Assistant Director, Clements Center for Southwest studies (HR Title : Program Manager) - (DED00000445

Salary Range : Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications About SMU SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

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About the Department : The Clements Center promotes research, publishing, teaching, and public programming in a variety of fields of inquiry related to Texas, the American Southwest, and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.

About the Position : This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Assistant Director (AD) carries out the mission of the Center to promote research, publishing, teaching, and public programming in a variety of fields of inquiry related to Texas, the American Southwest, and the U.S.- Mexico borderlands.

As the Center's only staff member, the AD is charged with significant responsibility, a high degree of autonomy, and wide latitude to exercise independent decision-making authority.

The AD is required to make sound financial decisions, write and edit copy, plan and manage events, manage diverse groups of people, advise residential fellows, and generally maintain excellent organization.

The position also requires working knowledge of the academy and university publishing, and an intellectual curiosity for and engagement with the Center's work, including the ability to recognize broad trends in the academic fields within the Center's purview.

Essential Functions : FELLOWS

• The Center's largest budget items are its annual residential fellowships.

The Program Manager participates in the selection of fellows, makes appropriate financial arrangements with fellows’ home institutions, manages their onboarding, meets with them regularly while in residence, provides financial and other forms of support, and assists them in building their professional networks in the academic and publishing communities.

FINANCIAL

They approve fellows' travel and research expenses and oversee endowments and grants, including the creation of annual endowment reports.

They work with the Development office to secure additional funding and manage cost-sharing arrangements with other institutions.

SYMPOSIA

The Program Manager works with the co-conveners to execute their vision, usually over about a 5-year period, until the book is published.

This involves organizing and attending a multi-day workshop for 20+ academics, often held at the Taos campus.

TRAVEL TO CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, AND SYMPOSIA

They attend and participate in all fellow's manuscript workshops, and all symposia co-sponsored by the Center at other universities or institutions nationwide (and internationally).

PUBLIC RELATIONS

They are responsible for the Center website, including writing its content.

They keep a presence on social media and design promotional material such as fliers, posters and mailers.

They work with SMU Public Affairs and other off campus organizations to promote event, keep contact lists updated, and do other PR activities.

RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANTS

The Clements Center also awards money to outside scholars to come to SMU to conduct research for their own work in SMU's DeGolyer Library.

The Program Manager seeks applications for both of these, helps choose the awardees, and supports them academically and financially.

PUBLICATIONS

The Center also self-publishes books on topics within its mandate.

The Program Manager helps select authors and assists them in preparing book manuscripts, secures permissions, ISBNs, etc.

They work with printers / editors, seek endorsements, see the book to final publication, and oversee sales.

ANNUAL BOOK PRIZE

The Program Manager seeks submissions from academic presses, works with the outside (non-SMU) judging committee and the Western History Association concerning the judging process, then plans, budgets, and promotes an evening lecture event for the winner.

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING

The program manager assists in securing speakers and making arrangements, writes and designs promotional materials, plans and budgets the event, and attends all functions.

NETWORKING

They introduce fellows to faculty within SMU and the greater DFW area and make connections at academic conferences and workshops to promote SMU fellows and graduates and the work of the Center.

Qualifications Education and Experience : A bachelor's degree in history (or an adjacent discipline) is required.

A minimum of two (2) years of experience is required.

Experience in event and budget planning is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities : Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies.

Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions.

Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.

Ability to create / write / edit content for newsletter, website and promotional materials is essential.

Candidate ability to create / write / edit content for newsletter, website and promotional materials is essential.

Candidate must be able to work well with academics from numerous liberal arts disciplines from around the country and world.

Candidate ability to speak Spanish is a plus.

An interest in and capacity to teach occasional courses in Southwest and / or borderlands history is also preferred.

Physical and Environmental Demands : Sit for long periods of time Kneel, stand Walk for long distances Deadline to Apply : October 26, 2025 Priority consideration may be given to those submissions received by October 15, 2025.

EEO Statement : SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

The Executive Director for Access and Equity / Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.

Benefits : SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits.

In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future.

Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.