the discipline of the joint appointment.
• Potential research support, course releases, and relocation assistance available, subject to University policy.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for the applicant and dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit.
• Access to CU Advantage program for additional perks and programs.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing non‑discrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Posting Contact Name:
Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email:
Recruiting

Applications must be submitted through the Witt Kieffer Candidate Portal. Candidate materials should be submitted directly to Witt Kieffer by Friday, August 14, 2026.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, candidates may redact or remove age‑identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. No penalty will be imposed for redacting or removing this information.