Senior Director, Energy Technology Initiative

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Chicago seeks a Senior Director of the Energy Technology Initiative (ETI) to lead strategic direction, program development, and external partnerships. You will own ETI and ETN strategies, manage budgets, and drive high-impact initiatives in collaboration with ICSG and PME leadership.

The role requires building and guiding a high-performing team, influencing senior stakeholders, and advancing energy technology innovations with industry and academic partners.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred for related disciplines in energy, policy, or engineering.
• Experience in program management, partnership development, or energy innovation is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Define ETI’s long-term vision and set institutional priorities in collaboration with PME, ICSG, and external stakeholders.
• Own end-to-end strategy, execution, and impact evaluation for ETI’s initiatives and events.
• Lead multi-year strategic plans for ETI and manage program budgets and financial planning.
• Build and develop a high-performing ETI team and recruit, mentor, and retain talent aligned with ETI’s mission.
• Represent ETI at University leadership levels, national convenings, and industry forums.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Program management

Partnership development

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in energy, engineering, environmental science, public policy, or closely related discipline

Job description

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 institutional voice for ETI, representing the initiative at the highest levels of University leadership, national convenings, and industry forums.
• Cultivates and stewards a high‑value portfolio of relationships with senior leaders across University offices, faculty, industry, and the broader energy innovation ecosystem to advance ETI’s strategic objectives.
• Conducts strategic market and landscape intelligence; translates emerging trends in energy technology, policy, and investment into actionable program opportunities and positions ETI at the forefront of new engagement areas and network expansion.
• Supports proposal development and fundraising activities to sustain and grow ETI.
• Owns and negotiates ETN partnership and member agreements in close coordination with the Corporate Engagement Office, ensuring terms reflect ETI’s strategic value and priorities.
• Directs ETN member engagement, communications, and community‑building strategy to deepen member value, expand the network’s reach, and strengthen pre‑competitive collaboration.
• Accountable for membership agreement compliance and a high‑quality stakeholder onboarding experience, in partnership with the Corporate Engagement Office.
• Owns and drives ETI and ETN’s integrated communications strategy in partnership with ICSG and PME Communications, setting the narrative direction and ensuring consistent, high‑impact messaging across digital platforms, publications, event announcements, research highlights, and media amplification.
• Drives the vision, programming strategy, and execution for high‑impact ETI and ETN flagship events and initiatives, including agenda development, speaker recruitment, and audience cultivation that reflect ETI’s strategic priorities.
• Owns the strategic alignment of ETN programming with ETI and ICSG institutional goals, continuously refining program direction based on member needs, market dynamics, and research priorities.
• Serves as ETI’s primary liaison to ICSG leadership, ensuring that ETI and ETN priorities shape and are prominently reflected across ICSG’s flagship programs and communications — including fellowships, seed funding competitions, workshops, and annual meetings.
• Implements objectives, as well as some long‑term strategic plans respective to the department’s focus.
• Maintains external partners to advance strategic priorities. Communicates and collaborates with internal and external community members and leadership to achieve strategic priorities.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

—

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in energy, engineering, environmental science, public policy, or a closely related discipline.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in program management, partnership development, or energy innovation.
• Proven track record of leading technology innovation and commercialization initiatives.
• Background in higher education, government, or industry environments involving energy or technology.
• Familiar with business development, stakeholder engagement, and partnership cultivation within energy technology, sustainability, automotive, or academic‑industry sectors.

Preferred Competencies

• Proven leadership and strategic planning abilities, with a record of guiding complex, cross‑functional initiatives to successful outcomes.
• Demonstrated excellence in program management, partnership development, and business development, with a talent for cultivating relationships across diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of academic research structures, university systems, and external partnerships.
• Highly collaborative, team‑oriented, and entrepreneurial, with a customer‑focused approach and an established network in the energy or automotive sector.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills for technical and non‑technical audiences, with comfort representing the initiative externally.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking skills; adept at synthesizing complex information and identifying new opportunities for program innovation.
• Outstanding project management and organizational skills, with demonstrated success managing multiple projects, budgets, and deliverables in fast‑paced environments.
• Deep curiosity about science, technology, and innovation, with familiarity with energy and climate sector concepts.
• Driven by impact and skilled at navigating shifting priorities while maintaining high standards of collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

Working Conditions

• Eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, describing why the applicant is interested in and qualified for this specific position (required)
• Three Professional References Contact Information (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI‑assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$145,000.00 - $155,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case‑by‑case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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