Executive Director and Open-Rank Faculty Position, Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM)

The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management ( GSPM) seeks a dynamic leader to become the next Executive Director. This is a twelve-month, non-tenure track renewable appointment with an initial appointment period of three years, beginning as early as July 2025. Rank is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

GSPM was founded in New York City in 1986 to nurture the development of a professional approach to the management of politics and to improve the democratic process. The School moved to Washington, D.C., in 1991 and was acquired by The George Washington University in 1995. In 2006, the School moved into the University's College of Professional Studies ( CPS).

GSPM is dedicated to educating students and professionals in the tools, principles, and ethics of applied political management, democratic participation, and public discourse. Through these efforts, the School prepares graduates for successful careers as political leaders, campaign professionals, public relations professionals, and advocates before legislative and administrative bodies.

The School is seeking its next Executive Director at a critical juncture. GSPM needs a visionary, energetic, and experienced leader to grow the School's offerings and reputation. In addition to leading the Graduate School of Political Management, the new Executive Director will maintain an appointment as a faculty member within CPS and teach in and administer the School's flagship Political Management graduate program.

The new Executive Director must have outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and a passion for the discipline of applied politics; be able to lead within an academic environment; work collaboratively with both University and College administrators and faculty; be a spokesperson for the School; and introduce bold ideas that align with GSPM's objectives. Further, the Executive Director must be a talented leader in the political arena and have the experience and contacts to raise funds for scholarships and build partnerships to sponsor GSPM programs and other initiatives that enhance GSPM's reputation as a leader in innovative thinking about political management strategies, technologies, and communications.

GSPM has engaged the search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist the search committee with this important search. All inquiries, nominations, and applications must be sent directly to Isaacson, Miller in the manner indicated at the end of this job post. All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.

CPS was created to serve the needs of mid-career professionals working in emerging and rapidly changing professions. GSPM is administratively housed within CPS and shares services with seven other programs which include graduate, undergraduate, and credit-bearing certificate programs. These programs, which draw from multiple academic disciplines, are typically co-developed through collaboration with University content specialists and outside partners- government agencies, professional associations, consulting organizations, and business and industry leaders. By combining University non-tenured faculty experts with accomplished professors of practice, the College has a reputation for being a catalyst for academic innovation and for creating credentials that meet the University's rigorous standards of academic excellence.

In 1986, Neil Fabricant, a lawyer and former legislative Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, realized that a new profession of politics was emerging, one that warranted a dedicated school to nurture that development and, thereby, improve democratic politics. The first class of 24 students convened on the campus of Baruch College in New York City in 1987, and three years later, GSPM created its inaugural degree program, making history as the first school of political management in the country. GW acquired the GSPM in 1995, and today, it includes the largest degree program in CPS and continues to be an integral part of the University.

GSPM was founded on the premise that it could improve the democratic political process by educating students and professionals in the tools, principles, and values of participatory democracy. Through such preparation, graduates would be well-suited for careers as ethical, effective advocates and leaders at the international, national, and local levels. Located in Washington, D.C., GSPM is known nationally and internationally as the premier school in applied politics.

Currently the School consists of five full-time faculty and a dedicated body of part-time faculty members serving approximately 200 students enrolled in the School's degree programs. GSPM offers master's degrees in Legislative Affairs, Political Management, and Public Relations & Communications as well as several graduate certificate programs. More information about GSPM and its programs is available here.

All GSPM programs are designed to be flexible to meet the needs of mid-career professionals with courses offered online and in the evening. GSPM holds classes in three locations in or around Washington, D.C.: Foggy Bottom (Main Campus), Capitol Hill, and Arlington, VA. GSPM's unparalleled Washington, D.C., connections mean our students learn not only in the classroom, but in campaign offices, legislative suites, lobbying shops, PR agencies, and news bureaus that shape the world.

The school's more than 4,500 talented alumni live and work around the globe as elected officials or serve as staff or consultants for elected leaders and changemakers in the world of government, politics, public relations, and public affairs.

The overarching objective for the next Executive Director will be to grow GSPM's student population while providing its current students the cutting-edge education they need to be successful in the world of politics. This challenge comes at a time when the academic environment is increasingly more competitive and complex, and technology is revolutionizing every aspect of political and, more broadly, social engagement in new ways. To thrive, GSPM needs to attract political industry changemakers and partners.

Responsibilities
The Executive Director will serve as the faculty director for the Political Management master's program and will manage GSPM's administrative, academic, and budget functions, including recruiting students, academic planning and reviews, accreditation, faculty affairs, and student services in close collaboration with College and University leadership. The Executive Director will oversee and support programming determined by the Dean of the College of Professional Studies and other University administrators.

The Executive Director will spend 50% of their time on administrative leadership and management; 40% of their time on external stakeholder engagement efforts; and 10% of their time teaching.

Specifically, the Executive Director will:

Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications to be considered for the GSPM Executive Director position:

This position is eligible for full-time health benefits. For more information please visit: https://hr.gwu.edu/health-benefits.

Preferred Qualifications
The search committee is especially interested in applicants with the following preferred qualifications and attributes:

To apply, please submit a resume and statement of interest addressing how your experiences align with the needs of GSPM to the search firm Isaacson, Miller via the application portal. Electronic submission of application materials is required. Only complete applications will be considered. Review of applications will begin on April 28, 2025, and continue until the position is filled.

Inquiries and nominations welcome. All inquiries, nominations, and expressions of interest will be held in strict confidence.

Employer will not sponsor an employment Visa.

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.