Secretary to the Corporation

POSITION: Secretary to the Corporation

REPORTS TO: President, Rice University and Board of Trustees

LOCATION: This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice Policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Leadership Opportunity

Rice University’s Board of Trustees governs a preeminent research university whose excellence is established and whose ambitions, under President Reginald DesRoches, are courageous, transformational, and global. To help the Board serve Rice’s bright future, we seek a Secretary of the University who will serve as a strategic and operational partner to the Board, the President, and Rice’s senior leadership.

Reporting jointly to the President and the Board of Trustees, the Secretary to the Corporation will organize and position the Board to effectively execute its corporate governance responsibilities and satisfy its operational needs. Most visibly, the Secretary will collaborate with the Chair of the Board, the President, and senior Rice leaders to strategically curate matters that warrant the Board’s attention, set Board meeting agendas, and conduct effective meetings for the Board and its committees.

The Secretary will also serve as the main contact for Trustees and as the Board’s trusted, efficient, and highly collaborative connector to the President and the university’s leadership. In addition, the Secretary will collaborate regularly with the Vice President and General Counsel to ensure the Board meets its legal and fiduciary responsibilities, while promoting effective governance practices and adhering to university bylaws. The Secretary will also develop and maintain diverse, highly collaborative relationships across the University.

The ideal candidate is a highly collaborative and strategic organizer and administrator with substantial experience as a corporate secretary, chief of staff, or similar senior administrator in higher education, nonprofits, healthcare, government, or similar mission-oriented entities.

Position Summary

Rice’s next Secretary will be a seasoned leader with exceptional judgment, gravitas, and emotional intelligence, capable of operating with confidence and humility in a complex, high-stakes environment. This individual will be energized by partnership, institutional stewardship, and change management, and will bring the presence required to work effectively with trustees, senior executives, and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will become an accessible and present member of the Rice community and will possess many of the following experiences and attributes:

• Senior Leadership Experience: Bachelor’s degree required and a minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience, including at least two years performing the functions of a corporate secretary, chief of staff, or similar senior administrator supporting a governing board or comparable body. A graduate degree or J.D. is highly preferred.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across a broad range of teams, stakeholders, and constituent groups. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and diplomatic skills, with a proven ability to manage confidentiality, trust, and sensitive relationships.
• Governance Acumen: Demonstrated experience working with boards, trustees, or high-level volunteer leadership, with the ability to both support and appropriately challenge. Understanding and appreciation of governance, institutional decision-making, and organizational dynamics; higher education experience valued but not mandatory.
• Intellectual Range: Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and drive operational excellence across functional areas, with an intellectual curiosity to operate in uncharted territories.
• Mission Orientation: A demonstrated passion for and connection to Rice’s mission of groundbreaking research and unsurpassed education for the betterment of our world.

For additional information on Rice University, please visit https://www.rice.edu/

The Search Process

Rice University is being assisted in this process by Spencer Stuart and welcomes nominations or expressions of interest. If you wish to submit your application materials or nominate someone to serve as Secretary to the Corporation for Rice University, please send an email message with supporting materials to: RiceSec@SpencerStuart.com.