Senior Vice President for Research & Economic Development

SRA International; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Nova Southwestern University in Fort Lauderdale is seeking a Senior Vice President for Research & Economic Development. The role focuses on shaping NSU's research vision, leading a vibrant research ecosystem spanning 12 colleges and over $60 million in research expenditures. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills and a commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to enhance NSU’s national profile and economic impact across Florida, driving innovation and discovery within the community.

Qualifications

• Visionary leader to shape institutional research vision and strategy.
• Experience in advancing a holistic vision of a university’s research mission.
• Ability to strengthen and diversify a national research profile.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of NSU’s research ecosystem across 12 colleges.
• Accelerate innovation and economic impact in the region.
• Leverage collaborations to create new opportunities for research.

Job description

Senior Vice President for Research & Economic Development

Overview

Senior Vice President for Research & Economic Development

Nova Southwestern University

Nova Southwestern University (NSU), a fast-moving, nationally recognized private R1 research university with emergent strengths across the health, natural, and physical sciences, seeks an entrepreneurial and visionary leader to serve as its next Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development (SVPRED). Having just achieved R1 status, the new SVPRED will join the university at a critical inflection point and harness that momentum to truly shape the institutional research vision and strategy for the future, with a near-blank slate.

As the largest private research university in the state of Florida, NSU is a hub for real-world impact in the region. It is the largest educator of physicians in Florida and contributes more than $5 billion in economic influence across the state. The university also earned the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement and Opportunity classifications, recognizing NSU’s dedication to outstanding student outcomes, which has made it a magnet for talented undergraduate and graduate students from around the world. NSU’s achievement of coveted R1 status in 2025 was driven by rapidly expanding research expenditures, which have more than doubled in the past five years, and strong growth in health sciences, marine and environmental sciences, biotechnology, behavioral sciences, and interdisciplinary areas. The SVPRED will lead the continued development of a vibrant research ecosystem that spans 12 colleges, NSU Health, the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, and the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation. In FY24, NSU generated $60.63 million in research expenditures and managed $172 million in total active awards.

Reporting to the provost, the SVPRED plays a central role in advancing a holistic vision of NSU’s research mission, strengthening and diversifying its growing national research profile, and accelerating innovation and economic impact across the region and beyond. Given this moment of growth and opportunity, the SVPRED will continue to shift NSU’s research posture from its teaching-focused roots, defining and building the necessary operational and cultural infrastructure to support this transition to maximize the university’s immense potential. The new senior VP will leverage NSU’s powerful alumni network, its geographic and political advantages, and its disciplinary strengths to create new opportunities and incentive structures that support greater interdisciplinary collaboration and impact and attract new resources. The incoming SVPRED will find a campus community primed for growth and keen on collaboration, powerful leaders eager for partnership, and a dynamic South Florida ecosystem hungry for university investment and opportunity. The SVPRED has the opportunity to bring all parties together in novel ways to advance research, discovery, impact, and economic development to meet NSU’s grandest ambitions.

Elizabeth Arvanitis, Senior Search Coordinator