Position Specification
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
President and Director
January 2012 

POSITION SPECIFICATION
Position	President and Director
Organization	Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
Location	St. George’s, Bermuda
Reporting Relationships	The President and Director reports to the 39-member Board of Trustees, of whom 14 members constitute the Executive Committee.  The Chair of the Board is Brian Duperreault, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marsh & McLennan Companies.   Reporting directly to the President and Director are the Education Director/Deputy Director, Associate Director of Research, Chief Operating Officer and Development Director Total staff numbers approximately 96 (includes 12 Scientists and 21 Technicians/Research Specialists) plus ship crew.
Website	www.bios.edu

  Located in Bermuda on some of the world’s northernmost coral reefs and surrounded by deep ocean, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc. is an independent U.S. not-for-profit research organization committed to scientific and educational excellence.  BIOS is situated on the water’s edge on 14 acres of well-kept parkland at the eastern end of Bermuda, convenient to the airport and near the town of St. George’s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
With one of the longest records of continuous ocean observations, BIOS is a long-established authority on changing ocean chemistry, and these observations have added immensely to the understanding of the important role the ocean plays in climate change, and how in turn climate change affects the ocean.
 
Mission
The mission of BIOS is to transform the fields of oceanography, marine science, and ocean health through a blend of cutting edge research, comprehensive educational experiences and a commitment to share knowledge internationally.
  
BIOS and the Global Environment
BIOS has a critical role to play in informing global research surrounding climate change and other environmental issues, and the studies carried out by BIOS are not restricted to the waters around Bermuda.  Ocean acidification and ocean-air carbon dioxide exchange, pollution, conservation, renewable fuel sources:  BIOS conducts cutting-edge research investigating all of these areas critical to every part of the world.  BIOS’ important contributions to environmental science have been recognized the world over, and BIOS faculty are regularly asked to contribute to global policy-informing discussions.
 
BIOS Facilities
·       The 14-acre BIOS campus provides accommodation for up to 150 scientists and students.
·       The 168-foot BIOS R/V Atlantic Explorer, a key component of international studies of the ocean’s role in global climate change, spends more than 150 days at sea each year conducting research cruises from Bermuda’s ideal mid-ocean location.  Operating and maintenance costs of the ship, part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet, are provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The ship is used by BIOS researchers as well as researchers from other institutions.
·       The Naess and Reiss/Conklin laboratories provide high-quality research space for 50 resident or visiting scientists, in close proximity to critical deep-ocean and coral reef environments.
·       The 200-person-capacity Hanson Hall, 80-person-capacity Sunderman Room and other facilities provide educational resources for students at the graduate, undergraduate and K-12 levels, as well as for the general public and international scientific meetings.
 
Key Scientific Research Underway at BIOS 
·       Coral Reef Studies:  The Effect of Ocean Acidification on Corals – Bermuda Ocean Acidification and Coral Reef Investigation (BEACON) aims to improve understanding of the potential consequences of ocean acidification to coral reef ecosystems including the effects on individual marine organisms, biogeochemical processes, and the cycling of carbon through coral reefs.  In addition, an understanding of coral reproductive cycles, an important ecological process in coral reefs, is necessary for their management and preservation.  Successful coral reproduction is essential for the addition of new colonies to a reef, the colonization
 
of new areas, and the regeneration of areas destroyed by natural or human disturbances.
·       Marine Biogeochemical Cycles – Research focuses on understanding the biological, chemical and physical processes that control the oceanic cycles of chemicals, particularly major elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulphur, and minor elements such as iron; physical and biological processes influencing ocean-atmosphere gas exchange of CO2 and climate variability; role of plankton community structure in biogeochemical cycles; and influence of coral reefs and calcifying organisms on ocean carbon cycling.
·       Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) – BATS was established in 1988 to measure systematically important hydrographic and biological parameters throughout the water column to help understand the role of the oceans in large-scale processes of global change.  Pursuing this goal has created a reliable data set that is central to our modern understanding of the ocean's physical, chemical and biological processes. Sustained time-series data have challenged paradigms and created new insights.
·       Hydrostation S – Hydrostation S is located 15 nautical miles southeast of Bermuda and has been visited biweekly nearly continuously from 1954 through the present.  In the oceanographic field, Hydrostation S is the longest continuously monitored site in the world.  It provides scientists with a database of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen measurements.  These data have been widely used for monitoring long-term changes in both regional and global climate.
·       Oceanic Microbial Observatory – Microorganisms in the ocean play an integral role in cycling of elements.  The goal of the microbial observatory is to understand the cell biology and biogeochemical activities of the major bacteria in the ocean by applying new technologies for cell culturing, and by studying the metabolism of these organisms in nature and their interactions with organic matter in the ocean. 
·       BIOSdiesel – As the world’s supply of crude oil fuel dwindles at an alarming rate, the need to develop viable alternative fuel sources is becoming ever more pressing.  Bio-diesel has been a promising research avenue, but with many problems.  Given the special nature of several species of algae in the Sargasso Sea, BIOS’ researchers have determined that there is a reasonable probability that a species of algae will be found that is capable of producing significantly higher volumes of diesel than those, which are currently being investigated for commercial use.  The aim is to produce a blueprint for diesel fuel production from this species that can be mobilized on a large scale in other parts of the world.
 
