Assistant Director for Research

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Grainger College of Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Position is located in Rantoul, Illinois

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering seeks applicants for the position of Assistant Director for Research. Reporting to the Director of Illinois Center for Transportation, the Assistant Director for Research will be responsible for identifying, developing, integrating and managing Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) research initiatives; coordinating new interdisciplinary proposals; and facilitating current research programs. This position will also have direct involvement in the Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability or veteran status. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

Specific duties and responsibilities include: 

• Develops and implements strategic plans for research under the guidance of the Director.
• Facilitates the establishment of relationships with corporations, foundations, and government agencies.
• Understands and identifies external funding and collaborative opportunities for research and matches these to researchers associated with ICT.
• Steers the creation and coordination of large proposals.
• Facilitates the assembly and support of research teams in response to large externally-funded proposal opportunities.
• Provides leadership, works with faculty, and supports personnel to develop, coordinate, and maintain interdisciplinary research initiatives and team building.
• Serves as a member of the ICT's leadership team representing the Director and other research leaders in matters affecting ICT's research programs.
• Coordinates interactions with campus administration involved in proposal submissions.
• Liaises with Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), the Office of Technology Management (OTM), the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Grainger College of Engineering departments, and other key offices as needed to support ICT in establishing funding and collaborations for research.
• Tracks and advises on annual expenditures including developing and executing an annual budget and reviewing and approving long-term financial forecasts.
• Plans, organizes, hosts, and facilitates visits by external partners and potential partners.
• Travels occasionally within the U.S. 
• Assists in planning, organizing, and hosting workshops and conferences.
• Represents ICT on campus-wide committees relating to research policy development, research administration, and research planning.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in engineering, science, business administration, or related field
• Four years of experience in a research administration environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in engineering, science, business, or related field
• Five or more years of experience in a research administration environment.
• Experience in project management, developing research proposals, and interacting with federal agencies and corporations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent detail-oriented and organizational skills to operate effectively in a fast-paced, multi-faceted work environment.
• Strong interpersonal and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to understand engineering and/or scientific research programs.

The Assistant Director for Research position is a full-time, benefits-eligible academic professional position appointed on a 12-month service basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. 

To apply for this position, please create your candidate profile at http://jobs.illinois.edu and upload your cover letter, resume, and names/contact information for three references in a single PDF by Friday, April 21, 2021.  Full consideration will be given to complete applications received by the closing date.  For further information regarding application procedures, contact Jill Randell at jrandell@illinois.edu.     

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment.  For more information, visit “Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.”

As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois must also comply with applicable federal export control laws and regulations and, as such, reserves the right to employ restricted party screening procedures for applicants.