Capstone Industry Liaison

Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech is seeking an instructor and industry liaison for its senior design capstone program. This role involves close collaboration with the department’s industry relations manager and capstone instructors. The successful candidate will be responsible for fostering collaboration between industry and academia through sponsored capstone projects. This includes marketing the program, conducting site visits to existing and prospective sponsors, developing statements of work, generating leads, and securing annual capstone sponsorship agreements. Additionally, the liaison will serve as a faculty advisor for approximately 5 capstone student teams each academic year, acting as a mentor, engineering manager, and subject matter expert for these teams. The position is exempt from overtime and is a restricted appointment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Work experience in industry (engineering or related field).
• Experience with business development such as lead generation, managing client communications, and cultivating industry partnerships in an engineering field.
• Work history showing proficiency with common office computer programs (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Nice To Haves

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) experience.
• Evidence of a strong desire to teach students the practical aspects of engineering design.
• Experience working effectively with faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds.
• Industry design work experience.
• Technical sales experience.
• Experience managing others or leading a team of students.
• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an instructor and industry liaison for the senior design capstone program in close collaboration with the department’s industry relations manager and capstone instructors.
• Pursue opportunities for industry and academia to collaborate via sponsored capstone projects.
• Market the program (via industry trade shows, alumni events, etc).
• Conduct site visits to existing and prospective sponsors.
• Develop statement of work.
• Perform outreach/lead generation.
• Secure capstone sponsorship agreements each year for the department.
• Serve as the faculty advisor for approximately 5 capstone student teams each academic year.
• Function as the mentor/engineering manager/subject matter expert for the teams they advise.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees