Director of the Becker Friedman Institute of Economics - AFBA

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is a leading center that brings together the entire University of Chicago economics community to foster novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. A collaboration between the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the Law School, BFI brings together more than 200 affiliated economists and scholars to foster frontier research and achieve global impact. The BFI achieves these aims through conferences, workshops, initiatives, public communications, government relations development, an active visiting scholars program that brings nearly 100 scholars to campus per year, a postdoctoral program, and support for more than 40 predoctoral students a year.

BFI supports a wide range of initiatives that spur research and policy change around common thematic areas including price theory, labor economics, big data, health economics, and macroeconomics; as well as programs focused on specific geographical areas such as Latin America, China, and India.

BFI is headed by a faculty member of the University who is appointed Director by the Provost of the University. It is the Director’s responsibility to oversee all BFI activities, to foster and promote the work of researchers affiliated with BFI, to be active in fundraising, and to manage BFI’s operating budget for impact. Reporting to the Provost of the University of Chicago, the Director will develop a distinctive vision for BFI that reflects current faculty scholarship, build on UChicago’s tradition as a premier intellectual destination for visiting faculty and promising early career scholars, and enhance fundraising to grow the Institute. The Director will be a tenured member of the faculty who holds a PhD or equivalent degree in a field relevant to BFI’s areas of expertise; the Director will hold a tenured appointment in an appropriate Department or School. The Director will serve for an initial five-year term, renewable following a standard review process.

The Director will understand BFI’s history, legacy, and core mission, and will raise BFI’s profile on and off campus while maintaining its reputation as a leader in the field. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be able to:

• Develop BFI priorities in coordination with BFI affiliates and ensure those priorities are widely and clearly articulated to faculty, staff, and internal and external partners;
• Work with the Provost and University Alumni Relations and Development to set development goals to further BFI's strategic initiatives. The Director will lead all fundraising efforts including securing grant funding, stewarding current individual and institutional donors, and building a pipeline of emerging donors for the future;
• Lead the Institute while working closely with the University of Chicago administration. The Director will oversee the allocation of financial resources and budgeting of BFI; advocate for funding with the administration when needed; and identify and recruit a Deputy Director (a faculty member) who will be a key partner in overseeing BFI;
• Oversee a core team of 25 staff, more than 40 predoctoral research professionals, and more than 4 postdoctoral fellows; ensure that staff roles and responsibilities are clearly articulated; and communicate frequently with different teams within BFI to develop and optimize BFI endeavors;
• Coordinate 25 faculty co-directors of affiliate initiatives, programs, and centers, and facilitate engagement with more than 200 affiliated scholars across campus;
• Cultivate strong relationships with Advisory Committee members; collaborate with leadership and colleagues in other divisions and departments to elevate BFI as a University resource; build consensus from diverse constituencies on complex projects and issues;
• Advance the research projects that are crucial to the mission of BFI; facilitate projects within University administration processes as well as through government officials and processes where appropriate;
• Foster partnerships and collaborations with other research centers and organizations, in related subjects and internationally;
• Expand BFI’s expertise in policy advocacy and communications in ways that align with faculty research and expand the impact of University of Chicago scholarship;
• Communicate the relevance of BFI in today’s global environment, elevating the Institute and the University’s role in a global economics conversation.

Applicants are asked to submit a CV and cover letter addressed to the BFI Director Search Advisory Committee. Please note all job seekers wishing to be considered for this position must submit their materials through the University’s Interfolio website: http://apply.interfolio.com/158447

All University departments and institutes are charged with building a faculty from a diversity of backgrounds and with diverse viewpoints; with cultivating an inclusive community that values freedom of expression; and with welcoming and supporting all their members.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages diverse perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange. The University’s Statements on Diversity are at https://provost.uchicago.edu/statements-diversity.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-3988 or email equalopportunity@uchicago.edu with their request.