Engagement Coordinator - Materials Science and Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking an Engagement Coordinator to develop, coordinate, and execute programs that educate students and the public about the importance and relevance of materials science and engineering. The coordinator maintains operational infrastructure and processes for student engagement from recruitment through alumni status, builds a network of high school contacts to recruit undergraduates, and maintains close engagement with current students. The role works closely with faculty and staff to foster a culture of positive engagement. The position supports current students through events, student organizations, professional development, industry connections, career-fair programming, and communication platforms. It also supports undergraduate recruitment and outreach through prospective-student events, recruiting materials, high school relationships, and educational camps. Departmental duties include scholarship administration, communications content, faculty investitures, alumni board meetings, and an alumni-student mentorship program. Additional appropriate duties may be assigned to further the department’s mission. This is a full-time Civil Service Program Coordinator position appointed on a 12-month service basis. The position is based on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and is expected to work full-time in accordance with the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy. The primary schedule is standard business hours, with occasional evening and other after-hours work required for events. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. The budgeted annual salary range is $50,000–$65,000. The position is not eligible for work-authorization sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
A total of two years (24 months) in education, training, and/or work experience leading an engagement, advancement, recruitment, sales, or related program.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with constituents.
Demonstrated interest in science, engineering, or related technical fields.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
Strong relationship-management skills and ability to work effectively with prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, and senior administrators.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with a broad range of internal and external constituents.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise good judgment in making decisions in accordance with University policies.
Ability to research, organize, and manage information and data accurately and with attention to detail.
Ability to follow established protocols and procedures.
Demonstrated organizational and planning skills.
Basic knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite.
Awareness of current social media platforms.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, education, or a related field.
Five or more years of related professional work experience.
Demonstrated experience leading engagement, educational programs, advancement, or recruiting efforts.

Responsibilities

Plan and execute current-student events, including the undergraduate picnic, awards banquet, graduation brunch, holiday party, and senior design poster session.
Partner with undergraduate student organizations, including Material Advantage and Keramos, to support their efforts, event planning, and participation in professional conferences.
Engage with current students to understand and respond to changing academic needs; attend student meetings, build rapport, collect job-placement and graduate-school data, and discuss student needs with the department head and faculty.
Manage the communication platform for undergraduate students.
Build relationships with industry partners to establish recurring professional-development seminars and student site visits.
Collaborate with industry partners to establish an annual Materials Science & Engineering career fair and other support for post-graduation job searches.
Support the undergraduate recruiting committee by organizing and hosting meetings with prospective and admitted high school students.
Arrange virtual meetings, demonstrations, and in-person visits that bring prospective students together with MatSE staff and faculty.
Work with College and departmental communications staff to advertise events.
Maintain awareness of engagement efforts in other College departments and share best practices.
Create and publish recruiting materials, including social media content, physical mailers, and handouts.
Build relationships with targeted high schools and their faculty to recruit top students.
Lead logistical planning for the Getting Excited about Materials and Middle School Generation Learning about Materials Science camps.
Complete scholarship entries in DAWS for incoming and current undergraduate students.
Collaborate with the communications team to develop event content for social media.
Plan and execute faculty investitures.
Partner with the alumni board to program biannual meetings and with student leadership to organize and execute the alumni-student mentorship program.
Assume additional appropriate duties to further the mission of the Department.