Executive Director, SOAR (0547U)
- Richmond Field Station #89633 About Berkeley At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive.
Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation
- driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.
S., and beyond. Together, we change the world. At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups. We invite applicants who are inspired by our Principles of Community and who are eager to be part of our exciting Strategic Plan , which charts Berkeley's next era of excellence. Learn more about some of our accomplishments at Points of Pride . Departmental Overview The Executive Director, SOAR provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for SOAR (Student Organized Applied Research), a major applied engineering and experiential research program operating at the Richmond Field Station (RFS). The program supports Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) conducting complex technical and engineering projects that intersect with research, innovation, and experiential learning within the College of Engineering. This role independently directs the development, administration, and long-term strategy of the SOAR program, establishing policies, operational systems, and governance frameworks that enable student-led engineering activities to operate safely, responsibly, and in alignment with campus research and infrastructure priorities. The Executive Director develops and implements program strategies, oversees program administration and staffing, manages program resources, and coordinates across multiple campus units including faculty research groups, campus safety organizations, facilities teams, and external partners. The role represents the program to campus leadership and external stakeholders and contributes to the broader development of applied research and innovation activity at RFS. Through strategic program leadership and operational development, the Executive Director advances SOAR as a nationally recognized model for undergraduate experiential engineering and applied research engagement. Position Summary The Executive Director provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for SOAR (Student Organized Applied Research), a major applied engineering and experiential research program operating at the Richmond Field Station (RFS). This position independently directs the development, administration, and long-term strategy of the SOAR program, establishing policies, operational systems, and governance frameworks that enable student-led engineering activities to operate safely, responsibly, and in alignment with campus research and infrastructure priorities. The Executive Director develops and implements program strategies, oversees program administration and staffing, manages program resources, and coordinates across multiple campus units including faculty research groups, campus safety organizations, facilities teams, and external partners. By representing the program to campus leadership and external stakeholders, this position contributes to the broader development of applied research and innovation activity at RFS. Through strategic program leadership and operational development, the Executive Director advances SOAR as a nationally recognized model for undergraduate experiential engineering and applied research engagement. Application Review Date The First Review Date for this job is: November 4, 2026
- Open Until Filled For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date. Responsibilities Strategic Program Leadership & Governance
- 25% Provides long
- and short-range strategic planning for SOAR and applied innovation infrastructure at RFS.
Establishes governance frameworks for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) conducting applied engineering activities. Develops and implements operational policies aligned with RFS modernization, consolidation, and research priorities. Determines program objectives and performance metrics with campus-wide operational impact. Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
- 25% Establishes and enforces safety standards and compliance protocols for student led engineering activities.
Develops and oversees training, certification, and authorization systems governing equipment use and technical operations. Coordinates with EH&S, Risk & Compliance, UCPD, and Facilities to ensure regulatory alignment and risk mitigation. Proactively assesses operational risks and implements systems to protect personnel, facilities, and institutional assets. Management of Human, Financial & Physical Resources
- 15% Directly manages SOAR professional and student staff, including HR-related decisions consistent with campus policies and/or the ability to learn.
Makes recommendations and implements decisions affecting staffing levels, operational budgets, equipment resources, and space allocation. Oversees resource planning for applied engineering facilities and ensures responsible stewardship of physical infrastructure. Reviews and approves operational expenditures and resource deployment to achieve program objectives. Applied Engineering Infrastructure & Systems Oversight
- 15% Develops and maintains scalable operational systems governing access control, training verification, equipment eligibility, and supervised technical activities.
Ensures engineering activities meet institutional and regulatory requirements for safe operation of facilities and equipment. Produces structured reports for RFS and College leadership regarding utilization, safety metrics, compliance status, and operational impact. Richmond Field Station (RFS) Executive Management
- 15% Designs, implements, and maintains shared operational systems for RFS, including access management tools, reservation platforms, workflow automation, and usersupport systems serving research, student, startup, and partner activities.
Coordinates use of shared RFS facilities and resources by identifying and resolving operational conflicts involving space allocation, safety requirements, scheduling constraints, and overlapping activity between student organizations, research groups, startups, and external users. Facilitates partnerships and engagement opportunities between RFS stakeholders by coordinating interactions among students, faculty, industry partners, development teams, researchers, and site leadership to support educational, research, and fundraising initiatives. Identifies operational gaps and emerging community needs at RFS, and leads development of new programs, policies, and processes that improve user experience, increase operational efficiency, and support long-term growth of the RFS community. Cross-Unit & Institutional Representation
- 5% Serves as point of contact for faculty, industry, RSOs, and campus partners regarding applied engineering infrastructure at RFS.
Represents the program and RFS interests at meetings concerning operational strategy, research initiatives, and applied innovation. Contributes to strategic planning for site-wide active occupancy, modernization efforts, and applied research integration. Required Qualifications Academic background and recognized expertise in selected area of research. Demonstrated expertise with program building within a leading academic institution for handling administrative, budgetary, human resources and financial principles and practices and/or the ability to learn. Expert oral and written communication skills. Expert ability to think creatively and independently on concepts requiring advanced analytical skills. Expert interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse groups to achieve results. Expert ability to work collaboratively with dynamic and diverse group of faculty, staff and students. Expert fundraising experience. Expert negotiation skills. Demonstrated expertise building collaborations between academia, industrial and / or governmental agencies. Leadership experience in academic and / or government agencies. Thorough knowledge of engineering operations within academic instructional lab and research environments. Advanced knowledge of safety compliance, risk management systems, and operational governance in technical facilities. Demonstrated management skills associated with oversight of multi-unit technical operations. Advanced decision-making and problem-solving skills with high-impact consequences. Thorough knowledge of HR practices, fiscal planning, and resource allocation in a university setting and/or the ability to learn. Excellent collaboration, facilitation, and communication skills to convey complex technical and policy matters to diverse stakeholders. Ability to manage engineering-related initiatives and resources to ensure goals and institutional objectives are achieved. Ability to advise senior management on operational strategy affecting multiple functional areas.
Education / Training
Doctorate in related area and / or equivalent experience training Advanced degree in engineering, applied sciences, technology management, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience (Preferred) Licenses / Certifications Occupational Safety and Health Administration (General Industry) or equivalent workplace safety certification First Aid/CPR certification Salary & Benefits For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website. Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $115,800
- $196,000 yearly ($9,650 to $16,333,33 monthly).
This is an exempt, monthly-paid position. This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.