·       Sea Urchins as a Model for Cancer and Aging – BIOS researchers are using sea urchins as models to investigate the cellular mechanisms involved in longevity and the absence of aging and resistance to cancer.  This knowledge will reveal novel strategies to slow the destructive process of aging and identify new avenues for prevention or treatment of age-related diseases such as cancer in humans.
·       The Risk Prediction Initiative (RPI) – This innovative business-science partnership provides rapid, current and comprehensive information to those parts of the business community affected by environmental change.  RPI programs make the science of climate prediction understandable, usable and relevant to the global (re)insurance industry.  They bring climate scientists and insurers together to identify new directions for climate research.  BIOS continues to seek opportunities for science-business partnerships to address the influence of climate on business risk.
 
Educational Programs Underway at BIOS
·       Partnership for Observations of the Global Ocean (POGO) at the Nippon Foundation Centre of Excellence – POGO is an international organization of oceanography institutes, which has the aim of improving global cooperation and communication in this science.  BIOS was selected as the site for POGO’s training center and began hosting POGO Centre-of-Excellence students in 2008.
This 10-month program is for 10 promising young marine scientists from developing countries around the world to come together for an intensive training in observational oceanography.  The curriculum aims to develop and improve core skills through workshops and hands-on training in topics such as satellite oceanography, ocean physics, geochemistry, biology, ocean-atmosphere interactions, microbial communities, and deep-sea moorings.  Additionally, students are required to complete a project mentored by a member of the BIOS faculty.
·       Ph.D. Programs with Universities – The Departments of Geosciences and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton, initiated a partnership with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences to provide a joint Ph.D. program in Ocean Sciences and Marine Biology.  BIOS also has a joint PhD program with the University of Southampton’s Graduate School of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.  Other university partnerships include Roger Williams University, University of Rhode Island and Eckerd College.
·       Opportunities for Graduate and Undergraduate Students – BIOS offers university-level summer and fall courses, as well as research internships for graduates, undergraduates and volunteers.  Today BIOS continues to attract students from all over the world to its education programs, thanks to the combination of excellent instructors and mentors, Bermuda’s environment, outstanding ship, and the laboratory and classroom facilities at BIOS.  Few research institutions in the world can boast such facilities in such close proximity to both open-ocean and near-shore environments.  For an undergraduate or graduate student, BIOS provides hands-on field and laboratory experience that is essential for training in the marine sciences.
·       Visiting Academic Groups – Since its inception, visiting high schools and colleges have based their field trips at BIOS while using BIOS' educational resources of the Global Oceans (POGO) for training students from the emerging world.
·       Internships – BIOS offers a number of hands-on internships for undergraduate students to work for 10 to 12 weeks on a research topic in marine science.  Dedicated internship positions are available for students from Princeton University and Eckerd College in the U.S., and for students from any college or university in the UK and Canada.
·       Education Resources for Bermudian Youth – The Bermuda Education Program allows local students to engage in interactive, hands-on science activities that complement and extend their school curriculum, and promote environmental stewardship, community adoption of the ocean and the pursuit of careers in marine science.
 
History
In 1903, scientists from Harvard University, New York University and the Bermuda Natural History Society established the Bermuda Biological Station, at the time a seasonal field station for scientists from around the world who came to investigate the Island’s northernmost coral reefs and deep-ocean surroundings.  In 1926, the organization became a U.S. not-for-profit organization registered in New York, but operating in Bermuda.  Since then, it has grown to be a world-class science and educational institute under the name Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS).  
 
