Description

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln seeks an Executive Director, Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management
Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/UNL_Raikes_ExecDir_SOCSM_Profile.pdf
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

The Position:
The Jeffrey S. Raikes School enters its next chapter from a position of remarkable strength. Student demand continues to grow, graduates are highly sought after, and the university is committed to thoughtfully expanding the school's impact while preserving the highly personalized, cohort-based experience that distinguishes it nationally. The next Executive Director will build on this momentum by strengthening partnerships, advancing philanthropy, elevating national visibility, and guiding strategic growth while preserving the distinctive culture and educational experience that have defined Raikes School’s success. The position start date is flexible and will most likely be January 2027 or summer 2027. 

The Executive Director reports directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer and serves as the chief administrative officer of the Raikes School. Working with faculty, staff, students, alumni, the Raikes School advisory board, industry leaders, donors, and university leadership, the Executive Director will shape and execute the school's strategic direction, provide organizational leadership for its continued evolution, cultivate philanthropic and corporate investment, and ensure that its innovative educational model continues to thrive as it grows. The Executive Director is tasked with cultivating and reinforcing relationships both within the university and externally, seeking collaborative opportunities, securing financial support, and advancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the school. Additionally, the Executive Director is responsible for ensuring the provision and cultivation of an exceptional cutting-edge curriculum, faculty, and staff to educate and support students. The Executive Director is also responsible for attracting, recruiting and retaining, and ensuring the success of outstanding students from around the globe. The Executive Director will elevate the Raikes School’s national and international reputation and collaborate closely with the Raikes School Advisory Board.  

The Executive Director has overall responsibility for the school’s success, supported by a highly engaged team of 10 faculty (shared across academic units) and 12 staff spanning the academic mission, operations, student success, industry and alumni engagement, and school finances. Direct reports include all faculty and the Directors of Design Studio, Recruitment and Student Success, and Operations and Special Projects. The Executive Director also works closely with a Nebraska University Foundation development officer dedicated to the Raikes School and is in close partnership with the Deans of the College of Engineering and College of Business.  

Providing leadership for the Raikes School requires an Executive Director with entrepreneurial skills, an open-minded approach, and the ability to strategically engage with various constituents to foster collaborative partnerships that drive innovation and impact while leading a complex, high-performing organization through its next phase of growth. 

Qualifications:
The successful candidate will combine the vision of an entrepreneur, the credibility of an academic or industry leader, and the collaborative instincts required to lead across disciplines, sectors, and constituencies.

Specifically, candidates should demonstrate:

• A passion for and deep understanding of innovation, technology, and business.
• Evidence of a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, research, and mentorship.
• Proven effective collaboration with a broad range of constituents at both the university and external levels.
• Curricular/co-curricular strategy and implementation.
• Evidence of visionary and creative thinking.
• Strong leadership and organizational skills with evidence of inclusive strategic planning, resource development and financial planning.
• Track record of scaling organizations, teams, and/or operations.
• Evidence of effective development and successful philanthropic fundraising activities.
• An advanced or terminal degree and/or outstanding record of experience in industry, with professional, scholarly, or research accomplishments commensurate with the rank of full professor or full professor of practice. 

The highly qualified candidate will also have these preferred qualifications:

• Proven willingness to maintain high visibility and connection with program alumni.
• Success in creating unique experiences for students, such as student venture programs, student business incubators, entrepreneurial science programs, and internships.
• Demonstrable experience recruiting and developing distinct and outstanding faculty, staff, and students.  

About the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management:
The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management is a leading and unique honors program. The cohort-based experience prepares talented students from Nebraska and across the United States to be tomorrow’s technology leaders and innovators through an interdisciplinary approach and hands-on learning. They are among some of the brightest students on campus, coming to the university as students in the top of their class, passionate about computer science and business, intellectually curious, and willing to be challenged. They are academically driven, maintaining a 3.8+ GPA and scoring 34 (average) on the ACT or 1400+ on the SAT. For seven consecutive years, women have made up more than 40% of Raikes School cohorts, well above the industry average in computing. The incoming cohort goes from 40 to 60 in Fall 2026. 

Raikes School Core Values
The Raikes School values individuals who are not only technically proficient but also possess integrity, empathy, and a commitment to diverse perspectives. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work, learn from failure, adapt, follow through on commitments, and contribute positively to their community. Learn more about the school's core values.

Hands-on Curriculum and Capstone Experience
In their first and second years, students are introduced to important business, computer science, communication, and leadership concepts. In years three and four, students participate in Design Studio, the school's two-year capstone, taking advanced business courses, working on real-world solutions with industry professionals, and laying the groundwork for successful careers. Recent expansions of the capstone allow students to participate in Startup Studio, Research Studio, or a sponsored nonprofit project to complete their capstone requirements.

In Design Studio, student teams partner with companies on a year-long project to develop a business solution. The project encompasses the full product development lifecycle, including design, implementation and testing. Students learn how to:

• Create innovative applications and processes to solve real-world problems.
• Develop strong project management, leadership and teamwork skills.
• Work alongside industry leaders and network with key contacts from top local and global companies.
• Make a direct impact on communities and organizations, all while gaining valuable experience that will set them apart in their careers. 

Past sponsors include Microsoft, Kiewit, Hudl, Nelnet, Buildertrend, and Mutual of Omaha. View the complete list of industry partners. 

In Startup Studio, students apply the knowledge and skills they’ve developed in prior classes to launch a startup backed by a local economic development firm and launch a market-ready product at the end of the school year. Student teams are supported through first-hand access to Raikes School faculty, staff, and a vast network of mentors. 

