Background on WHOI Directorship

WHOI looks to its President and Director to see that the climate, infrastructure, and incentives are in place for the staff to succeed. The President and Director must nurture an intellectual atmosphere that will attract and support world-class scientists and students, reinforce the excellence of WHOI's work within and across disciplines, and allow the Institution to adapt to changes in ocean research, education, and funding.

Building upon the Institution's strategic plan, the President and Director is expected to develop and articulate a long-term vision for WHOI's role in ocean science research and education, and then mobilize its internal and external stakeholders around that vision. The President and Director will also represent WHOI's interests to the policy community, to other institutions (nationally and internationally), and to WHOI Trustees, Corporation members, and funders.

In close partnership with WHOI colleagues, the President and Director is expected to:

• Advance WHOI's position as a world leader in exploring the oceans, in understanding ocean processes and their interaction with other parts of the global Earth system, in applying this understanding for the benefit of human society, and in educating the next generation of oceanographers; 
  
• Diversify and expand WHOI's funding base by developing an appropriate mix of basic and applied research supported by federal, state, industry, and private sources, and by continuing to grow WHOI's endowment and fundraising;
  
• Build a cohesive, effective leadership team, including both scientific and administrative staff, and with and through this team, promote a supportive, collegial, diverse, and equitable working environment that nurtures and encourages creativity and innovation at all levels;
  
• Provide strong leadership at the national and international level in helping to shape the agenda for ocean science research and engineering for the next 10 to 20 years;
  
• Ensure that WHOI is positioned to take advantage of collaborative opportunities and to participate in multi-institutional research programs;
  
• Ensure that WHOI is well managed, fiscally and administratively;
  
• Involve Trustees and Corporation Members appropriately and build upon their knowledge and talents to help accomplish these objectives.