CHARLOTTE – UNC Charlotte has opened a national search for the first permanent chief executive of the NSF Grid Modernization Engine in the Carolinas.
The university’s posting opened Sept. 2 and says applications will be screened immediately until the position is filled. The role is full time and time limited, with an appointment end date of Aug. 31, 2028. UNC Charlotte did not list a salary, work location or proposed hiring date.
The CEO will establish the engine’s strategy and operating structure, build an executive team and coordinate a coalition of more than 100 organizations. The position also carries responsibility for federal compliance, financial oversight, technology commercialization, workforce development and efforts to attract additional investment.
John Daniels, UNC Charlotte’s vice chancellor for research and the engine’s principal investigator, is serving as interim CEO, according to the South Carolina Research Authority. Daniels has represented the initiative publicly since the federal award was announced.
The executive search is a new implementation step for an award the National Science Foundation announced July 14. NSF committed $15 million over the first two years. The engine could receive as much as $160 million over 10 years, but only if it meets performance milestones.
UNC Charlotte’s job posting and the executive-search profile estimate that the initiative could generate 20,000 jobs and $2 billion in economic activity across North and South Carolina when fully realized. Those figures are projections, not jobs already created or funding guaranteed by NSF.
The engine is intended to move electric-grid research into testing, commercialization and deployment while expanding supply chains and workforce programs. UNC Charlotte leads the coalition with organizations including Clemson University, the South Carolina Research Authority, York Technical College and Joules Accelerator. Utilities, manufacturers, government agencies and nonprofit groups are also among the partners.
UNC Charlotte retained Isaacson, Miller to conduct the search. Rebecca Kennedy is leading the assignment with Karson Freeman and Ryan Smillie. The posting does not identify a deadline, a finalist schedule or the number of candidates expected.
The permanent CEO will inherit a regional initiative that is still in its initial two-year award period. The public materials reviewed do not identify a permanent headquarters, disclose a separate operating budget beyond the NSF award or report verified job creation from the engine so far.
Sources: UNC Charlotte chief executive posting: https://jobs.charlotte.edu/postings/70328 Isaacson, Miller executive-search profile: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/university-north-carolina-charlotte/chief-executive-officer-nsf-grid-modernization National Science Foundation award announcement: https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-awards-12-new-regional-innovation-engines-fuel-research Inside UNC Charlotte engine overview: https://inside.charlotte.edu/featured-stories/carolinas-nsf-innovation-engine/ North Carolina Commerce award summary: https://www.commerce.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/08/24/carolinas-grid-modernization-engine-earns-prestigious-nsf-regional-innovation-engines-award South Carolina Research Authority leadership discussion: https://scra.org/its-all-connected-the-nsf-grid-modernization-engine-in-the-carolinas/ Image credit: Photo and logo courtesy of UNC Charlotte. John Daniels, interim CEO of the Carolinas grid engine.