Associate Vice President for Research

About the role

The Associate Vice President for Research (AVPR) is a senior leadership position within the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) at New Mexico State University (NMSU), an R1 land-grant institution. Reporting to the Vice President for Research and serving as a key member of the VPR leadership team, the AVPR provides strategic direction, operational oversight, and institutional leadership to advance NMSU's research, innovation, and economic development mission. The AVPR plays a central role in strengthening research centers and institutes, expanding high-impact partnerships, enhancing research infrastructure, and fostering interdisciplinary and convergent research. The position is critical to positioning NMSU for success in large, complex, multi-institutional research initiatives and in strengthening engagement with national laboratories, academic institutions, and industry partners.

Appointment: Full-time (1.0 FTE). FLSA Status: Exempt. Not a bargaining unit position (AFSCME).

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Vice President for Research and collaborate closely with the AVP for Research Administration and other university leaders to advance a cohesive, high-performing research enterprise.
• Provide leadership and oversight for assigned research centers, institutes, consortia, and strategic initiatives.
• Foster partnerships among faculty, staff, national laboratories, industry, and academic institutions.
• Support efforts that strengthen research capacity, infrastructure, innovation, and external funding success.
• Work effectively across diverse disciplines, personalities, and areas of expertise, recognizing and supporting research excellence at all funding scales.
• Through collaborative leadership and strategic engagement, help elevate NMSU's research enterprise, expand opportunities for researchers at all career stages, leverage and enhance research facilities and capabilities, and position NMSU as a premier R1 land-grant university recognized for research excellence, innovation, economic impact, and service.

Requirements

• Earned doctorate or terminal degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience.
• Related education and experience may be substituted for assessing minimum qualifications.

Qualifications

• Ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in multidisciplinary research, research innovation, technology commercialization, economic development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading large, complex, multidisciplinary research initiatives and managing research programs, centers, institutes, or comparable organizational units.
• Proven ability to serve as a trusted and collaborative member of a research leadership team, with strong communication, relationship-building, and consensus-building skills.
• Demonstrated success developing and sustaining strategic partnerships among universities, national laboratories, federal agencies, industry, tribal nations, and community stakeholders.
• Experience navigating complex organizational environments and aligning diverse interests to advance shared research, workforce development, and economic impact goals.
• Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and advance institutional priorities through collaboration, transparency, and shared decision-making.
• Experience leading, supporting, or overseeing externally funded research programs and sponsored research portfolios.
• Experience working in an R1 university, national laboratory, federal research agency, or other research-intensive organization.
• Experience working with DOE, NSF, NASA, DOD, USDA, or other major federal research sponsors.
• Demonstrated success identifying and advancing strategic opportunities that strengthen research capacity through partnerships, sponsored programs, and multi-institutional collaborations.
• Experience advancing technology commercialization, innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, or economic development initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience lever