External Relations Specialist - College of Engineering - Biomedical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University's Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department is seeking an External Relations Specialist to advance its goals and reputation. This role involves strategic initiatives, external relations, communications, and partnership development. The specialist will report to the department head and Director of Finance and Operations, playing a key role in planning, organizing, communicating, and liaising. The position focuses on advancing the department's educational and research mission by developing and managing initiatives with various internal and external partners, including other university departments, medical centers, industrial partners, and foundations. The role also involves coordinating staff and faculty commitments to ensure efficient departmental operations and working with the College of Engineering's Office of Marketing and Communications to enhance the department's external image. This includes coordinating communications to diverse audiences such as prospective students, staff, faculty, alumni, and partner institutions, and promoting BME research and educational initiatives. Additionally, the specialist will work to expand career and employment opportunities for graduates by engaging with industry, the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC), and alumni. The role also includes promoting alumni engagement and assisting with outward-facing events, including managing the annual Carnegie Mellon Forum on Biomedical Engineering and supporting recruitment efforts at national and international conferences.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
10-15 years experience
A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.
Successful Background check

Responsibilities

Works with the Department Head and external partners, such as Mayo Clinic, UPMC, or Allegheny Health Network, to devise, develop and manage educational and research partnerships.
Works with the Department Head, BME Staff and Students, and College of Engineering communications staff to enhance the external image of the Department and promote its activities externally
Drafts, edits, and coordinates announcements, program descriptions, etc.
Plans for, travels to, and assists with external, outward facing events, such as biomedical educational, research, and student recruiting conferences. Example includes the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) annual conference.
Works with BME faculty and staff, CPDC, industry and alumni boards, and external partners (e.g. Mayo Clinic) to develop employment opportunities for CMU BME students and graduates.
Organizes and updates the BME departmental calendar, including major educational, research, and recruitment events and each year works to ensure smooth departmental operations that avoid overlap of major events and thus periods of strain on faculty and staff
Works with external parties (e.g. BMES, Whova, Mayo Clinic, etc.) who provide services necessary for executing external events.
Coordinates conferences, programs, special events, series, and fairs to further prospective student and faculty recruitment, alumni and industry engagement, and partnership development.
Executes strategy to engage and maintain graduating student interactions with the Department after graduation.
Attends conferences to represent the department and to recruit and engage constituencies.
Maintain audience segments in Mailchimp and manage the distribution of BME communication newsletters.
Use Tartan 360 to keep track of alumni records and add recent graduates to alumni lists to support communication.
Oversee CMU Forum on Biomedical Engineering, an annual online event with over 1,000 attendees worldwide.
Other duties as assigned.