Its historical milestones follow:
 
1903    Founded as the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR)
1926    Incorporated in New York as a U.S. not-for-profit organization
1954    Hydrostation ‘S’, the world’s longest-running series of measurements in the open ocean begins 15 miles from Bermuda
1975    Bermuda government establishes inshore-waters monitoring program that has continued at BIOS for more than three decades
1978    Oceanic Flux Program begins, the longest record of deep-ocean sediment-trap studies in the world
1988    Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) begins, establishing BBSR as one of two U.S. centers for time-series studies on temporal variability in the ocean and providing key data on changing climate and the ocean
1994    Risk Prediction Initiative, a collaboration between climate scientists and reinsurers, is established
1998    International Center for Ocean and Human Health is founded
2004    Naess Laboratory dedicated, doubling research space capacity
2006    First research cruise aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer
2006    BBSR becomes the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)
2007    BIOS establishes joint Ph.D. programs with Princeton University and the University of Southampton, the UK’s National Oceanographic Centre
2007    Bermuda named the Centre of Excellence of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) for training students from the emerging world
2010    The Bermuda Ocean Acidification and Coral Reef Investigation (BEACON) project is established
2011    BIOS’ Ocean Academy is established for environmental education for Bermudian youth
  BIOS’ budget is approximately $12.5 million and its endowment is approximately $10 million.  One of BIOS’ challenges is to maintain an essentially “soft money” research institution in today’s climate with fewer funding sources.
 
2010 Revenues and Support – Revenue and support is derived from gifts, grants and contracts received through the U.S. (60%) and Bermuda (4%) governments, as well as various individual, corporate and foundation donors (22%).  Additional sources of support are tuition and fees for the use of BIOS’ various scientific, marine and housing facilities and attendance at their many educational programs (14%).  Investment return pertains to Endowment Funds and is not included in these percentages.
 
As a U.S. not-for-profit institution, gifts and grants are tax deductible for U.S. taxpayers.  BIOS is also a Bermuda Registered Charity and charitable trusts exist in Canada and the United Kingdom.
 
In response to growing interest in the institute from the UK, the UK Associates of the Bermuda Biological Station for Research was established in 1984.  This UK charitable trust was founded to raise funds that enable gifted science students from the UK to
 
study in Bermuda.  Now entitled, the trust aims to fund research projects and education initiatives that are carried out at BIOS.
 
The Canadian Associates of BIOS was founded in the 1970s to disseminate information about BIOS and encourage support.
 
2010 Expenses – Program expenses include scientific research (69%); education activities (17%) and guest and residential services (2%).  Other expenses include management and general (5%) and development, marketing and public relations (7%).
  After 34 years with BIOS, Dr. Anthony Knap stepped down from the role of President and Director to pursue business interests.  Dr. Nicholas Bates, Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director of Research, has been appointed Interim Director.  A search is underway for a new President and Director.
 
The President and Director will provide the vision, leadership and management to further enhance BIOS’ reputation as one of the premier oceanographic research and education institutions in the world.  S/he will manage all research and academic programs and will become the “face” of BIOS in scientific and government circles and for funding purposes with public and private donors.
  Internal Responsibilities – The President and Director provides the oversight of all operational and organizational issues of BIOS.  S/he is responsible for the management of operations and oversees the overall effectiveness and efficiency of staff, their mentoring, development and productivity.  The President and Director is responsible for developing and monitoring the budget and financial goals and, with the Board, for insuring BIOS’ financial soundness.
 
Scientific/Education Oversight – The President and Director is responsible for the success of BIOS’ scientific research and education initiatives.  This includes the recruitment of top-tier researchers and technical personnel.  The President and Director is responsible for continuing to strive for cutting edge research and for investigating new educational programs including, if appropriate, a formal graduate education program.
 
 
Board Relations – The President and Director works collaboratively with the Board of Trustees to develop overall policy for the organization and set and implement strategic direction.  The President and Director provides for the flow of information and support to the Board and communicates with the Board on the current status of internal and external issues affecting BIOS.  Working with the Board to attract and develop new Board members and other volunteers and insure that all Board members and volunteers are motivated, engaged and energized by their association with BIOS is key.
 
