ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Other
Posted on May 31, 2019
Req #: | 162478 |
Department: | APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY |
Job Location: | Seattle Campus |
Posting Date: | 11/27/2018 |
Closing Info: | Open Until Filled |
Salary: | Salary is commensurate with experience and education |
Shift: | First Shift |
Notes: | As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here. |
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for five consecutive years.
The Applied Physics Laboratory seeks a leader with exceptional strategic, operational, and interpersonal capabilities to join its senior leadership team as Associate Director. Reporting to the Laboratory’s Executive Director, Lisa M. Zurk, PhD, this position promotes the Laboratory’s scientific and engineering capabilities to expand the Laboratory’s research portfolio.
The Applied Physics Laboratory of the UW was established in 1943 at the request of U.S. Navy and has, since then, provided access to the highest levels of academic expertise in scientific research and engineering. Based on its broad and deep experience in undersea science and technology, APL-UW is one of only five University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) designated by the Department of Defense that have long-term, large-scale, formal connections to the US Navy. Administered by the UW Office of Research, APL-UW advances university missions through research excellence, educating scientists and engineers, technology innovation, and national service.
APL-UW conducts research and development that is wholly funded by sponsored grants and federal contracts; APL-UW consists of eight science and engineering departments as well as centralized technical, logistical, and administrative support functions. Laboratory expertise spans acoustic and remote sensing, ocean physics and engineering, medical and industrial ultrasound, polar sciences and logistics, environmental and information systems, and electronic and photonic systems. The Laboratory receives $55-70M in grant and contract revenues annually, and is staffed by approximately 250 regular employees and up to 100 additional temporary employees.
As one of the world’s preeminent public universities, the University of Washington (UW) educates more than 57,000 students on its three campuses and conducts over $1.3B in funded research annually. The UW’s Seattle campus, which includes APL-UW, is situated on the shores of Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Portage Bay, with views of the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west.
The Associate Director is responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with a wide range of research sponsor organizations; members of local, state, and federal government; private industry; other university and federally funded research laboratories; and, within the University of Washington.
The Associate Director identifies a prospective sponsor’s “research problems” and aligns the Laboratory’s science and engineering capabilities in novel ways to solve them, including non-traditional cross-departmental collaborations. Through cultivating and maintaining strong relationships, the Associate Director expands the Laboratory’s research portfolio, and generates additional and larger sponsored research work for the Laboratory.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Business Development:
• Cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with current and new sponsors that result in research awards to the Laboratory. Serve as the senior liaison between the Laboratory and the Department of Defense, US Navy, and other defense-oriented sponsors.
• Develop communication strategies and implement communication plans to promote Laboratory capabilities, including visiting sponsors in their locations, and hosting sponsors’ visits to the Laboratory. Develop presentation and meeting formats featuring the Laboratory’s areas of excellence that can be readily combined to suit a given sponsor’s interests. Cultivate and mentor an array of Laboratory staff who can represent the Laboratory’s broad and substantial capabilities.
• Interact and negotiate with the other four US Navy UARC’s, Navy Laboratories (e.g., Naval Surface Warfare Center, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Aviation Warfare Center, and the Naval Research Laboratory) and with industry to develop, integrate, and execute new research and development programs.
• Support activities in our small business collaboration incubator (also known as the Collaboratory) to foster research and development collaborations.
• Interact with area businesses (e.g., Amazon, Google, Boeing) and labs (e.g., PNNL) and naval commands such as Submarine Development Squadron 5 and Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport (NUWC-Keyport) to foster regional maritime collaborations.
• Help identify, recruit and mentor promising new employees.
• Interact with campus leadership and faculty.
Sponsored Research:
• Conduct sponsored research aligned with the laboratory’s strategic goals
Leadership-level Support of the Laboratory’s Mission and Strategic Goals:
• Advise the Executive Director and APL leadership team regarding Laboratory research strategy. In partnership with the Executive Director and Director of Business and Finance, create and implement Laboratory strategies that result in research program and fiscal stability.
• Advise the Executive Director and APL leadership team regarding the Laboratory’s research interests in matters involving the Laboratory’s spaces, facilities, and buildings, to include identifying co-occupants and design features of remodeled or newly constructed facilities.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience may substitute for degree requirement.
• At least 10 years working in applied science, technology and engineering supporting maritime and US Navy interests where the candidate has developed new research thrusts, built up cross-disciplinary teams, executed programs, and conducted analysis. Needs to be familiar with oceanography, underwater acoustics, engineering, and US Navy research interests.
• The candidate needs to have a demonstrated ability to develop creative new ideas to support advanced research as well as be able to conduct analysis and build presentations and documentation sufficient to convey to potential sponsors the value of this new approach to solving specific problems as well as the technical merits and risks of such an approach.
• Experience in establishing strong working relationships with R&D program managers as well as organization leadership; tracking task order efforts to rapidly identify and resolve potential and new problems; and identifying and resolving administrative and contractual issues related to a support services contract is required. Demonstrated creativity, foresight, initiative, and mature judgment in anticipating and solving unprecedented problems.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
• Frequent travel will be required.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
DESIRED:
• Master’s and/or Ph.D. in relevant science or technical field is desired.
• Although there are no direct subordinates to this position, a background managing people and projects is valuable both to help provide advice for the management of the Laboratory as well as execute the management of projects.
• Experience in productivity tools such as MS office, idea creation tools such as mind mapping software packages, and analysis tools such as Matlab and Octave.
• Experience with field work, especially at-sea work on small to large vessels.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
May be subject to successful completion of E-Verify process.
Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral.
The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu.