Job Description Summary:
** Cover Letter Required **Working with the Technical Activities Division (TAD) Director, the Deputy Director is responsible for: overseeing the planning and coordination of TRB’s Annual Meeting at a programmatic level throughout the year; overseeing strategic planning and conduct of TAD’s smaller conferences at a programmatic level; ensuring that TAD policies, processes, and tools related to volunteer program activity are available to volunteers and in compliance with NASEM and TAD policies and leading projects aimed at strategic improvement to program activities that involve the entire Division. Oversees negotiation of Core Program sponsor agreements to ensure that they conform to policies related to Core Program sponsorship.
Works with Responsible Staff Officers (RSO) to ensure that each activity carried out by the TAD Program Group meets its stated objectives, conforms to TAD-wide, TRB, and NASEM policies, and supports the mission of the organization. Proposes modifications to TAD policies and volunteer guidance as appropriate, based on input from RSOs and volunteers. Supervises staff dedicated to volunteer guidance, training, and web communication. May supervise RSOs or team leaders. Reports to the Director of the Technical Activities Division of TRB. Serves on the TAD leadership team.
Acts in the Director’s stead when the Director is unavailable and represents TAD across TRB and outside of TRB as needed. In all activities the Deputy Director acts in agreement with the Division Director and promotes a single-team approach across TAD. Due to the large role played by TAD’s 4000+ volunteers in delivering the Core Program to sponsors and customers and the important role the Annual Meeting and conferences play in TAD’s revenue generation, the Deputy Director serves not only as Division leader but as a critical element of TAD’s risk management approach.
Job Description:
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:
1. Oversees TRB Annual Meeting program planning in coordination with TAD’s Program, Operations, Publications, and Meetings departments and with others in TRB. Ensures that everyone who needs to be involved in a decision is consulted and briefed to avoid unforeseen schedule and policy conflicts.
2. Oversees development and implementation of a strategic conference program plan that supports selection of TAD conferences addressing critical and emerging issues. Oversees development and execution of each year’s strategic conference program. Works with TAD Directors and with SPO team leaders on conference processes and workload balancing, as needed.
3. Oversees development and production of all guidance for volunteers’ program activity. Supervises staff responsible for development and delivery of guidance and training for all of TAD’s 4000+ volunteers and for specific subsets of volunteers (chairs, research coordinators, communication coordinators, etc.). Participates in reviewing and assessing appropriateness and effectiveness of current and potential tools for these activities. Coordinates with NASEM and TRB IT staff to ensure that all institutional IT policies are followed. Adjudicates disagreements among staff about particular policies and guidance, making decisions about ordinary policies and proposing modifications to broader or more strategic policies and procedures for TAD leadership approval.
4. Oversees management of TAD’s volunteer websites. Supervises web communications staff who design, establish, maintain, and update these sites. With input from staff and volunteers, creates policies for volunteer website content. Ensures that committee websites comply with institutional requirements.
5. Oversees negotiation of TRB Core Program sponsor agreements.
6. Assists Division Director with supporting the Technical Activities Council. Prepares for and conducts meetings and events at the TRB Annual Meeting and during the year, as needed.
7. Supports TAD unit-wide strategic advancement in processes, policies, staffing, revenue-generation, and technical content to ensure that TAD effectively uses best industry practices and maintains its unique national and international position. Identifies opportunities for innovation, improvements, and new initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of TAD activities. Creates a culture of teamwork, continuous improvement and effective change management. Uses performance measurement and other data-driven approaches to making decisions and recommendations. May lead ad hoc staff and/or volunteer teams developing strategic and long-term improvements to TAD’s programs. May supervise staff assigned to special projects of strategic significance.
8. Works with TAD Director for Operations to ensure that TAD IT needs are clearly communicated to TRB IT and are consistent across activities and with TAD policies.
