Job Description

The role of the Executive Director (ED) presents an exciting opportunity for a skilled, collaborative leader to make a lasting impact on a strong, reputable, and enduring academic association with a bold new vision. 

AOM Core Assets:  

Global Profile: Founded in 1936, our engaged global community is 20,000 strong, spanning more than 110 countries with efforts underway to reach underserved regions.

Renowned Scholarly Publisher: Portfolio of six authoritative journals and four established and evolving publications for academic and business audiences. AOM’s largest revenue source. Extensive reach surpassing 23 million visits annually. 

Worldwide Convener: Largest annual meeting of management and organization scholars. Complex operation involving 13,000+ submissions, 10,000+ attendees and 2000+ sessions. 

Vast Volunteer Network: 26 semi-autonomous divisions and interest groups serving as the intellectual homes of members. An estimated 6,000 passionate volunteers contribute daily to the AOM through divisions and interest groups, committees, task forces, editorial teams, editorial boards, reviewers, and 80+ communities. 

Skilled Board of Governors: Smart, highly capable 17-person Board of Governors clear in its governing role and focused on the well-being and development of members and the organization. Trust-based, supportive, and inclusive relationship with the ED and staff. 

Talented Staff: 37 staff committed to the AOM’s mission. 

Financial Strength: ~$15M annual budget. ~$55M net assets. 

The Executive Director (ED) serves as the chief staff officer and treasurer of the Academy of Management (AOM) and is an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors, reporting to the association’s elected President. In alignment with AOM’s mission and vision, the ED collaborates with the Executive Committee, Board of Governors, volunteer leaders, and staff to shape strategy and execute the organization’s strategic priorities. The ED is responsible for implementing strategic goals and objectives that benefit members while overseeing the operational, human, financial, and technical resources of the headquarters office in accordance with the association’s values. The incoming ED will build upon the AOM’s legacy of excellence by strategically and operationally guiding the organization through its next phase of service expansion and global growth. Key areas of focus include: 

• Shaping and enacting Vision 2030 which calls for strengthening AOM’s business model through new content and community-building initiatives to achieve 30,000 members by 2030. 
• Remodeling membership and affiliation structures to serve a changing demographic in an evolving and increasingly global higher education landscape.
• Developing the profession through innovative programs and services that extend the value proposition.
• Generating new publishing and content products to expand knowledge and diversify revenue.
• Enabling a multi-year digital transformation to advance the association through state-of-the-art technology. 
• Reimagining governing and headquarters structures to support change. 
• Facilitating public facing activities that champion management and organization science and AOM’s reputation.
• Conceptualizing the use of reserves for member benefit while preserving capital for future generations of scholars. 
• Addressing capacity and expansion challenges while strengthening financial sustainability. 
• Developing and enhancing relationships with global affiliates and partner organizations to strengthen the relevance and impact of management scholarship. 

Strategic and Operational Leadership  

Strategic partner in developing organization-wide vision and planning. Identifies business opportunities and develops annual goals to grow global membership, expand services, and strengthen finances. Ensures effective communication and alignment between staff, volunteer leadership, and other stakeholders. Oversees day-to-day operations and champions digital strategies for innovation and user engagement. Develops and maintains external relationships that add value to the organization and members. 

Governance & Board Relations  

Enhances effectiveness of the Board of Governors, Executive Committee, and volunteer leaders by providing specialized support and enabling leadership capacity. Builds strong officer and Board relationships and regularly communicates on organizational performance and strategic priorities. Guides committees and task forces to achieve successful outcomes. Authors reports and recommendations to support good processes and informed decision making. Collaborates with Division & Interest Group leaders and other stakeholders to improve coordination and support services. Enables outreach to special constituencies and ensures transparent communication regarding governance activities and decisions. 

Member Engagement and Service Development  

Overall accountability for member-focused service delivery of headquarters business units, including membership and pre-eminent publishing and annual meeting functions. Ensures the development of innovative programs and services that enhance member value, foster engagement, and expand global reach. Provides internal support structures for critical volunteer-led functions and successful service execution against established KPI’s and association benchmarks. Oversees all program revenue and cost controls while undertaking regular assessments for improvement. Safeguards trademarks and reputational assets. Promotes external positioning and supports ethics initiatives. 

  Financial Stewardship  

Accountable for the association's financial health. Responsible for top-line revenue, operational performance, and cost controls. Oversees financial operations and sets goals and KPIs for financial planning and budgets. Provides transparent financial reporting, supports audit and finance committees, and prepares policy, pricing and spending proposals. Oversees treasury and investment functions, ensures legal and regulatory compliance to mitigate risks, and negotiates and executes contractual agreements. 

Staff Development  

Fosters a culture of excellence by attracting, developing, and retaining top talent and high-performing teams. Translates strategy and Board decisions to actionable staff plans. Institutes human capital strategy to develop workforce potential. Oversees comprehensive set of human resource programs and the administration of employment policies to align plans and ensure compliance. Empowers staff to deliver member-focused results by modeling effective leadership.

Education and Experience  

• Master’s Degree in applicable discipline required. MBA and Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential highly preferred. 
• 10+ years of experience in executive level leadership role in a membership-based association or related nonprofit. Global scientific/learned society highly preferred.
•  Experience reporting to a volunteer Board of Governors and collaborating effectively in a complex, member-governed organization with shared decision-making and authority.
• Demonstrated strategy development and implementation experience, including organizational change initiatives and international expansion. 
• Proven outcomes in membership growth and community-building, program/service innovation and revenue development.
• Strong knowledge of the scientific/scholarly publishing landscape and business operations. Forward-looking experience in content-related business development and working with potential downstream users of the knowledge created by members. 
• Oversight of the planning, execution, and commercial management of large, complex conferences. 
• Clear financial acumen. Responsibility for top line revenue, operational performance, and cost control. Proven ability to identify threats and opportunities and effectively communicate financial trends and organizational performance.
• Digital literacy to motivate and guide technological progress. 
• Experience leading and developing multiple headquarters business units and diverse staff teams. 

Leadership Attributes   

• Servant-leader with high integrity and humility who promotes the association’s mission and exemplifies its “commitment to service” values. 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, essential for establishing trust and building transparent relationships.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, diplomacy, and confidence to engage effectively with highly intelligent constituencies in pursuit of shared goals. 
• Leadership style that fosters a climate of inclusion where staff and volunteers feel welcome, respected, and empowered to contribute.
• Solution-focused mindset and a high level of emotional intelligence to navigate challenging conversations and situations toward constructive outcomes. 
• Proven record of building and motivating a highly professional and knowledgeable staff team in a “members-first,” “results-oriented” environment.

This position is hybrid and currently requires two workdays per week (Wednesday/Thursday) in the office. 

Cover letter required.

The Academy of Management offers a robust benefits package designed to support employee health and well-being, work/life balance, and financial security, including highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision plans, FSA accounts, 100% employer paid life insurance, AD&D, STD and LTD benefits, generous time-off, and a very competitive 401(K) plan. 

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