Appointment of Vice-President, Academic Relations, North America - Elsevier

Elsevier is seeking an influential and dynamic leader for the role of Vice President (VP), Academic Relations, North America. This role is crucial in strengthening Elsevier’s relationships across the North American academic landscape and advancing the organization’s mission to support and empower the research community.

As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier has been advancing science and healthcare for over 140 years. Part of RELX Group, Elsevier provides high-quality data, tools, and insights that empower researchers and healthcare professionals to drive innovation, secure funding, and make impactful discoveries. Through trusted platforms like ScienceDirect and Scopus, Elsevier supports rigorous research, contributing significantly to global research output and citations. In North America, Elsevier collaborates with academic institutions, research organizations, industry bodies, and U.S. federal agencies.

The VP of Academic Relations, North America, will serve as a trusted ambassador for Elsevier, engaging and inspiring academic and research communities to foster impactful collaborations. The VP will drive strategic initiatives to support Elsevier's mission, ensuring that Elsevier’s products and services meet community needs, promote equitable access to information, and align North American policies with global priorities. This role requires a professional with a well-established network among U.S. and Canadian university leaders and a deep understanding of the higher education sector at a senior strategic level.

In a rapidly advancing landscape, the VP will also support stakeholders in integrating AI into research practices and upholding research integrity to maintain trust and reliability. This position requires vision, strong strategic skills, and a profound commitment to advancing knowledge and societal progress.

Person specification

Candidates are expected to demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Outstanding reputation in the NOAM research and academic community and knowledge of the decision-making of US and Canadian Academic institutions and funders.
• Excellent ambassadorial qualities: effectively promotes Elsevier actively and publicly, highly respected by Academic & Government stakeholders and peers.
• Influential, credible, and able to engage in debate in an open, engaging, and non-defensive manner
• Excellent communication skills – written and verbal.
• Demonstrated networking abilities among key stakeholders of Academic & Government institutions.
• Relentless energy, drive, and enthusiasm: takes initiative and innovates; shows entrepreneurial instinct. Capable of working independently. Shows good judgement.
• Effectively collaborates with colleagues, takes the lead to coordinate if and when needed.

Team: The VP of Academic Relations would also draw upon resources in other Elsevier departments, e.g., to form dedicated initiative-specific teams.

Location: Can be home-based; the VP Academic Relations would benefit from being based close to New York, Washington DC, Boston, the West Coast, or a similarly research-intensive or policy-focused regions.

Start Date: While the start date is flexible, ideally Q1 2025.

Compensation: once the position description has been agreed, we will move to construct a compensation package. Elsevier’s VP of Human Resources will engage to progress this at the appropriate point.

Appointment Process and How to Apply: An executive search exercise is being undertaken by Perrett Laver to assist the Appointment Advisory Committee in the discharge of its duties, both to assist in the assessment of candidates against the requirements of the role and to identify the widest possible field of candidates. Applications should consist of a covering letter addressing suitability against the person specification and a full curriculum vitae.

Perrett Laver may be contacted for informal inquiries and questions on +31 (0) 202 404 379 or by emailing erik.hafner@perrettlaver.com Applications can be uploaded at https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies/, quoting reference 7629. The closing date for applications is at 9am CET on Friday 13th December.

Applications will be considered by the selection committee mid-December, and shortlisted candidates will be selected for first-round interviews early January. Second round interviews with the appointment committee and a selection assessment will be completed by mid-January 2025. The appointment process, including the appointment decision, is expected to occur expeditiously.

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