Job Description

The Associate Director of Research-Practice Partnerships provides leadership for applied educational research projects, collaborative research-practice partnerships, and broader outreach and engagement focused on postsecondary educational contexts for the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts (CENI) within the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT). The goal of this position is to build and sustain infrastructure and programming at the higher education and workforce development levels consistent with CENI's charter as a research center and the university's land-grant mission of serving the citizens of the commonwealth and beyond. Key responsibilities include building collaborative networks of affiliated faculty and stakeholders to support grant-seeking and grant-management, managing or supporting applied educational research projects central to CENI's mission, creating infrastructure to seek external funding, and communicating the value of these activities to a variety of stakeholders including funders, research communities, practitioners, and the broader public. Given this wide variety of stakeholders, it is imperative that the Associate Director is a team player and able to work well with others while also having documented experience in managing complex projects, collaborating broadly, producing or scoping educational programs, curriculum, and/or activities for postsecondary learners, and supporting or leading educational research and/or programming at the postsecondary level.

The Associate Director of Research-Practice Partnerships will collaborate with the Associate Director of Youth and Community Education in complementary ways as both have similarly scoped responsibilities but with explicitly different audience and context foci.

Required Qualifications

- Master's degree in a related field
- Project management experience within complex and collaborative environments
- Working knowledge of higher education and/or workforce development contexts
- Experience with publishing or presenting in scholarly forums on educational research or education focused programming.
- Leadership and/or supervisory experience with exceptional communication and collaboration skills.
- Ability to effectively interact with a broad spectrum of cross-functional teams comprised of faculty, students, industry personnel, and others; establish and maintain collaborative and productive working relationships; maintain confidentiality of sensitive information; work with tact on complex and sensitive issues.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills, both independently and within a team environment.
- Ability and willingness to work occasional weekends and evenings.

Preferred Qualifications

- PhD degree in a related field
- Experience with sponsored research projects.
- Experience conducting and reporting evaluation and assessment in educational research contexts.
- Experience collaborating with higher education faculty and/or workforce partners (e.g., community organizations, industry partners)

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

$78,000 - $85,000

Review Date

January 24, 2024

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight , a , a college, , and . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous and . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.