Dear Colleagues,
The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) seeks a dynamic and innovative leader to serve as its next Executive Officer. The SSSR is an interdisciplinary academic association that stimulates, promotes, and communicates social scientific research about religious institutions and experiences. SSSR was founded at Harvard University in 1949 as the Committee for the Social Scientific Study of Religion. From 1951 to 1956, the organization was called the Committee for the Scientific Study of Religion, and, with membership numbering in the hundreds, the change to the present name was made at the end of 1956. Today SSSR fosters interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among more than a thousand scholars from sociology, religious and secular studies, psychology, political science, economics, international studies, gender studies, and many other fields. The Society’s flagship publication, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, is the most cited resource in the field. Our annual meetings bring together leading scholars in the social and behavioral scientific study of religion for three days of networking, presentations, plenary sessions, and small group meetings in a different city each fall.
The SSSR is governed by an 11-member Executive Council, which meets 1-2 times annually. The SSSR provides its members a quarterly peer-reviewed journal (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion) that is produced through a contract with John Wiley and Sons, an annual three-day conference with 500-600 attendees on average, and a web site (https://sssreligion.org). The organization’s annual budget is approximately $300,000, and its fiscal year runs from January 1 to December 31.
The duties of the Executive Officer include:
● The Executive Officer is appointed by Council and executes the policies and directives of the Council.
● The Executive Officer works closely with the Society Treasurer to create and manage the Society’s annual budget.
● The Executive Officer actively collaborates with volunteer leaders to develop and implement strategic and operational goals and organize the annual conference.
● The Executive Officer is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Society and its budgeted financial operations, administration of its grants and awards programs, and execution of its annual meeting.
The successful candidate will possess the skills and experience to guide the SSSR as we strive to enhance our programs and services and build a more diverse and representative community.
The Executive Officer role currently includes two major tasks: managing the Society’s Business Office operations and supporting an annual conference, meeting at a different location every year. We expect the successful candidate to be incorporated as an independent consultant. Staffing needs vary over the course of the year, with the most intense period occurring during the annual conference in the late October/early November time frame.
This is a remote-work position with in-person attendance at the annual board meeting and conference expected. The position is envisioned as a four-year appointment.
Interested parties should submit a letter of interest and CV. Applications received by April 15, 2025 will receive full consideration. Applications should be sent electronically to Karen Hutchison at karen@sssreligion.org.
Questions about the position or process can be directed to Karen Hutchison at karen@sssreligion.org or Ruth Braunstein at ruth.braunstein@uconn.edu.