Senior Program Manager, Industry Research Partnerships

Arizona State University•Tempe, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Research and Global Initiatives, the Senior Program Manager will support a pilot initiative to identify, organize, and communicate faculty research capabilities in priority technical areas, including quantum, microelectronics/semiconductors, materials, space, and biotechnology. The Senior Program Manager will conduct structured faculty outreach, develop a searchable inventory of research strengths and assets, synthesize capabilities into thematic clusters, prepare briefing materials and collaterals for internal planning and future external engagement, identify and develop potential industry partners and function as their liaison and point-of-contact. The position will work closely with faculty, academic unit chairs/directors, research centers, research administration, relevant ASU teams such as Corporate Engagement and Strategic Priorities, J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, SkySong Innovations and other relevant university offices. The role is intended for a highly organized professional with strong project management, writing, synthesis, and relationship-building skills. The successful candidate should be comfortable engaging faculty and technical experts, working with industry partners, learning complex research areas, and translating information into clear summaries for academic leadership and external audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Strong project management, writing, synthesis, and relationship-building skills.
Comfortable engaging faculty and technical experts, working with industry partners, learning complex research areas, and translating information into clear summaries for academic leadership and external audiences.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
Excellent communication skills.
Ability to synthesize complex information into clear summaries.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with faculty, researchers, technical staff, administrators, and external stakeholders.
Comfort learning new technical areas and asking effective discovery questions.
Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records, databases, and reports.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. in a relevant field.
Experience working in a research-intensive university, research institute, national lab, technical organization, or industry-facing research environment.
Familiarity with one or more of the following areas: quantum, microelectronics, semiconductors, materials, space, engineering, physical sciences, or applied technology fields.
Experience developing research summaries, capability statements, program reports, or briefing materials.
Experience with CRM systems, Airtable, Excel, Smartsheet, Salesforce, or other structured tracking/database tools.
Familiarity with sponsored research, technology transfer, industry partnerships, federal research programs, or research centers.

Responsibilities

Design and manage a structured faculty discovery process in collaboration with the ADR.
Conduct interviews with faculty and research groups, focusing first on priority areas.
Document faculty expertise, current research activities, emerging interests, facilities, equipment, testbeds, datasets, software, centers, student talent, and current/prior external collaborations.
Identify faculty who are interested in industry engagement and translational research.
Develop and maintain a searchable inventory or database of research and equipment capabilities in The College.
Identify clusters of strength across departments, centers, and research groups.
Prepare internal summaries that help The College leadership understand where The College has concentrated expertise, emerging capacity, and possible areas of strategic opportunity.
Track gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for cross-faculty collaboration.
Prepare faculty capability summaries, research area briefs, and internal briefing packets for leadership review.
Draft plain-language summaries of technical research strengths for non-specialist audiences.
Support development of external-facing materials.
Create templates for faculty intake, research profiles, capability briefs, and meeting summaries.
Maintain consistent documentation of findings, themes, and follow-up needs.
Coordinate with ASU’s Corporate Engagement and Strategic Priorities team, the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, Skysong Innovations, Knowledge Enterprise units, and other relevant offices to ensure alignment, avoid duplication, connect faculty with appropriate university resources, and support a coordinated approach to industry engagement.
Coordinate meetings, listening sessions, and small convenings with faculty, research centers, internal stakeholders, and industry partners.
Work with academic units, research centers, relevant Knowledge Enterprise offices to collect needed information.
Track progress, timelines, deliverables, and outstanding follow-up items.
Support the ADR in preparing updates for the Dean and other leadership groups.
Inventory existing industry contacts, prior sponsored research relationships, advisory board connections, alumni connections, and relevant federal or consortia relationships.
Help identify which faculty capabilities may be ready for future external conversations and which may need additional development or framing.
Support planning for faculty-industry roundtables, advisory conversations, or targeted listening sessions.
Provide data and materials to inform industry research partnership development.
Act as point of contact for industry partners.
Provide logistical and planning support in advancing identified research partnership opportunities.