Director of Sustainable Development Research Institute

Applications are now invited for a permanent Director of the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) within TUS. The appointee will be responsible for leading the management and development of the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI). SDRI, established in 2021, builds on the extensive foundation of applied research within the TUS to create an Internationally recognised centre of excellence which enables communities, enterprise and industry to contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The appointee will play a key role in delivering on the ambitions of the SDRI by leading team of researchers and support staff to secure and deliver ambitious projects, of national and international relevance, within the fields of climate action, rural development, sustainable development and sustainability in general.

The aim of the Sustainable Development Research Institute (SDRI) is to maximise the impact of TUS on the sustainable development of the region through high quality, applied research informed and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. SDRI will become an exemplary of multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research producing high quality outputs through funded R&D projects, postgraduate research and publications. SRDI will re-enforce TUS’s position as a leading actor in the sustainable development sector.

The Institute brings together an interdisciplinary research team comprising principal investigators (PIs), researchers and postgraduate research students (PGS) generating a critical research mass. SDRI’s applied research expertise in the field of climate action, sustainable energy, rural and sustainable development and related areas enables us to partner with a wide range of regional, national and international partners delivering exemplar outputs and maximising impacts on the sustainable development agenda.

The key aspects of the Director’s role will be:

• To manage the staff of the SDRI/Development Unit – Project Managers, Researchers and support staff.
• To liase with other TUS departments as required in management of the Institute
• To build upon the existing critical mass and expertise in the field of Sustainable development that exists within TUS .
• To engage in research, demonstration, consultancy and project development activities in the fields of Sustainable Development and to align this activity with the UN SDGs.
• To create synergies with other Institutes/Centres/Groups and Academic Departments in TUS with a view to promoting the concept of sustainable development within all areas of TUS’s and TU activities
• To engage in networks at a National, European and International level to further promote and develop TUS’s presence in the Sustainable development arenas.
• To attract new expertise and researchers to join the SDRI team

The Director will put in place a strategic implementation plan for SDRI, aligned to the TUS Strategic Plan and RDI Goals. The strategy will foreground the applied mission of the Institute, its links to enterprises and the contribution of TUS to innovation, knowledge transfer and the overall development of the region will also be required. The appointee will help to develop TUS’s distinctive mission marked by a close connection to industry, business, enterprise, other public sector organisations and the community.

The Director will be expected to place a particular emphasis on the development and implementation of funded projects and consultancy activities and will, in particular, be expected to engage with the development projects of Horizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg, the VET elements of Erasmus+ and consultancy work for community organisations and public bodies.

Closing date for applications is 13.00pm on Monday, 13th July 2026