Research Studio allows students to gain practical experience through interdisciplinary research with real-world impact. Students focus on the application of research principles to solve complex problems through the delivery of innovative, cutting-edge solutions and gain an understanding of the roles involved. Students work individually with a sponsoring faculty member from the area of their research along with Raikes School faculty. View the complete list of 2025 Design Studio capstone projects. 

About the University of Nebraska–Lincoln:
Founded in 1869, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is the state's flagship institution, serving as both the land-grant and comprehensive public research university of Nebraska. UNL ranks among the world’s leading universities and is the state’s primary intellectual center through its missions of teaching, research, and service.  

UNL is designated in the Carnegie Classification system as an R1 research university with very high research activity, is one of the nation’s leading public teaching institutions, and is a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities. By connecting everything it does to its research, scholarship, and creative activity, the university ensures these innovations shape the education provided to its undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.  

UNL is deeply integrated within the Silicon Prairie, a growing tech hub in Nebraska, by supporting entrepreneurial students through the College of Business Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator; launching collaborative prototyping spaces like the Frontier Tech Lab within its community-oriented Nebraska Innovation Studio makerspace, and the College of Engineering Design Hub; and participating in events like Silicon Prairie Startup Week, connecting students and faculty with industry leaders for internships, jobs, and collaborations in tech and startups. In 2025, UNL launched its Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, a hub that connects research, education, and workforce development across NU campuses. Powered by a $250,000 grant from Google, the center prepares students and businesses to lead efficiently and ethically in an AI-driven world. 

UNL is one of four universities within the University of Nebraska System and works cooperatively with three other campuses – the University of Nebraska at Kearney, a predominantly undergraduate campus; the University of Nebraska at Omaha, housing both undergraduate and graduate programs; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center – and the system’s Office of the President to provide for its student body and all Nebraskans the widest array of disciplines, areas of expertise, and specialized facilities of any institution within the state.

Key Attractions

• UNL is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
• UNL is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• UNL ranks No.35 globally in the 2026 Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine list of the “Top 50 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs” and saw an increase in student prizes for entrepreneurial ventures jump from $100,000 to $500,000 in 2025, driven in part by Invest Nebraska and matching partner funding in the Raikes School's Startup Studio awards.
• UNL is Ranked No. 1 online “MBA Program” by The Financial Times as the “best value for the money in the U.S.”
• 2026 U.S. News & World Report ranks UNL No. 84 in “Top Public Schools”, No. 158 among “national universities”, and No. 112 in its “Best Colleges for Veterans” report.
• In 2024 Forbes ranked UNL No. 154 as one of “America’s Best Large Employers.” 

Academics
UNL's nine colleges — Architecture, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, Engineering, Hixson-Lied Fine and Performing Arts, Journalism and Mass Communications, and Law — provide exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity in the sciences, liberal arts, and professional disciplines, with strong student enrollment, student diversity, and sponsored research funding. Experiential learning is highly valued at UNL and is a requirement for graduation. Every college offers a range of experiential opportunities for students. 

As a research-intensive institution, UNL faculty possess an extraordinary and primary focus on educational excellence. The university offers 100+ undergraduate majors and 170+ graduate degree and certificate programs in its nine academic colleges. UNL holds access to high-quality education as a principal part of its mission. In congruence with this value, the university enrolled nearly 24,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in fall 2025. 

UNL is home to a distinguished standing faculty of over 1,800 engaged in groundbreaking research and professional practice that crosses disciplinary and professional boundaries. In addition to its regional and national collaborations, the university brings international dimensions to its programs through the faculty’s global engagement, a student body that includes students from throughout the world, exchange agreements with other universities abroad, and the incorporation of international components in a variety of courses and curricula. 

Strategic Vision
In 2019, the university embarked on a 25-year vision for its future, which included a strategic plan for the first five of those years. The Executive Director will join UNL at a pivotal moment, as the university develops its next strategic framework – aligned with the NU System’s Odyssey to the Extraordinary and with the goal of readmission to the Association of American Universities – and pursues joint accreditation with the University of Nebraska Medical Center by the Higher Learning Commission. These efforts will align UNL more closely with its Big Ten and R1 peers, allowing the university to better reflect the breadth and depth of its teaching, research and engagement. 

Why Consider the Opportunity:

• Steward a nationally distinctive program. The Raikes School is widely recognized as one of the country's most innovative undergraduate programs, integrating computer science, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and experiential learning in a way few universities have achieved.
• Advance Nebraska’s innovative future. The next Raikes School Executive Director will advance one of the university’s most distinctive programs while strengthening UNL’s role in technology innovation, talent development, and economic growth across Nebraska.
• Shape the next chapter. The next Executive Director will guide strategic growth, strengthen the organizational foundation that supports Raikes School’s continued success, expand corporate and philanthropic partnerships, and ensure the school’s distinctive culture and student experience remain central as it evolves.
• Work across sectors. This role brings together higher education, technology, entrepreneurship, industry, and philanthropy. The Executive Director will engage corporate executives, entrepreneurs, faculty, students, alumni, donors, and university leadership in advancing a shared vision. 

To Apply:
A confidential review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled. For full consideration, individuals are encouraged to apply by September 30, 2026. Submit a CV/resume and a cover letter that addresses your reasons for interest and related qualifications/experience. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. 

To Apply Online: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su518  

For questions, nominations or recommendations:
Karen Pedersen, PhD
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
719.747.2545
kpedersen@summitsearchsolutions.com

Robyn Hannigan, PhD
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
617.650.1048
rhannigan@summitsearchsolutions.com 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln seeks to attract and retain a high performing and collaborative workforce. UNL is committed to providing a work environment and culture that fosters personal and professional success where every person and every interaction matters. The University is proud to be one of Nebraska’s preferred and largest employers where individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential. 

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination.