Technical Director Board Position Profile


Key Position/Commitment

  • 3-year commitment.
  • Requires management support.
  • Regular e-mail access, average five or more hours per week, including teleconferences.
  • Attend global Board of Directors (BOD) meetings (three 3-4 day meetings, plus occasional teleconferences).
  • Provide counsel to technical section and technically oriented standing committee leaders.

Role

  • Technical Directors represent the major technical specialties in SPE.
  • Provide support for current technology transfer initiatives.
  • Identify opportunities for SPE to disseminate technical knowledge within SPE’s membership. The dissemination of information can be global or local, within SPE, between SPE and other technical and professional societies, industry focused groups, universities, or corporations. The type of information, methods, and venues are part of the creative process that this person oversees.
  • Technical Directors also have Board committee duties, as well as liaison duties with SPE standing or ad hoc committees.

Board Responsibilities

  • Setting the strategic direction of SPE.
  • Financial oversight, including adoption of the annual budget.
  • Oversight of SPE programs, especially in technical area.
  • Develop and support initiatives to achieve the goals identified is SPE’s strategic plan.
  • Participate in assigned committees and utilize committee positions to carry out the mission of SPE.

Stakeholder Engagement Responsibilities

  • Establish and lead technical discipline advisory committees, which
    • assist in developing programs, books and periodicals,
    • identify qualified members to serve on technical event committees, as distinguished lecturers, and/or as awards candidates, and on related technical sections, section study groups, and technical interest groups.
  • Act as a sounding board and spokesperson for members represented by the technical discipline.

Preferred Prior Experiences

  • This position should be filled by someone with a strong leadership background in SPE activities, such as serving as an SPE committee or section chairperson.
  • In addition to representing an SPE technical specialty, this person may be chosen to represent an important constituency in SPE in order to balance the board demographics, and he or she should have experience or specific experiential background in the constituency represented.
  • The person who fills this position should be acquainted with leaders and technical experts within the discipline.
  • It is beneficial for the person who fills this position to:
    • Have served on technical committees within SPE,
    • Understand the inner workings of the society as well as the mission and strategic goals of SPE,
    • Comprehend the committee function and be capable of interfacing with other members as both a leader and a team member, and
    • Have published technical papers in his/her discipline.

Key Skills/Proficiencies

  • Strategic Thinking – Ability to “see the big picture,” think beyond tasks, focus on global as well as local needs, and adhere to strategic planning. Also, the ability to focus on material issues and not “sweat the small stuff.”
  • Leadership – Ability to communicate ideas to others in a way that engages and influences them. Ability to help the group achieve its goals and maintain an effective working relationship among members.
  • Networking - Ability to network within and outside the organization for discovery and dissemination of opportunities for SPE.
  • Negotiation – Skillful in multi-cultural, multi-national negotiations in order to represent sections with a variety of perspectives.