UPDATE: I was just appropriately corrected that I conflated Matthew’s position, Director of Congresses, with the Executive Director position, which will be held by Kent Richards until his retirement in 2010. Sorry about that…. I have made a small correction below to reflect that change.
Did we know this ahead of time? I have a vague memory, but I was surprised when I received the email yesterday. I always enjoyed working with Matthew and I hope that the parting was amicable. From the SBL site:
Matthew Collins has resigned effective 1 June 2009. We appreciate his service to the SBL. We are very grateful for his years of dedication to SBL and hope that this transition will enable him to fulfill his wishes and goals.
His The Executive Director’s position is now available and the job has been posted through, appropriately enough, the SBL Career Center.
The Society of Biblical Literature invites nominations and applications for the position of Executive Director, effective July 1, 2010. The premier scholarly and professional association of biblical scholars, the SBL has a current membership of more than 9000, a staff of 25, and an annual operating budget of about $3,000,000. It is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies. The mission of the SBL is “foster biblical scholarship,” a mission it carries out through opportunities for mutual support, intellectual growth, and professional development of its members; organizing congresses for scholarly exchange; facilitating broad and open discussion from a variety of perspectives; encouraging study of biblical literature and its cultural contexts; collaborating with educational institutions and other appropriate organizations to support biblical scholarship and teaching; developing resources for diverse audiences, including students, religious communities, and the general public; and publishing biblical scholarship. The Executive Director of the SBL is its chief executive officer, reports to the SBL Council, and carries a wide range of responsibilities, including providing strategic and tactical leadership in consultation with the SBL Council, overseeing day-to-day operations, financial management, supervision of staff, coordination of a wide-ranging cadre of volunteers, and strengthening relationships with other organizations, potential partners, and stakeholders. Qualifications include a PhD or equivalent terminal degree in biblical studies or a cognate field, a significant scholarly record, and a significant record of participation and leadership in the program work of the Society or comparable learned and professional society. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in administration and personnel management (including paid staff and volunteers), budget and finance, program interpretation and fund raising; as well as demonstrated leadership in strategic planning. Salary and benefits are competitive with executive positions in comparable learned societies and commensurate with experience. Send nominations or applications (i.e., a letter of application, current cv, and the names of at least three references able to speak to your leadership, administrative abilities, and scholarly credentials) to F. F. Segovia, The Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, sblsearch09@gmail.com. Review of applications will begin on March 31, 2009, and continue until the position is filled. The SBL is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains a policy of nondiscrimination with respect to all employees and applicants for employment.
