Job Details

Assistant Director of the Front Range Consortium

Assistant Director of the Front Range Consortium

This is a civilian position that works for a 501(c)3 non‑profit that supports the Air Force Academy.

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION

The United States Air Force Academy Association & Foundation ('Association & Foundation') believe strongly that the United States Air Force Academy ('Academy') is a vital national resource, upholding the invaluable mission of developing leaders of character for our Air Force, Space Force and nation. The Association & Foundation have joined forces to accomplish their complementary missions to actively support these leaders as well as the Academy and its cadets.

The core values of the United States Air Force Academy are Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. These same core values guide the Association & Foundation, as well as our boards and staff.

Association & Foundation - Institute for Future Conflict and Front Range Consortium (donation funded)

The Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) is dedicated to creating and cultivating flexible warfighters who are prepared to prevail in conflict no matter what form it may take in the future. The IFC does this by working across all three major units at the United States Air Force Academy to develop warfighters in the classroom, on the training ground, and through athletic competition.

The Front Range Consortium (FRC) is a coalition of colleges and universities along the front range of the Rocky Mountains dedicated to establishing the area as a center for U.S. national security debates with the idea of connecting Colorado to the coasts.

Overview

The Institute for Future Conflict (IFC) at the United States Air Force Academy seeks a qualified candidate for the full-time, on-site position of Assistant Director of the Front Range Consortium (FRC), who will report directly to the Director of the FRC. This is a donation funded position. The Assistant Director will be required to be on a Volunteer Services Agreement (VSA) with USAFA.

The Assistant Director of the FRC will lead, implement, promote and expand the FRC Research Program and the FRC National Security Conference, in support of national security research and debate.

Key Responsibilities

• Research Program Strategy and Leadership
• Lead the end-to-end strategy and end-to-end execution of the FRC's defense and national security research portfolio, by aligning FRC university and colleges' institutional strengths with federal, state and industry research opportunities.
• Lead and execute an annual faculty research grant program focused on increasing Colorado's profile in national security debates via research output.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary research initiatives across FRC universities and colleges, connecting faculty to relevant national security leaders, challenges and funding.
• Act as a central resource and critical bridge for faculty and students navigating sponsor relationships and the DoD funding landscape.
• Oversee and expand research and publishing opportunities for the Anschutz National Security Scholars program, Anschutz Lecture Series and the FRC Student‑Faculty workshops.
• Mentor the Scholars in academic research and act as a central resource and critical bridge for faculty and students navigating sponsor relationships and the DoD funding landscape.
• Annual National Security Conference Strategy, Planning and Execution
• Lead the end-to-end strategy, content development, speaker engagement, and sponsor coordination for FRC's annual National Security Conference.
• Ensure the event grows in visibility, relevance, and strategic impact across government, academia, and industry.
• Build long-term, high-value relationships with defense sponsors, academic alliances, philanthropic orgs, and national security stakeholders.
• Represent the FRC at senior-level forums, roundtables, and briefings to promote institutional visibility and strategic alignment.
• Assist with Donor Stewardship activity and provide reporting as necessary to the Director of the IFC, the Director of the FRC, and the Foundation Senior Advisor to demonstrate progress towards achieving the requirement of the position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent communication and relationship building skills with stakeholders, including academic leadership, faculty, government leadership, and external organizations.
• Evidence of superb management, organizational and collaboration skills with complex partnerships and limited resources.
• Ability to travel regionally and nationally as needed.
• Substantive understanding of the national security landscape via education in a field of study related to U.S. national security or experience in the U.S. national security workforce.

Required Qualifications

• M.S., M.A. is required
• Experience successfully leading a portfolio as a research development professional in academia, industry or government, including awarding and overseeing grant programs.
• Substantive experience successfully planning and executing conferences and events, within academia, industry, NGOs or government.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and either possess or be able to obtain a security clearance at the secret level.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a defense‑relevant discipline
• Experience coordinating or managing large-scale interdisciplinary proposals or research programs.
• Experience as a program officer or similar role in defense or national security related research agency.
• Experience successfully providing direct support for competitive research proposal development for DoD or federal government programs and national security challenges—offering strategy, team formation, editing, compliance oversight, and submission guidance.
• In-depth knowledge of DoD and federal government research structures, funding methods (FOA, BAA, SBIR, STTR, etc) and sponsor expectations.
• Experience planning and executing large scale, multi‑day public‑facing conferences with high‑level government, industry and academics in attendance.

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $75,000 – $100,000 (commensurate with experience). The Association & Foundation offers a competitive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term and long‑term disability, retirement and paid time off for all full‑time employees. This is a donation‑funded position. Funding is available for three years. The Assistant Director will be required to be on a Volunteer Services Agreement (VSA) with USAFA.

Submission Instructions

Applicants must submit a cover letter and a resume to receive full consideration. The position will remain open until filled.