9. Provides leadership and mentors employees. Trains and develops employees to successfully perform current responsibilities and encourages development of staff for future roles. Forms effective teams and cultivates a work environment that fosters teamwork. Interprets and ensures consistent application of organizational policies. Initiates personnel actions, including performance reviews and disciplinary actions.
10. Maintains communication and productive working relationships with program volunteers and staff.
11. Participates in TAD business planning, conducts status meetings, coordinates implementation across TAD for business practices under the Deputy’s oversight.
NONESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES
Related duties and special projects as assigned.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Proven understanding of the transportation field and its community. Appreciation of the breath of topics and stakeholder groups linked to the transportation field and ability to work across modes and disciplines. Track record of success in: managing complex organizational structures that include professional staff and volunteers, identifying problems and engaging creative and collaborative processes for resolution, understanding change management principles, and embracing and leading organizational change. Ability to solve intellectual problems that reflect substantial variety and complexity. Ability to serve as a resource to others in the resolution of complex problems and issues. Ability to operate with substantial latitude for independent judgment and action in conformance to TAD policies and procedures, knowing when to elevate issues to the TAD Director. Ability to negotiate funding. Ability to train and develop staff. Ability to work successfully in a team environment and to form and maintain effective teams. Experience working in complex environments with a high degree of organizational effectiveness. Ability to develop relationships with co-workers and employees in other National Academies’ departments through effective communication. Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to effectively interact with all levels of employees. Understanding of the National Academies’ mission and culture.
Minimum Education/Training Requirements: Ph.D. in a related field or equivalent knowledge.
Minimum Experience: Ten years of related professional experience, five of which were in a supervisory capacity. Demonstrated impact on the advancement of science or policy through the successful completion of National Academies’ activities or equivalent outside activities and through effective dissemination of these activities.
Physical Capabilities: Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time. Ability to travel.
Required Licenses, Certification or Registration: None.
Supervisory Responsibilities/Controls: Reports to Technical Activities Division Director. Establishes goals and objectives in line with TAD and TRB policies and objectives. Supervises staff.
Compensation Range: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine support equity, fairness, and transparency in our compensation programs. An estimated compensation range for this position is $126,880 - $198,250. Compensation offered to the selected candidate will be based on the candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, and work experience, commensurate with compensation of current employees in comparable positions with similar knowledge, skills, and work experience, and subject to budget parameters. Note it is not typical for a candidate to be hired at the higher end of the range. This is a benefits-eligible position. Our Benefits Plan offers competitive and comprehensive benefit options, including medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement and savings benefits, leave benefits such as paid holidays and paid personal leave, transportation subsidies, and education assistance. For more information, please click here.
Work Environment: Hybrid Office/Telecommute environment, expected onsite percentage 40%, with occasional travel between National Academies’ facilities and to off-site meeting/sponsor locations.
The National Academies’ Statement on Diversity and Inclusion:
We, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies), value diversity among our staff, members, volunteers, partners, vendors, and audiences. We recognize that talent is broadly distributed in society and that many perspectives enhance the quality of our work and drive innovation and impact.
We pledge to cultivate a workplace culture and climate that promotes inclusion, belonging, accessibility, and anti-racism; upholds equity; and values the participation of all who are engaged in advancing our mission. By embracing the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our programs, institutional policies and practices, and products, we will be able to better advise the nation on the most complex issues facing society and the world.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
It is the policy of the National Academies to recruit, hire, transfer, compensate, and promote people in all job categories and to administer all other personnel actions, terms and conditions of employment in a manner that is consistent with equal employment, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, medical condition for which a person has been rehabilitated or cured, marital status, family responsibilities, genetic information, political affiliation, personal appearance, matriculation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. It is also the institution's policy to recruit, hire, promote, and provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and covered veterans who are otherwise qualified.
Any qualification to be considered equivalent, in lieu of stated minimum, requires the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Some functions in this description may be specific to a particular unit of the National Academies and not applicable to other units.
Job Family:
PROG
