SPA - Professor of Practice and Executive Director, Center for Local Government Education and Innovation PP4923

Description

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University (ASU) is conducting a search for one full-time, benefits-eligible Professor of Practice and Executive Director to work on the Downtown Phoenix campus and lead the new Center for Local Government Education and Innovation. This is a non-tenured, fiscal year (12-month) position that will begin January 2026. Candidates should have an exceptional record of accomplishments in local government practice with experience mentoring staff and/or students in the profession. 

The Center for Local Government Education and Innovation brings together three traditionally distinct areas in the School of Public Affairs. The newly established Center will lead local government related executive education for the School, including the Certified Public Manager Program, Certified Municipal Clerks Program, and Master Municipal Clerks Program. The Center will also oversee our local government fellowship programs, including the Marvin and Morris fellowship, rural communities fellows, and the Harrell-Hutchinson Visiting Practitioner. Finally, the Center will work with School faculty and staff to conduct applied research of public value. The new Executive Director will lead a dynamic staff to grow the Center’s leadership in local government innovation for the School and region.

About the School: 

SPA has a rich and active culture that strongly values research and community engagement. Our faculty and staff are productive and collaborative. They have deep and broad expertise in a range of areas across public policy and public administration. As a result, SPA is ranked #11 in the nation by US News and World Report, and #5 in the U.S. by Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. In addition, US News and World Report ranks SPA top 20 in ten different subfields, including #2 in Emergency Management and Homeland Security, #3 in Local Government Management, and #5 in Public Management and Leadership. Our breadth means we offer degrees at all levels and in multiple modalities. These include a bachelor of science in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS), a bachelor of science in Public Service and Public Policy, a Master's degree in Public Administration, a Master’s of Arts in EMHS, a Master’s of Science in Program Evaluation and Data Analytics, a Masters of Public Policy, and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy. There are seven active research centers located within the School with foci ranging from data policy, emergency management, organizational design, technology policy, elections administration, and local government.

The Watts College of Public Services and Community Solutions has a student body of over 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students. We are located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the United States. The School is within walking distance of Arizona’s State Capitol, Phoenix’s City Hall, and myriad restaurants, hotels, and other cultural amenities. Our values, reputation, and location enable us to attract students motivated by the promise of public service and drawn to the unique opportunity of an interdisciplinary public affairs education. For more information about the School of Public Affairs, please visit our website at https://spa.asu.edu.

Essential Functions:

·       Teach a 1/1/1 course load (Fall/Spring/Summer) at the undergraduate or graduate level, delivering excellent in-person, online and/or hybrid instruction.

·       Oversee executive education programing for the School of Public Affairs

·       Provide strategic planning and oversight for the newly formed Center and work with School leadership to integrate the Center with academic programs.

·       Foster new alliances, partnerships, and collaborations with other organizations in the nonprofit, private and public sectors. Maintain and enhance existing relationships with key partners, stakeholders, and grantors.

·       Oversee local government fellowship programs, including collaborating with the local government fellowship director to recruit municipalities, counties and other regional agencies, mentors, and donors for fellowship programs.

·       Secure funding through strategic revenue generation and cost recovery initiatives across multiple sources—including foundation grants, private sector partnerships, government funding opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, and individual donor cultivation—to support and expand other Center programs.

·       Manage program managers and budget staff within the Center.

·       Partner with other SPA Center dir