Service Development and Customer Engagement Specialist

University of Maryland•College Park, MD

3d•$91,200 - $109,440•Onsite

About The Position

This position is available within the University of Maryland’s Division of Information Technology (DIT). The Service Development and Customer Engagement Specialist supports and helps execute business and service development activities for the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) Unit. Reporting to the Associate Director of Business Development, Sales and Marketing, the Specialist identifies customer needs, contributes to new and enhanced service offerings, and builds relationships that support MAX’s growth and long-term sustainability. The Specialist works with current and prospective customers across the research and education ecosystem—including federal agencies, universities, research institutions, and regional, national, and international networks—to understand advanced cyberinfrastructure needs and help develop valuable solutions. Within the business development strategy, the Specialist helps execute the business development plan and identifies opportunities to expand services and introduce new offerings for review and approval. The role translates customer requirements into technical and business solutions and supports new-customer onboarding and continued engagement. The Specialist represents UMD and MAX nationally and internationally at industry meetings and conferences, and supports planning and execution of events such as the MAX Participants Meeting and customer engagement presentations. The position also supports emerging technology initiatives by assessing market and customer needs and identifying opportunities to support the development and adoption of emerging technologies, particularly quantum technology. The Specialist is expected to uphold and advance the mission and values of UMD, DIT, and MAX while fostering partnerships, identifying opportunities, and positioning MAX for continued growth and innovation. This is an essential position and may require work at the normal or an alternative location during a major catastrophic event, weather emergency, or other operational emergency to maintain continuity of University services. Evening, night, weekend, or different-shift work may be required for extended periods. The work is sedentary and involves substantial wrist, hand, and finger movements, close visual acuity for data preparation and analysis, transcription, computer-terminal viewing, and extensive reading. Occasional travel by personal or public transportation is required to attend conferences, meetings, and events, which may involve prolonged standing and walking. The position has an in-person component at the College Park, Maryland location; telework is not guaranteed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; additional qualifying work experience may substitute year-for-year for up to four years of required education.
Three years of experience in a related field.
Knowledge of organizational principles and time-management practices.
Project management skills, including planning, coordinating, tracking progress, and completing initiatives within established timelines.
Verbal and written communication skills to convey information, prepare correspondence, and interact effectively with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to analyze complex information, identify issues, and evaluate options.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Attention to detail.
Must be able to travel occasionally to conferences, meetings, and events using personal or public transportation; travel may involve prolonged standing and walking.

Nice To Haves

Three or more years of experience in customer engagement, business development, or customer account management.
Experience managing a portfolio of 20 or more customer relationships or accounts simultaneously.
Experience delivering presentations at conferences, customer meetings, or industry events at least six times per year.
A track record of contributing to revenue growth, increased service utilization, or customer retention.
Experience collaborating with technical teams, such as network engineering, on customer solution designs or implementations.
Strong written communication demonstrated through customer-facing proposals, presentations, or reports.
Familiarity with Regional Education Networks, national research and education networks, and the higher education and research technology landscape.
Experience developing a business development plan with measurable customer-growth or service-adoption results.
Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, information technology, or a related field.
Two or more years of hands-on proficiency with CRM tools for tracking customer engagement and pipeline activity.

Responsibilities

Identify customer needs and contribute to new and enhanced service offerings for the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads Unit.
Build relationships with current and prospective customers across the research and education ecosystem.
Help execute the business development plan and identify opportunities to expand services or introduce new offerings for review and approval.
Translate customer requirements into technical and business solutions.
Support onboarding and ongoing engagement of new customers.
Represent UMD and MAX at national and international industry meetings and conferences.
Support planning and execution of events, including the MAX Participants Meeting and customer engagement presentations.
Assess market and customer needs related to emerging technologies, particularly quantum technology, and identify opportunities to support their development and adoption.
Foster partnerships, identify opportunities, and support MAX’s growth, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Help maintain continuity of University services during specified catastrophic events, weather emergencies, or other operational emergencies, if required.