The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) foundation is seeking a manager/professional with proven experience for the role of General Director.
IIT is a Private Foundation funded by the State with the statutory goal of promoting excellence in basic and applied research in order to foster the development of Italy’s economic system. IIT’s activities are conducted in over 50,000 m2 of laboratory space by around 2000 employees. IIT is involved in many projects and funded activities of both an institutional (mostly European) and industrial nature. Among IIT employees, 30% come from countries other than Italy, while a further 20% are Italians who have returned from abroad. The head office is in Genoa. As part of its research network, IIT has developed a network of eleven laboratories, mostly based in the main Italian universities and national research centers, to enhance collaborations with these institutional partners.
In this context, the General Director is responsible for administration, finance, and controlling activities, as set out in detail below. He/she is also responsible for activities expressly delegated to him/her by IIT’s Executive Committee. The General Director attends the Executive Committee’s meetings, without voting rights. The General Director reports to the Scientific Director and to the Executive Committee for matters delegated by the Committee.
IIT is therefore seeking a professional with consolidated multidisciplinary experience, including in managing diverse workforces in highly complex organizational structures such as those of IIT. At IIT, scientific talent and a similar number of technology transfer and administrative professionals work together to achieve the organization’s statutory goals.
According to the current function chart, the General Director is not just responsible for administration, finance, and controlling activities, but also for managing general procurement processes, legal matters, and the economic and contractual aspects of the above-mentioned workforce, including relations with the respective representatives, the organization of various forms of work, and the formulation of long-term prospective financial plans, as defined by the Scientific Director. In particular, according to the current function chart, the General Director is responsible for:
- formulating and presenting short-term and medium-term financial management policies to the Board and the Executive Committee, in accordance with the Board’s guidelines for financial plans;
- administration, finance, and controlling activities;
- coordinating the annual planning process, budget, and use of associated funds according to the Board’s Strategic Plan, and ensuring that the necessary documents are prepared for submission to the Executive Committee, as defined by the Scientific Director;
- defining, approving, and modifying the processes required for the smooth functioning of the Research Lines, and the related administrative procedures, as defined by the Scientific Director;
- coordinating administrative and financial activities, supervising compliance with civil, fiscal, and social security legislation, general and analytical accounting for IIT, ensuring the preparation of the related summary documents for both internal and official use (accounting, financial statements, tax returns, taxes and social security in general);
- coordinating the activities of the Department of Human Resources and Organization (HR);
- coordinating the activities of the Department of Procurement;
- coordinating the activities of the Department of Legal Affairs and Litigation;
- coordinating the activities of the Department of Health & Safety.
With respect to the above, the General Director must also ensure compliance with public finance rules, the code for public contracts, and internal policies and procedures governing the use of IIT’s economic and financial resources. This also includes liaising with the Department of Compliance as part of their duty to supervise compliance checks in matters of direct responsibility.
The ideal candidate is a manager/professional with technical competence in the above-mentioned areas and the ability to comprehensively and effectively coordinate the above-mentioned functions. He or she is able to engage with the Foundation’s internal and external stakeholders in a balanced way and to work as part of a team, expressing his or her opinion while demonstrating openness to the contributions and ideas of top management, colleagues, and collaborators, and adopting a constructive and collaborative approach to finding suitable shared solutions.
The General Director must ensure the smooth functioning of the organizational machine, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, researching, proposing, and implementing the most appropriate solutions. Reliable and dynamic, attentive to operational management and to compliance with commitments and deadlines, the ideal candidate must also be a motivator, with a talent for team building and team working, and able to dedicate himself/herself to IIT’s internal and external spheres.
A graduate of Economics, Engineering, Law, or related subjects, the ideal candidate is a manager/professional with proven experience in managing issues such as those highlighted above, at a similar level of organizational complexity and within complex corporate structures or institutions with dimensions and characteristics comparable to those of the Foundation.
Remuneration will depend on the chosen candidate’s characteristics and experience.
The candidate must be able to write and speak English fluently.