About Berkeley Executive Search
Berkeley Executive Search (BES) is an executive search program that began at the University of California, Berkeley. We provide our services to the entire University of California (UC) system. As employees of the UC, our goal is to contribute to the higher education missions of teaching, research, and public service, which are shaped by discovery and knowledge advancement. We are driven by the spirit of California entrepreneurship and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Senior executives and leaders in higher education have the opportunity to directly impact campus communities and cultures and the effectiveness of their organizations in serving faculty, staff, and students. With that understanding, BES is committed to searching for the right matches between the institution’s current and future critical needs and the people at the specific time of their career and life to contribute to the leadership in serving the campus and missions.
From our background with the UC, we bring a mixture of: understanding of broad education institutional goals and needs, nuances of higher education organizational structures, and a commitment to the missions, values, and access of higher education. We possess experiences and expertise in the opportunities and challenges associated with searching for and recruiting senior level talent for a large, matrixed, research intensive academic campus. We are aware of the importance in building relationships with hiring authority and various stakeholders associated with each search as well as in advising prospective candidates with the navigation of organizational complexities and their career goals. We work to ensure the strategic alignment between the hiring authority and organization with the individual who will bring value and leadership to their team, the organization, and the institution.
As each search is different, we partner and collaborate with executives, hiring teams and search committees with diverse perspectives to understand the function, the critical business needs, and the desired outcome and impact for the ideal candidate(s). We engage with hiring authorities and their stakeholders to learn how best to partner & provide support. We research and learn about the organization and position, advise on the role and the search strategy, conduct extensive nationwide outreach to strengthen and diversify the pool, and manage the complex process steps to strive for alignment among the search participants for a positive and successful outcome. We work to include excellence and inclusion in each of our searches. We understand complex higher education structures and its challenges and opportunities. We have demonstrated successes in filling various senior level and challenging searches.
Please contact James Kao, Assistant Director, Berkeley Executive Search, regarding Berkeley Executive Search at j.kao@berkeley.edu.
BES’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
BES understands successful organizations thrive with a diverse workforce. BES is committed to equal opportunity and has a history of providing diverse candidate pools. All applicants receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic data, or other legally protected status. Our process is consistent and compliant with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requirements.
Candidate diversity is a focus at all stages of the search starting with understanding campus underutilization. BES searches for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. Through our efforts, BES has shown that we have increased the strength and size of applicant pools, the number of diverse candidates, and the percentage of affirmative action goals met in the searches we manage.
BES conducts a process mindful of equity and inclusion at every step. From identifying search committees with representative diversity to screening, interviewing and selection that incorporates inclusive language, process, evaluation and engagement. We not only lead with inclusive practices but also advocate for innovative best practices to ensure an inclusive thought. This also incorporates the training and tools to address managing unconscious bias in the hiring process.
When you work with our team, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners.
Of the 25 searches Berkeley Executive Search has completed in the first two years, the people hired were 56% female and 52% person of color; 80% were female, person of color, and/or individual with disability.
Searches
Open/Current Searches
BES is devoted to and driven by the values held by the institutions we work with and we work to include excellence and diversity in each of our searches. We are committed to searching for the right matches for both the institution as well as the candidate. Below are our current ongoing searches.
Executive Director, Communications & Media Relations (0409U) #45635
Executive Director, Computational Precision Health (0379U) #45602
UC Merced Dean of Extension #JPF01451
Chief Curator BAMPFA (0421U) #43631
Senior Editorial Director, University Development & Alumni Relations (0409U) #43543
Executive Director, Financial and Capital Planning (0214U) #42387
UC Merced, Executive Director of Campus Life (0548) #42696
UC Irvine, Chief Curator Langson IMCA (0422) #37984
UC Santa Barbara, Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Chief HR Officer (0626) #32702
In general, if you are interested in a future senior-level position at UC Berkeley or in the UC System, please feel free to share your interest and information with us at executivesearch@berkeley.edu
Applicant Resources
Below are some resources applicants might find helpful while engaging in the search process with BES:
Diversity Statements for Applicants
Completed Searches
Berkeley Executive Search has managed and advised on various senior-level searches across campus. We have also advised on other projects and re-organizations. The senior-level, executive and challenging successful searches that have been managed and supported by BES are below.
