Associate Director

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee•Milwaukee, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director will serve as a technical and strategic resource to the Center Director and relevant advisory, governance, or program committees. This role involves coordinating day-to-day center operations, technical activities, and cross-functional initiatives to support the Center for Advanced Nondestructive Evaluation (CAN)'s mission and growth. The Associate Director will assist in developing proposals, scopes of work, requests for proposals, project plans, and sponsor-facing materials. They will manage or support externally funded and/or outsourced projects, monitor timelines, deliverables, and quality of work. Additionally, the role includes reviewing technical reports, publications, and training content, and providing input on technical quality. The Associate Director will help organize and facilitate member meetings, workshops, seminars, research reviews, and strategic planning sessions. They will represent the Center in conferences, industry events, technical committees, standards groups, and outreach activities. Cultivating strong working relationships with faculty, students, industry partners, sponsors, agencies, and professional organizations is crucial. The position also supports membership development, partnership cultivation, and other efforts to strengthen the Center’s long-term sustainability and external impact, and contributes to communications, annual reporting, and outreach activities.

Requirements

PhD’s degree in civil engineering, materials engineering, construction engineering, or a closely related field.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in applied research, technical program leadership, research administration, industry-university collaboration, or a related professional setting.
Demonstrated experience coordinating or supporting complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, timelines, budgets, or deliverables.
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences through reports, presentations, correspondence, or meetings.
Experience building and maintaining productive working relationships with faculty, staff, students, industry partners, sponsors, agencies, or professional organizations.
Demonstrated problem-solving, organizational, and independent judgment skills in a dynamic professional or research environment.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence and to fostering a respectful, welcoming, and collaborative workplace.

Nice To Haves

PhD in civil engineering, materials science, construction engineering, or a closely related field.
Professional experience in one or more CAN-relevant areas such as concrete materials, cementitious systems, infrastructure materials, durability, decarbonization, structural materials, additive manufacturing, machine learning, or data-enabled materials research.
Work experience with university research center, industry consortium, professional society, standards organization, or other multi-institution environment.
Experience supporting proposal development, sponsored research administration, budgeting, or sponsor reporting.
Experience managing subcontracted, consultant-led, or externally partnered technical projects.
Familiarity with ACI, ASTM, or other standards and guidance relevant to concrete, construction materials, or infrastructure research.
Experience serving on technical committees, advisory boards, standards groups, or industry association activities.
Experience planning and facilitating technical meetings, semi-annual member meetings, workshops, conferences, or similar stakeholder events.
Experience developing training, technical communications, newsletters, annual reports, websites, or outreach materials for a research center or professional organization.
Experience contributing to membership development, external partnerships, sponsorship cultivation, or business-development efforts for a research or technical program.
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) / Engineer in Training (EIT) credentials

Responsibilities

Serve as a technical and strategic resource to the Center Director and relevant advisory, governance, or program committees.
Coordinate day-to-day center operations, technical activities, and cross-functional initiatives in support of CAN’s mission and growth.
Assist in developing proposals, scopes of work, requests for proposals, project plans, and sponsor-facing materials for Center-supported activities.
Manage or support externally funded and/or outsourced projects involving consultants, academic partners, laboratories, or other collaborating entities; monitor timelines, deliverables, and quality of work.
Review technical reports, publications, training content, and other Center products and provide input on technical quality, relevance, and dissemination.
Help organize and facilitate member meetings, workshops, seminars, research reviews, and strategic planning sessions.
Represent the Center in conferences, industry events, technical committees, standards groups, and outreach activities, as assigned.
Cultivate strong working relationships with faculty, students, industry partners, sponsors, agencies, and professional organizations.
Support membership development, partnership cultivation, and other efforts that strengthen the Center’s long-term sustainability and external impact.
Contribute to communications, annual reporting, and outreach activities that showcase the Center’s research, education, and workforce-development mission.