Director, McNair Scholars Program

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27160

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Julian Collins

[email protected]

406-994-7480

Classification Title Managing Director

Working Title Director, McNair Scholars Program

Brief Position Overview

The Director administers the MSU McNair Scholars Program, as the PI, with the assistance of a program coordinator and TRIO support staff and is tasked with creating a vision for the future of the program. The program is entering the fourth year of a five-year grant cycle.

Position Number 4C6622

Department Access & Success

Division Division of Student Success

Appointment Type Professional

Contract Term Fiscal Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

FLSA Exempt

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE .75-1.0

Benefits Eligible Eligible

Salary Starting at $72,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type LOA

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

The program is named in honor of Ronald E. McNair, a NASA mission specialist astronaut and nationally recognized physicist. Dr. McNair, who grew up in poverty and segregation, lost his life when the space shuttle Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986. The McNair Program was established by Congress in his honor.

Ronald Erwin McNair was born in Lake City, South Carolina on Oct. 21, 1950. McNair came from a low income family. He graduated high school in 1967 as the valedictorian of Carver High School. He received his bachelors degree in Physics from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971. McNair earned his Ph.D. in laser physics in 1976. Dr. McNair would later be granted an honorary doctorate of laws from North Carolina A&T State University, honorary doctorate of science from Morris College, and an honorary doctorate of science from the University of South Carolina. He was awarded many distinctions including being a Presidential Scholar, a Ford Foundation Fellow, a National Fellowship Fund Fellow, and a NATO fellow. Dr. McNair was the second African American to fly in space when he launched from Kennedy Space Center on February 3, 1984. Two years later he was aboard the U.S. Challenger space shuttle when it tragically exploded on Jan. 28, 1986.

The McNair Scholars Program at Montana State University-Bozeman is one of the premier and nationally recognized undergraduate programs on campus. The essence of our program is to successfully combine faculty mentoring, undergraduate research, and academic support services for students whose families have not traditionally participated in post-secondary education. Specifically, those students who are the first in their families to attend college and are from low-income families.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for the McNair grant, completing all grant responsibilities for the US Department of Education, including: annual reporting, budget creation, grant writing, and grant management.

• Cultivate the next generation of professionals by working with undergraduates who plan to pursue post-baccalaureate graduate level degrees, specifically doctoral degrees, who come from underrepresented groups by overseeing overall management of the McNair Scholars Program ( MSP ).

• Recruit students into the program.

• Identify and partner with faculty research mentors.

• Conduct graduate school preparatory workshops and seminars.

• Coordinate scholars’ summer research projects.

• Assist and mentor McNair Scholars in the graduate school application process.

• Supervise MSP personnel.

• Maintain accurate records of financial expenditures and submit the MSP annual progress report to the funding agency.

• Maintain MSP handbooks and policy and procedures manual for recruiting, selecting, and training MSP personnel, students, and faculty mentors.

• Serve as a liaison to the MSU and state-wide TRIO community and stakeholders.

• Monitor alumni academic and professional career status of each student.

• Disseminate MSP outcomes and impacts.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Master’s degree

• Successful experience working professionally in a college setting.

• Experience with fiscal responsibilities and budget management.

• Grant writing and/or reporting experience.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Ph.D. degree.

• Experience implementing and managing a federal grant as a principal investigator (PI).

• Experience working with low-income/first-generation students and students who are members of underrepresented groups.

• Successful experience working with undergraduate research programs.

• Experience in effectively advising, counseling, and mentoring undergraduate students.

• College teaching experience.

• Demonstrated experience in developing effective relationships and partnerships with various community groups such as local community representatives/members, business and governmental agencies.

The Successful Candidate Will

The successful candidate will:

• Possess strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Be able to lead others effectively.

• Have effective organization skills.

• Enthusiastically promote the mission of the program.

• Demonstrate federal grant management skills.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? Yes

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on November 18, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.