"Instructor & Executive Director, ECCA"

Job Description

The Executive Director of the Engagement Center for Creative Aging (ECCA) at Virginia Tech will provide visionary leadership for the Center, overseeing all aspects of its outreach, teaching, and research initiatives. The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring the strategic integration of ECCA’s activities within the university, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations and engaging both internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, students, funders, and the broader community.

As the primary liaison between ECCA and university administration, the Executive Director will oversee the implementation of the Center’s mission and strategic objectives, ensuring alignment with Virginia Tech’s overarching goals. This individual will manage a multidisciplinary team, engage an Advisory Board, and collaborate closely with faculty, staff, and external partners to execute high-quality services for older adults and families impacted by dementia, as well as advance research in the fields of aging, dementia, integrative health practices, and creative arts.

The Executive Director will also be responsible for activating and monitoring the Center’s strategic plan, ensuring that ECCA’s programs—focused on outreach, teaching, and research—remain relevant, innovative, and impactful in local, state, national, and global contexts.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., gerontology, nursing, health and human services, public health, or a related discipline).
• Proven experience in program development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and research leadership, with a deep understanding of aging, dementia care, and creative arts.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage with university leadership, external stakeholders, faculty, staff, and donors.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, fundraising efforts, and secure external funding to support organizational goals.
• Experience in strategic planning, ensuring long-term sustainability and alignment with institutional goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within a community-based aging services, particularly those related to dementia care, caregivers support, and therapeutic/holistic programming and university setting.
• Familiarity with research-based organization.
• A track record of successfully building interdisciplinary teams and cultivating collaborative partnerships.
• Leadership experience in a senior management role, ideally within a university, non-profit organization, or healthcare setting focused on aging, dementia, or related fields.
• Previous experience in outreach and engagement, particularly in the field of aging and dementia care.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate with Experience

Review Date

October 22, 2025

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Pam Teaster at pteaster@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.