Executive Director, Research Computing Office

Important Notifications:

Final date to receive applications:
When applying, please keep in mind this posting will close at 11:59 pm the night before the posted  end date . Applications MUST be submitted prior to this deadline.

Current Employees:
Do not apply via the OSU Career site. Instead, please login to your regular Workday account and visit the Jobs Hub to apply.

Department:

Division of Research and Innovation-Special Instructions to Applicants:

When applying you will be required to attach the following electronic documents:1) A resume/CV; and2) A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position.

Starting salary will be commensurate with skills, education, and experience.

For additional information please contact:
Kellen Sturgis rgis

Job Summary:

The Division of Research and Innovation is seeking an Executive Director, Research Computing Office. This is a part-time (0.80 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position.

The Executive Director provides operational leadership and strategic program management to advance OSU’s research computing services in support of the research and innovation enterprise. This is the primary operational authority for the RCO, responsible for building, launching, and scaling programs at scale, managing the service portfolio, driving sustainable business models, and coordinating across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. The Executive Director translates institutional research computing priorities into the programs, services, and partnerships that enable faculty and research teams to effectively leverage computing, data, and AI.Reporting.

The role reports to the Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI) and operates in close coordination with the Chief Information Officer (CIO), who provides oversight and guidance on IT strategy, infrastructure alignment, and institutional IT governance. This dual engagement reflects the position’s responsibility to bridge research-mission objectives with university-wide technology operations and policy, a critical integration point requiring active accountability to both senior leaders.

A tandem leadership model. The RCO is guided by a four-party leadership team that operates as a unified executive group with clearly differentiated, non-overlapping responsibilities, a tandem model, not a co-equal co-lead structure. Within it, the Executive Director serves as the enterprise integrator, ensuring alignment without introducing ambiguity in decision-making. The Executive Director does not lead technical infrastructure, that is the responsibility of the Chief Technology Officer, but partners closely with technical teams to translate capabilities into services and programs.

Representing Oregon State University in National Research Computing Platforms. The Executive Director is expected to represent OSU in national research computing, AI, cyberinfrastructure, and advance research collaborations while positioning the university as a recognized leader in computational research.

Success Criteria :
The Executive Director has a unique opportunity to shape how one of America’s leading public research universities leverages AI, advanced computing, and digital research to accelerate discovery. Success will not be measured simply by infrastructure deployed, but by the number of researchers empowered, discoveries accelerated, students prepared for the future, and partnerships created. The individual selected for this role will help define how Oregon State University competes nationally in the next generation of research and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

RCO Operations & Service Delivery Lead the operational development, coordination, and delivery of RCO services: supervise staff and day-to-day operations; build and maintain the service portfolio and catalog aligned to faculty needs; develop trusted partnerships with faculty in collaboration with the Senior Faculty Advisor to identify emerging research needs, shape future services, and ensure research computing evolves alongside the university’s priorities;

manage operational budgets and shape cost-recovery and sustainability models including long-term financial sustainability; grow Research Software Engineering (RSE) capabilities; embed governance, compliance, and security in coordination with the Chief Information Security Officer and the Associate Vice President for Research Integrity; and renew and expand infrastructure through grants and national HPC…