Assistant Director for Collaborative Engagement

University Of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Michigan is seeking an Assistant Director in the OVPR Office of Research Development to plan, implement, and evaluate interdisciplinary Bold Challenges programs. The role includes supervising staff, ideation sessions, and faculty engagement to advance research collaborations across campus.

The position is hybrid, requiring on-campus presence for events, and works with Michigan Research Launchpad and Strategic Intelligence to identify emerging research areas and funding priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least 3-5 years of relevant work experience.
• 3-4 years of project management experience and/or research project coordination.
• Effective organization and management of multiple priorities in a complex environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to communicate with faculty and staff.
• Experience facilitating brainstorming, strategic planning, or similar workshops.
• Ability to provide training in workshops and individual instruction.
• Experience with administrative aspects of event planning.
• Strong initiative and ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage Bold Challenges and related programs, collaborating with the AVP for Research Development.
• Coordinate Bold Challenges activities, events, and timelines.
• Develop partnerships with campus and external organizations and manage program deliverables.
• Supervise program staff and provide onboarding/offboarding support.
• Monitor research trends to inform priority themes and funding considerations.
• Prepare evaluations, reports, and communications for stakeholders.
• Engage faculty researchers through workshops, ideation sessions, and convenings.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Team leadership

Workshop facilitation

Event planning

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Asana

SharePoint

Job description

Job Summary

Based in the OVPR Office of Research Development, this position reports directly to the Assistant Vice President for Research Development. The Assistant Director will be responsible for the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of programs, events, and services that catalyze interdisciplinary research and support institutional strategy. The Assistant Director will supervise personnel responsible for Bold Challenges programs and faculty engagement. The Assistant Director will also lead ideation sessions and facilitations to build new and expand existing interdisciplinary research collaborations. They will work closely with the Director of Research Development to develop and implement a full range of research development services effectively, in ways that empower University of Michigan (U-M) researchers at every career stage and help U-M improve its capacity to conduct large-scale interdisciplinary research.

Primary responsibilities include: planning and facilitating workshops, ideation sessions and other convenings that engage faculty researchers for collaborative activities; strategic planning and coordination of the Bold Challenges initiative; evaluation and reporting for Bold Challenges, and continuous program improvement driven by feedback from program participants; and disbursement of internal grant awards.

This is a hybrid position. The Assistant Director will be expected to work in the office a minimum of two days per week and be on campus as needed for events.

Responsibilities*

Program Management

• Develop and manage the implementation of Bold Challenges and other programs in collaboration with the AVP for Research Development.
• Coordinate Bold Challenges activities and events.
• Coordinate effective communication around Bold Challenges and interdisciplinary programs.
• Coordinate Bold Challenges program timelines, processes, templates, and deliverables.
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with key campus and external organizations.
• Manage and delegate tasks to program personnel.
• Support Bold Challenges efforts to monitor emerging trends in research to inform priority themes for programming.
• Coordinate processes for managing applications, funding, and award allocations.
• Conduct evaluation, reporting and continuous program improvement of Bold Challenges activities.
• Plan and facilitate workshops, ideation sessions and other convenings that enable the exchange and convergence of ideas between researchers.
• Work closely with Michigan Research Launchpad and Strategic Intelligence to identify emerging research areas to mobilize faculty for future federal funding priorities.
• Pilot new strategies for convening and catalyzing interdisciplinary researchers for sustained progress.

Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach

• Develop, implement, and promote strategies and events that highlight Bold Challenges achievements and impact.
• Coordinate with OVPR Communications to market program offerings and recruit eligible participants.
• Prepare communications for teams, applicants, campus partners, etc.
• Communicate regularly with the Research Development staff about ongoing initiatives and team support.
• Support campus engagement of Bold Challenges by presenting at information sessions, workshops, and events, and meeting with partner organizations.
• Regularly communicate with the AVP for Research Development regarding the program's status and elevate identified potential risks to deliverables.
• Create and deliver progress reports and presentations related to assigned duties.

Supervision of Program Managers

• Provide supervision and manage the workflow and performance of staff, including program managers, project managers, etc .
• Conduct annual performance evaluations for relevant staff members with input from others who regularly interact with them.
• Manage team member on-boarding and off-boarding functions, as needed.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree and at least 3-5 years of relevant work experience.
• 3-4 years of project management experience and/or research project coordination with a demonstrated ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects to deadline.
• Effective organization and management of multiple priorities in a complex environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to effectively communicate with both faculty and staff members.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Experience facilitating brainstorming, strategic planning, or similar workshops for the exchange of ideas.
• Ability to effectively provide training to others in the form of workshops and individual instruction.
• Experience with administrative aspects of activity and event planning.
• Strong initiative and demonstrated ability to work independently and in collaborative settings are essential. Must be able to work in a sensitive and confidential manner using independent judgment and professionalism.
• Ability to manage a successful team.

Desired Qualifications*

• Master's degree in a field relevant to job responsibilities.
• Experience supervising and mentoring others.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checksare performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.The review and selection process maybegin as early as the eighth day after posting.Thisopening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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