As of December 2022
Academic Affairs
• Director of Teaching & Learning Excellence, RTL, Undergraduate Education
• Senior Advisor to the EVCP, Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost
Central Administration
• Assistant Vice Chancellor & Campus Architect, Capital Strategies, Administration
• Associate Chief of Staff, Chancellor’s Office
• Chief Procurement Officer, Administration
• Director of Housing Development & Leasing, Capital Strategies, Administration
• Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, Chancellor’s Office
• UC Berkeley, UCPD, Chief of Police
Development
• Senior Assistant Dean of College Relations & Development, College of Chemistry
• Assistant Dean for Development & External Relations, School of Public Health
Executive Leadership
• Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer, Research
• Chief Curator, Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive
Finance
• Associate Vice Chancellor & Controller, Finance
• Associate Vice Chancellor of Financial Planning & Analysis, Finance
• Chief Financial Officer, Haas Business School
• Chief Financial Officer, Student Affairs
• Director, Finance and Business Services, Chancellor’s Office
• Executive Director of University Partnership Programs, Finance
Health Services
• Compassionate Crisis Response Manager, Health Services CAPS
• Associate Medical Director, Health Services
Human Resources
• Academic HR Analyst 5 (Campus Expert), APO, Vice Provost for Faculty
• Assistant Dean for HR & Administration, Haas Business School
• Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, People & Culture, Administration
• Director of Labor and Employee Relations, People & Culture, Administration
• Director of People, Performance, and Culture, IT, Administration
Information Technology
• Associate Chief Information Security Officer, IT, Administration
• Associate CIO & Director of Student Affairs IT, IT & Student Affairs
• Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Information Officer [Campus CIO], IT, Administration & EVCP
• Director of DevOps & Learning Spaces, RTL, IT & Undergraduate Education
• Director of Productivity & Collaboration Services, IT, Administration
• Director of Research IT, RTL, IT & Undergraduate Education
• Enterprise Systems Architecture, IT, Administration
• Executive Director for Campus Applications & Data, IT, Administration
• Executive Director of Campus IT Experience, IT, Administration
• Executive Director of Research, Teaching, Learning (RTL) & Chief Academic Technology Officer, IT & Undergraduate Education
• Executive Director of the UCPath PMO at Berkeley, Administration
• Functional Director for Student Information Systems, IT, Administration
• Technology Program Office, IT, Administration
• Technical Director for Enterprise Applications, IT, Administration
Legal/Compliance
• ADA Section 504 Compliance Officer, Administration
• Associate Campus Counsel, Chancellor’s Office
• Deputy Director & Deputy Title IX Officer, OPHD, Chancellor’s Office
• Director of Audit & Advisory Services, Chancellor’s Office
• Executive Director of Civil Rights & Whistleblower Compliance, Chancellor’s Office
• Principal Campus Counsel
Student Services
• Assistant Dean for Diversity & Chief of Staff, Graduate Division
• Assistant Vice Chancellor & Chief of Staff, Equity & Inclusion
• Assistant Vice Chancellor & Chief of Staff, Student Affairs
• Assistant Vice Chancellor & Chief Operating Officer, Student Affairs
• Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director, ASUC Student Union, Student Affairs
• Director, Disabled Students Program, Equity & Inclusion
• Director of Graduate Admissions, Recruitment, and Enrollment, Graduate Division
• Executive Director, Early Childhood Education Program, Student Affairs
• Senior Director, Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement, Equity & Inclusion
• University Registrar, Enrollment & Student Affairs
Research Administration
• Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Administration & Compliance, Research
• Executive Director, Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Research
• Executive Officer, Space Sciences Laboratory, Research
• Regional Director for CHAMPS, Berkeley Regional Services, Administration
• Regional Director for BEST, Berkeley Regional Services, Administration
• Regional Director for SHARE, Berkeley Regional Services, Administration
• Regional Director for ProS, Berkeley Regional Services, Administration
• Regional Director for BEARS, Berkeley Regional Services, Administration
Other Searches
Executive searches we have advised on / supported, in partnership with a search firm, are:
• Associate Vice Chancellor for HR & Chief People & Culture Officer, Administration
• Director of the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)
• Executive & Artistic Director, Cal Performances
• Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost (EVCP)
• Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR)
Executive / hard-to-fill searches we have worked on in other UC campuses are:
• Counseling Psychologist (Black Student Focus), CAPS, UC Santa Barbara Student Affairs
• Director of Procurement Services, UC Santa Cruz Administration & Finance
• Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & Strategy, UC Merced EVC Provost's Office
About the Team
