Chief Executive Officer, New Energy New York Storage Engine (NENY-SE)

Binghamton University is looking for an experienced, dynamic, and innovative Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the NSF Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine (NENY-SE).  As the NSF Engines Program represents one of the single largest investments in place-based research and development, positioning science and technology leadership as the central driver for regional economic competitiveness, there is a need for a strong and collaborative CEO who can manage a diverse portfolio of projects that includes academic, industry, non-profit, and government stakeholders.

Binghamton University is a world-class institution that unites more than 130 broadly interdisciplinary educational programs with some of the most vibrant research in the nation. Our unique character - shaped by outstanding academics, facilities, and community life - promotes extraordinary student success. Binghamton merges rigorous academics, distinguished faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities to engage and challenge its 4,100 graduate and 14,000 undergraduate students. The high-achieving Binghamton student body also represents a great diversity of life experiences, from first-generation college-goers to international students. Beyond their talent, these classmates share a desire to shape the future through technology, insight, intellectual exploration, and community service.

Embedded within the University, The Research Foundation (RF) exists to serve SUNY and to capitalize on the scope, scale, and diversity of SUNY as an engine of New York State's innovation economy. We are the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country. The RF is mission focused and serves Binghamton University by providing essential administrative services that enable faculty to focus their efforts on the education of students and the performance of life-changing research. As a private not-for-profit corporation, we support nearly $1 billion in SUNY research activity annually, providing sponsored programs administration and commercialization support services to SUNY faculty performing research in numerous disciplines.

New Energy New York (NENY), a Binghamton University led consortium of more than 30 strategic organizations, brings together a robust coalition of diverse partners across academia, industry, non-profits, community organizations, incubators, and government agencies ready to lead U.S. battery innovation. 

Binghamton University has secured the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) award; the federal Tech Hub designation; and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines grant.   The BBBRC, Tech Hub, and NENY-SE are significant but separate components of NENY.  All three units support the NENY vision.  As such, Binghamton is looking for an experienced, dynamic, and innovative Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the NSF Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine (NENY-SE).

The NSF Engines Program is built on the core pillars of use-inspired and industry driven research, technology transfer, workforce preparedness, and inclusive engagement.  NENY-SE will establish a full battery-cycle ecosystem in Upstate New York, connecting key industry stakeholders, supporting domestic development and engineering, facilitating faster transition of innovative technologies, and growing an advanced manufacturing workforce across the battery lifecycle from materials processing to recycling and recovery. 

NENY-SE is ready for the challenge, bringing together an unparalleled constellation of resources and infrastructure, premier R&D universities and training organizations, economic development and community organizations, and government agencies and industry, to grow a leading battery technology ecosystem in Upstate New York with regional and national impacts.

The NSF Engine will provide a comprehensive suite of regional R&D, testing, and pilot production infrastructure to support battery development at various stages.  Therefore, the CEO will supervise industry directed, use-inspired R&D projects and manage support for early-stage regional startups with gap grants for early development prototyping efforts, as well as for venture development needs including intellectual property. Key areas include innovations in material sourcing and processing, alternative chemistries and next-generation battery technologies, improved metrology, battery manufacturing process innovation, material recovery and recycling, and safety and testing.

Required qualifications include: Bachelor's degree in business, physical or engineering sciences, or related field; ten years of proven experience in senior leadership roles with a track record of strategic thinking and organizational growth; strong project management skills with demonstrated experience in implementing programs, continuous improvement efforts, and meeting KPIs; strong oral and written communication skills; commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience collaborating with a diverse set of partners, conflict resolution, and building consensus across organizations; ability to work under pressure and collaboratively with a team, industry partners, and governance boards to achieve organizational mission; demonstrated ability to respond to rapidly changing environments; and a high level analytical skills, excellent judgement, and creative problem-solving skills. 

Preferred qualifications include: Master's degree or other advanced degree; knowledge of innovation financing, entrepreneurial support, commercializing innovation, and intellectual property; experience establishing and leading rapidly growing startup organizations; experience managing federal grants, contracts, and/or cooperative agreements; experience in budgeting, financial forecasting, and resource allocation; experience with or in higher education research teams; experience with developing research-informed education and workforce development activities and programs; and experience supervising and managing highly accomplished teams.

Salary: $250,000-$300,000 annually (based on experience and qualifications). This is a 5-year grant-funded position, with potential for renewal based on the progress and growth of NENY-SE. The ideal candidate will be instrumental in driving the development and success of the organization, with the opportunity to transition into a longer-term role if key milestones are achieved.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All nominations and applications shall be confidential. Interested candidates should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae/résumé, the names and contact information for three professional references and any additional files/documents to:

Steve Leo, Managing Director
Vicki Henderson, Senior Associate
Storbeck Search
[email protected]