External Relations – The President and Director serves as the chief spokesperson, representative and ambassador of BIOS in the scientific and government communities and with the media, furthering the organization’s image and working to increase its public recognition, nationally and internationally.  With the assistance of the Board and Chief Development Officer, the President and Director has responsibility for fundraising – the cultivation and solicitation of major donors, including individuals, corporations, foundations and the government sector (NSF, NASA, NOAA, etc.).  Broadening the funding base and further building the Endowment Fund are important to the future success of BIOS.
  The successful candidate must be a visionary, creative, entrepreneurial leader with strong external relations and management skills who can translate vision into reality.  S/he must be an internationally recognized scientist with a Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences, Climate Change or a related field.  The successful candidate will possess a demonstrated career record of scholarly achievements.  Possessing professional stature, the successful candidate will have served on national/international committees, initiatives, scientific societies, etc.  The President and Director must be fiscally astute and have the operational experience and collaborative style to efficiently run this complex organization.  Candidates may come from academe, not-for-profit organizations, government or the corporate sector (e.g. U.S. environmental consulting firms).  Wherever experience has been gained, the successful candidate should bring a network of contacts for business/ science relationships and fundraising.  Strong fundraising skills to broaden the base of funding, locally in Bermuda, in the U.S. and internationally, are essential.
 
The President and Director must possess a keen intelligence, professional presence, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills.  S/he must be a gifted ambassador – an individual who can relay compellingly the BIOS story.  The President and Director must be at ease with others and find enjoyment in networking and making friends for BIOS locally, in the U.S., and globally.  Strong public speaking skills are desired.  The ability to build visibility and market the organization is a requisite.  The successful candidate will be a consummate diplomat capable of relating to all constituencies – scientists, staff, Board, Bermudian community, Bermuda government, institutional partners, funding sources, and global ocean science organizations.
 
The successful candidate must be capable of understanding and appreciating the bi-cultural nature of BIOS.  The President and Director must be willing to travel approximately 15%-25% of the time, as needed, for funding and external relations purposes.
  Located in the Atlantic Ocean, 570 miles directly east off the cost of North Carolina; Bermuda is comprised of a multiple cluster of coral islands, which cover an area of approximately 21 square miles.  There are eight principal islands; St. George’s Island, St. David’s Island, Somerset Island, Watford Island, Boaz Island, Bermuda Island, Ireland Island North and Ireland Island South, interconnected by a series of causeways and bridges.
 
Bermuda has an abundance of natural beauty.  One of Bermuda's most notable features is its beautiful beaches and bays, characterized by brilliant blue water and fine, pale pink, coral sand.  Bermuda is also noted for its lush green vegetation and abundant varieties of brightly colored flowers, especially during the summer months.  Dispersed throughout the island, are a variety of parks, beaches, forts, and many other natural attractions, including a total of 73 National Parks and Nature Reserves that are enjoyed by all who live and visit there. Bermuda also offers a variety of sports, including beautiful golf courses, a very active arts scene (performing arts and galleries) and a myriad of choices for dining out.
 
Bermuda enjoys a mild, subtropical climate.  The Gulf Stream, which flows between Bermuda and the North American continent, keeps the climate temperate year round.  During the warmer months (July to September) the temperatures range from a minimum of 75°F up to a maximum of 90°F.  The cooler months (between January and March) experience temperatures between 60°F and 69°F.
 
Bermuda has a population of approximately 60,000 people.  Nearly three-quarters of the population was born in Bermuda.  There are approximately 8,000 expatriates, with the balance of the population being persons holding Permanent Residents Certificates and retired foreigners.  Bermudians are renowned for their friendly disposition and helpfulness.
There are approximately 35,000 people employed in Bermuda representing almost 60% of the total population.  The two primary industries in Bermuda are tourism (with approximately 500,000 tourists visit each year) and international business (with approximately 3,400 individuals employed in this sector). 
 
Bermuda enjoys a standard of living, which is among the highest in the world.  Due to the restrictions on the purchase of property by non-Bermudians, most expatriates rent their accommodation, often in apartments or condominium complexes.  High-rise apartment buildings are noticeably absent in Bermuda.
 
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory but has been self-governed since 1620.  Hence, its long association with Britain has resulted in significant customs and traditions following British standards.  The official language is English, although there is also a fairly large Portuguese speaking community.
  A competitive compensation package will be provided to the successful candidate.

BIOS has retained the executive search firm of Korn/Ferry International to assist in the
search. Please email nominations and applications (resumes and cover letters) to: BIOS@kornferry.com

KORN/FERRY CONTACTS
Ann P. Kern Senior Client Partner Korn/Ferry International 200 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10166 Telephone:  (212) 984-9312 Email:  ann.kern@kornferry.com	David Mead-Fox Senior Client Partner Korn/Ferry International 265 Franklin Street, 17th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Telephone:  (617) 790-5780 Email:  david.mead-fox@kornferry.com
Joan F. Sherry Senior Engagement Manager Korn/Ferry International 200 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10166 Telephone:  (212) 984-9334 Email:  joan.sherry@kornferry.com