Department
Institute for Climate & Sustainable Growth Administration
About the Department
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) was established in May 2019 and evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. The PME’s rigorous academic and research programs are made possible through the University of Chicago’s unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is the first new school at the University of Chicago in three decades and the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering. In the next phase of growth as a School, the PME will continue to expand its team of world-class faculty researchers and empower students from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with faculty in cutting-edge facilities. The PME aims to bring solutions for urgent societal problems to the forefront, while training the next generation of scientific leaders and entrepreneurs.
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up, made possible through the University of Chicago's unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. In collaboration with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG), PME launched the Energy Technology Initiative (ETI) to advance next-generation technologies for energy conversion, storage, and distribution. A key component of ETI is the Energy Transition Network (ETN), an affiliate network that provides a pre-competitive forum for companies and researchers to share insights, identify opportunities, and translate innovations from basic research to commercial impact.
Job Summary
The Senior Director of ETI is the senior-most administrative and strategic leader of the Energy Technology Initiative, with full accountability for defining ETI's vision, owning its portfolio of programs and partnerships, and driving organizational impact in collaboration with ICSG and external partners. Reporting to the ETI Faculty Director and serving as a strategic peer to ICSG leadership, the [Senior Director] defines and drives the joint strategic agenda across ETI's programs, partnerships, and communications.
The Senior Director also builds and leads ETI's internal team, setting direction, developing talent, and establishing the organizational capacity needed to execute at scale. The Senior Director is the accountable owner of the Energy Transition Network (ETN), overseeing its strategy, operations, and member engagement. This position demands visionary leadership, sophisticated stakeholder influence, and the ability to translate scientific opportunity into institutional and industry impact.
Responsibilities
Serves as ETI's primary organizational and strategic leader and partners with the ETI Faculty Director to define ETI's long-term vision, set institutional priorities, and drive enterprise-wide alignment across PME, ICSG, and external stakeholders.
Works to integrate and highlight ETI initiatives within the broader strategic goals of PME, ICSG, and the Corporate Engagement Office.
Owns end-to-end strategy, execution, and impact evaluation for ETI's initiatives, partnerships, and events.
Leads the development and implementation of multi-year strategic plans for ETI.
Owns ETI's program budgets and financial planning processes, making strategic resource allocation decisions to maximize program impact and organizational sustainability.
Builds, leads, and develops a high-performing ETI team, establishing a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration; recruits, mentors, and retains talent aligned with ETI's mission and growth ambitions.
Sets clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations for direct reports; provides ongoing coaching and development to build organizational capacity and program excellence.
Serves as a senior…