Associate Director, Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

This position is based on Stanford’s main campus with consideration given to the option for a hybrid work schedule (partially onsite and offsite), subject to operational need. Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment VISA.

About Us
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; The Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to create solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

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Precourt Institute for Energy
As part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, the Precourt Institute for Energy concentrates the talents of the University on energy research and education, from basic science and technology to policy and business. We disseminate research results and help the University develop energy-literate leaders as part of its educational mission. We work across campus in all seven of Stanford’s schools.  We also build collaborations globally with industry, other research institutions, government, and civic organizations in pursuit of sustainable, affordable, secure energy for all people.

The Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center:
The Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center (SMC) is a new holistic and integrated center that brings together faculty and researchers from all-across the Stanford community to work hand-in-hand with key stakeholders from across the global mobility ecosystem. The mission of the Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center is to conduct research and analysis on sustainable mobility across five main research pillars: sustainable energy systems, sustainable infrastructure, safety, economic viability, and sustainable design. By integrating the principles of equity, decarbonization, safety, and resilience, SMC’s aim is to envision a future of sustainable mobility characterized by improved accessibility, enhanced energy efficiency, and economic development leading to more livable and sustainable communities. SMC will work closely with the mobility ecosystem and implement significant integrated innovation across three core areas: Research, Education, and Honest-Broker Convening.

Seeking Associate Director, Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center:
Seeking exceptional candidates to serve as the Associate Director of the Stanford Sustainable Mobility Center (SMC), a high-impact new research center within the Precourt Institute aimed at enabling a future where mobility is green, safe, accessible, equitable, and affordable thanks to breakthrough innovations in multiple technological domains.  

Working in close collaboration with the SMC Managing Director and the SMC faculty Co-Directors, the Associate Director will lead and grow SMC’s aviation-facing portfolio—including sustainable aviation strategy, industry engagement, program development, and execution—while ensuring strong integration with SMC’s broader multimodal mission and member ecosystem. This position requires a high degree of initiative and independent judgment, paired with excellent management across faculty, staff, students, and external partners.

The ideal candidate will have the following attributes:

• Significant and Diverse Experience and Expertise in Aviation and the Mobility Sector: Significant experience, knowledge, and network in aviation and adjacent mobility domains, ideally spanning areas such as aviation sustainability (e.g., SAF, hydrogen, electrification), airport systems and infrastructure, airline operations, aviation economics, safety and risk, certification and regulatory pathways (e.g., FAA/ICAO/EASA context), and aviation environmental impacts (including non-CO₂ impacts). Strong candidates will demonstrate an informed view of how aviation systems can evolve over the next decade and beyond, and how aviation integrates with broader multimodal mobility and energy systems.
• Ability to Translate Research into Aviation-Relevant Programs and Partnerships: Demonstrated ability to identify high-leverage, mid-to-long-term aviation challenges and convert them into well-scoped research, education, and convening programs. Comfort working across engineering, policy, business, and operational stakeholders, and building durable collaborations with airlines, airports, OEMs, energy providers, start-ups, and government labs.
• Data/Modeling Fluency for Aviation Systems: Experience and/or strong literacy in data-driven analysis and systems modeling relevant to aviation—e.g., lifecycle emissions, operations and scheduling, infrastructure/energy demand, safety assurance, fleet transition pathways, or environmental impact quantification. Familiarity with data governance, stewardship, and privacy considerations is a plus.

Your Responsibilities will include:

• Lead SMC’s aviation portfolio in partnership with the Managing Director and faculty Co-Directors: develop and execute a coherent aviation strategy aligned with SMC’s pillars and member needs (research, education, convening). 
   
• Based on engagement with the global aviation ecosystem and deep understanding of mid-to-long-term challenges and opportunities, shape a well-defined set of aviation research, educational, and convening programs at Stanford to help address them. 
   
• Build and manage aviation-facing partnerships across industry, government, and nonprofits (e.g., airlines, airports, OEMs, energy/infrastructure partners), including identifying collaboration pathways that create measurable real-world impact.
   
• Build member engagement and growth for aviation-related membership and sponsored research: co-develop value propositions, curate technical programming, and help steward relationships from exploration through execution.
   
• Represent SMC in aviation-related forums, workshops, conferences, and advisory interactions at the university level and to external constituencies. 
   
• Translate Stanford activities into real-world aviation impact by helping move ideas from research to pilots/demonstrations, operational adoption, policy relevance, and scalable deployment pathways. 
   
• Lead strategic planning and analysis for aviation-focused initiatives that have significant technical, regulatory, and/or business complexity; monitor trends and recommend program directions. 
   
• Act as a subject matter resource for aviation program design and execution, including navigating stakeholder constraints and relevant policy/regulatory considerations, in coordination with SMC leadership. 
   
• Develop and manage aviation outreach strategy, including communications and convenings (roundtables, workshops, working groups).
   
• Oversee execution of aviation programs: manage timelines, deliverables, internal coordination, and (as appropriate) supervise staff and student contributors supporting SMC activities. 
   
• Contribute to budgeting and financial stewardship for SMC programs, including monitoring and reporting on program finances as appropriate.

* - The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.