Research, Development and Technology Director - NSF Critical Mineral Accelerator Engine in Alaska; ACMA)

The Geophysical Institute is a research-focused organization at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The university offers a competitive work environment with strong benefits, including retirement and health insurance, generous leave policies, and tuition waivers for UAF courses. The Geophysical Institute values collaboration, accountability, and the exchange of ideas. We foster a professional and respectful environment dedicated to serving Alaska through applied science.

Career growth and professional development are supported and encouraged.

As a public, regional, comprehensive university, UAF welcomes applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

The Director of Research & Development provides strategic and administrative leadership for the Alaska Critical Mineral Accelerator's Research & Development functional area and serves on the organization's leadership team. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Director is responsible for the strategic planning, development, coordination, implementation, and assessment of ACMA's enterprise-wide research and development strategy in support of the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine.

This position directs a complex portfolio of use-inspired research and development investments that advance critical mineral technologies from scientific discovery toward commercialization and deployment. Working across industry, Alaska Native Corporations, universities, national laboratories, federal agencies, and other strategic partners, the Director establishes long-range research priorities, develops organizational policies and governance frameworks, oversees portfolio performance, and ensures research investments align with industry demand, technology translation, workforce development, and long-term economic competitiveness.

The Director exercises broad administrative discretion within ACMA's use-inspired Research & Development functional area and serves as the organization's senior technical advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Leadership Team. Success in this role requires balancing scientific excellence with technology deployment, commercialization, and ecosystem development while building partnerships that strengthen Alaska's innovation economy and position ACMA for long-term sustainability.

To thrive in this role, you must be equally comfortable discussing emerging technologies with researchers, evaluating investment opportunities with industry executives, advising organizational leadership on strategic priorities, and representing ACMA before federal agencies and national partners. The position is expected to lead through influence, build trust across diverse organizations, and translate complex technical challenges into practical strategies that deliver measurable economic and societal impact.

Successful candidates will bring a demonstrated ability to develop long-range strategy, establish organizational priorities, and lead complex research and innovation portfolios within matrixed environments. Candidates must understand how to balance scientific rigor with commercialization, manage competing priorities across multiple organizations, and make sound decisions that advance both organizational objectives and stakeholder interests.

This role is ideal for an individual with deep industry experience who enjoys building organizations, cultivating partnerships, mentoring technical teams, and creating innovation ecosystems that move ideas from concept to deployment. Candidates should be energized by ambiguity, motivated by solving complex challenges, and excited by the opportunity to help establish one of the nation's premier regional innovation ecosystems for critical minerals.