President, Big Ten Academic Alliance

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA or "Alliance"), the academic consortium of the Big Ten universities, seeks its next president. Headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, and hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Alliance has served for more than 65 years as a powerful force for academic collaboration among 18 world-class research universities.

Through cooperation, co-investment, and shared innovation, the Big Ten Academic Alliance advances the academic missions of its member institutions and provides a trusted framework for pursuing shared priorities and addressing common challenges. Representing an unparalleled concentration of educational, research, and intellectual capital across its member institutions, the Alliance has served as a place for collective action in advancing knowledge and strengthening institutional excellence. Guided by a vision to provide the most responsive and effective framework for academic collaboration in higher education, the Alliance is a national model for interinstitutional partnership.

The president provides overall leadership for the organization, its staff, programs, and infrastructure while serving as a trusted partner to university provosts and other institutional leaders across the consortium. The president helps shape the BTAA's strategy and future direction, ensuring it remains responsive to members' needs while leveraging its unique convening power to elevate the collective strengths of member universities. The president will also serve as a champion for the Big Ten overall, articulating a compelling narrative highlighting the excellence, innovation, and impact of its member institutions. Balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, the president will creatively leverage resources and partnerships to advance shared priorities and build upon BTAA's longstanding record of impact.

The successful candidate will be a mission-focused, seasoned, and strategic leader with experience overseeing complex operations and fostering a positive, collaborative, and mission-driven culture. The president will guide the BTAA in delivering meaningful value to member organizations while empowering a talented and deeply committed team to advance its mission and strategic priorities. The president will support staff development, cultivate collaboration across teams and stakeholder groups, and create an environment in which creativity and excellence flourish.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance

Founded in 1958 by university presidents as the academic counterpart to the Big Ten Conference, the Big Ten Academic Alliance is one of the nation's oldest and most influential higher education consortia. The BTAA brings together 18 leading public and private research universities to pursue shared priorities. The scale and impact of BTAA members is unparalleled. Collectively, BTAA member institutions educate more than 810,000 students, employ more than 74,000 faculty and staff, generate more than $17 billion in annual research expenditures, and steward one of the largest concentrations of academic, research, and library resources in the world. The BTAA's reach extends coast to coast, with member universities spanning the nation and bringing the Alliance's collective voice to communities across the country.

Based in Champaign, Illinois, and hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the BTAA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the provosts of its 18 member institutions. An Executive Committee composed of the Board Chair and two additional provosts provides regular guidance and oversight. The Alliance is led by a president who works closely with the Board, member university leadership, and a BTAA staff of approximately 30 professionals to advance the organization's strategic priorities and collaborative initiatives. Through more than 200 cross-institutional peer groups, the BTAA convenes provosts, vice provosts, university librarians, chief information officers, graduate deans, research leaders, and hundreds of other academic and administrative professionals to facilitate the exchange of expertise and develop shared strategies across research, teaching, learning, and university operations. Through its collaborative enterprise, the Alliance also oversees approximately $80 million in joint purchasing activity and administers dozens of collaborative programs that generate an average annual return on investment of $2.1 million for each member institution.

As the chief executive officer of the BTAA, the president works closely with the provosts of the Big Ten universities, who serve as the Board of Directors, along with member university leadership and the Big Ten Conference, to advance the Alliance's mission, goals, and priorities. In this role, the president also engages with national leaders, including the Big Ten's presidents/chancellors, to advocate for the interests of their universities and advance issues of importance to higher education. Building on the BTAA's long history of success and strong legacy, the president helps shape the strategic direction of the Alliance, regularly evaluating its portfolio of programs and investments to ensure they remain aligned with member priorities and responsive to a rapidly evolving higher education landscape. In a complex landscape for higher education, the Big Ten is especially well-positioned to exert influence and impact on a national stage through collaboration and shared planning and programming. The president leverages the Big Ten's collective strength by helping member institutions identify opportunities for collective action, build consensus around shared priorities, and translate those priorities into initiatives that advance academic excellence and create value across the Alliance.

The president provides overall leadership for the organization and its staff. Overseeing a team that includes three vice presidents and a director, the president sets organizational direction, aligns resources with strategic goals, and fosters a collaborative, high-performing culture. The president is responsible for recruiting, developing, and mentoring the team while empowering staff to perform core functions and serve members and stakeholder groups with a high level of professionalism and responsiveness.

The president is accountable for the overall effectiveness and sustainability of the Alliance, stewarding its resources, operations, programs, and financial health to ensure they are aligned with member needs and strategic objectives. The president manages a complex network of relationships and serves as an ambassador for the Alliance, communicating its value to internal and external audiences. In a highly collaborative and member-driven environment, the president must exercise sound judgment and diplomacy to balance the diverse perspectives and issues of member institutions with the identification of shared priorities and objectives where the Alliance can build capacity across the consortium.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Senior-level administrative experience at a Research I university, higher education consortium, or similarly complex academic organization
• Demonstrated success leading and developing talented and diverse teams with the ability to foster a culture of accountability, collegiality, and high performance.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, high-profile programs, initiatives, or operations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree.
• Seven years of senior-level administrative experience at a Research I university, higher education consortium, or similarly complex academic organization

Desired Competencies:

• Ability to think strategically, anticipate emerging trends and challenges, and translate vision into action by aligning people, resources, and priorities to advance organizational goals.
• Strong operational and financial management skills, including the ability to balance ambitious objectives with available resources and deliver measurable, cost-effective results.
• Exceptional judgment, analytical ability, and problem-solving skills, with a track record of making sound decisions in complex environments.
• Capacity to build organizational and staff capability, develop future leaders, and create systems and processes that support long-term success.
• Collaborative leadership style and demonstrated ability to build consensus, navigate competing interests, and advance shared priorities among diverse stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-management skills, with the ability to engage a broad range of institutional leaders, stakeholder groups, and external partners in support of shared goals.
• Action-oriented approach, including the ability to exercise initiative, adapt to changing circumstances, and lead confidently amid ambiguity.
• Commitment to the value of interinstitutional collaboration and the role research universities play in advancing knowledge and serving society.
• Understanding of and genuine appreciation for the universities comprising the Big Ten and their academic, research, and public service missions.

Other Requirements:

• Location: The president is based in Champaign, Illinois. As part of BTAA's innovative and flexible work culture, this position operates within a hybrid work environment, allowing a combination of remote and on-site work.
• This role requires the ability to travel frequently to meetings and member university campuses as needed.

This is a 100%
full-time Academic Professional position appointed on a 12-month basis. The
expected start date is as soon as possible following the conclusion of the
search. Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

The budgeted salary range for this position is
$250,000 - $325,000 annually. Salary is competitive and commensurate with
qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. The BTAA
strives to provide a competitive salary, considering factors such as available
market data, internal equity, candidate experience and qualifications,
collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints. The final salary
offer will be determined through a thorough assessment of these elements.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For full consideration, materials should be provided by October 26, 2026; however, materials will be considered until the position is filled. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/big-ten-academic-alliance/president

John Muckle, Partner

Damla Williams, Senior Associate

Ethan Thomas, Managing Search Coordinator

Isaacson, Miller

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - the state's flagship public university and one of the world's leading research institutions - every staff member helps shape what's next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you're empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence - where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: req17868

Job Category: Professional and Administrative

Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu