Director (Research and Internationalization), The Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta is a leading educational innovator. The Director (Research and Internationalization) works collaboratively with the Associate Dean (Research & Internationalization) to advance the research and internationalization activities of the Faculty of Engineering. The incumbent contributes to the enhancement of the profile of the Faculty of Engineering by developing strategic research initiatives and proposals, building and enhancing relationships with key national and international partner research organizations and stakeholders, creating and maintaining a Faculty research capacity inventory, establishing metrics and comparators with peer organizations, managing implementation of key initiatives - including those related to commercialization - and developing and executing a research communications and promotions plan.

Duties:

Building and Enhancing Research Relationships

• Cultivates relationships with existing and prospective strategic research partners (domestic and international), funding agencies and stakeholder organizations, as well as on-campus partners; this involves analyzing strengths and opportunities presented by external organizations, developing corresponding engagement strategies, meeting with external researchers and administrators, and organizing collaborative opportunities between internal and external researchers
• Maintains and enhances relationships with funding agencies and stakeholder organizations, including APEGA, Alberta Innovates, NSERC, Canada Foundation of Innovation, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, National Research Council, Natural Resources Canada, etc.
• Establishes contacts and participates in high-level negotiations to secure multi-million dollar funding

Research Assessment, Promotion and Development

• Develops strategies and vehicles for promoting Faculty research activities
• Develops and directs activities for the recruitment and development of graduate researchers including the Dean’s Research Awards program and the annual Faculty of Engineering Graduate Research Symposium
• Recruits and oversees consultants and staff responsible for enhancing promotion activities
• Develops, analyzes and updates research and other metrics for the Faculty, departments, and major research groups against peer organizations in Canada and around the world

Research Development

• Participates in the development of a strategy to increase the Faculty’s research funding and research chairs from granting agencies, industry, and by facilitating international opportunities with emphasis on high quality proposals and submissions
• Identifies industrial funding that can be leveraged with Federal and Provincial matching programs to increase total research funding
• Assists researchers in developing the scope of work, identifying renovation requirements and costs for research laboratory space, assisting with equipment needs and seeking equipment funding sources, and allocating indirect costs of research funding

Internationalization Relationships

• Collaborates with internal and external groups including University of Alberta International (UAI), VP (Research) Office, President's Office, embassies and governments to establish, lead and coordinate visiting and traveling delegations
• Engages relevant faculty members, identifies objectives, manages follow-up, and assesses potential and actual value of engagement for the Faculty of Engineering
• Supports researchers seeking international funding opportunities, etc.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A graduate degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline
• 3 or more years of experience in a research environment executing projects, developing proposals, reporting to sponsors and communicating research results
• Excellent judgment, problem solving and facilitation skills as well as demonstrated skill in collaboration, decision-making, and managing high pressure environments
• Experience in managing complex projects, including formal project management practices (budgeting, Gantt charts, stage gate procedures)
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Project Management Professional certification (PMP) preferred
• Strong application software knowledge including MS Office and search engine expertise
• Industrial experience in developing technologies or interacting with those who do is preferred
• Demonstrated proficiency in research administration within a research organization or funding agency preferred
• Advanced user of complex computer software applications, including enterprise reporting systems, reporting tools, data warehousing, business intelligence tools
• Familiarity with aspects of technology commercialization (intellectual property, market assessment, financing, regulatory approval, etc.) preferred

This regular continuing position is in accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer agreement and offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed at www.hrs.ualberta.ca. The annual salary range is $64,682 to $107,802.