Director of the Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization

Job Summary

The University of Colorado has engaged WittKieffer to support the recruitment of the Director of the Bruce D. Benson Center. Applications must be submitted through the WittKieffer Candidate Portal. Applications submitted here on the CU Boulder Job Site WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

Who We Are

The University of Colorado Boulder is Colorado’s leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876. As the state’s flagship university and one of only 38 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder has proudly served Coloradans since the state’s founding. Home to five Nobel Laureates since 1989, CU Boulder provides a strong return on investment by aligning efforts to achieve research and creative excellence, global sustainability impact, and the success of all students, faculty, and staff.

What We Can Offer

• $90,000 in annual compensation for the Director role, in addition to the base academic-year faculty salary of $175,000-$220,000, depending on the discipline of the joint appointment.
• Potential research support, course releases, and relocation assistance available, subject to University policy.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit.
• Boulder County’s largest employer, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation.

What We Require

• Advanced academic credentials with an earned doctorate or terminal degree.
• A distinguished record of scholarship and teaching in a relevant field such as history, classics, political science, philosophy, or economics that would warrant a tenured faculty appointment (associate or full professor) within the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Demonstrated interdisciplinary engagement and public-facing scholarship.
• Demonstrated leadership experience required to lead and strengthen a nationally recognized academic center, for example: leadership of a department, center, institute, think tank, or comparable organization.
• Ability to conceive, articulate, and execute a strategic vision.
• Strong organizational, financial, and administrative and personnel management skills.
• Demonstrated ability or clear potential to engage successfully in fundraising and donor relations.
• Collaborative, transparent leadership style aligned with shared governance.
• Exceptional communication and listening skills.
• Capacity to build trust across ideological, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries.
• An appreciation for shared governance and institutional context.
• Commitment to academic freedom, intellectual diversity, and free inquiry.
• Intellectual humility, resilience, and sound judgment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset balanced with institutional awareness.
• Genuine enthusiasm for the Benson Center’s mission and for leadership in a public research university.