Assistant Director for Engineering

  Responsibilities | 1. Interdisciplinary Program Strategy and Execution

• Lead Interdisciplinary Integration Strategy: Serve as the principal driver for creating and executing initiatives that bridge the Opus College of Engineering and the College of Business, aiming to build a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration among students, faculty, and alumni.

• Develop Cross-Disciplinary Program Connections: Design, promote, and manage focused interdisciplinary learning opportunities in high-demand areas, including construction and development (connecting real estate, construction and civil engineering students), technical sales (connecting marketing/sales and engineering students) and supply chain logistics (connecting engineering materials needs with sourcing/delivery expertise), among others.

• Coordinate Special Projects: Facilitate student participation in complex, interdisciplinary applied projects and internal case/design competitions that require combined engineering and business expertise.

• Expand Executive and Continuing Education: Partner with experts in Executive Education and the FIELD Center to develop and deliver leadership development and business process short-courses and professional training sessions specifically designed for working engineers and industry professionals.

2. Student Interconnection and Career Readiness

• Responsible for the supervision of student employees, which includes but is not limited to hiring, training, disciplinary actions, ending the student’s assignment, etc.

• Cultivate Student Interconnection: Systematically develop and manage opportunities to connect students across both colleges, including organizing joint site and company tours, coordinating participation in national conference trips, and hosting joint student club leader roundtables and events. Serve as a supervisor and chaperone for club and student travel as needed.

• Manage Flagship Interdisciplinary Student Programs: Recruit, advise, and connect students (including those in Engineering, Business, and Law) to selective interdisciplinary programs, such as the Real Estate Asset Program (REAP) investment fund.

• Drive Career Mentoring and Networking: Build personal relationships with students to provide career readiness mentoring and exploration guidance. Facilitate connections between students and professional mentors and networking opportunities within their field.

• Support Professional Development: Serve as co-lead point of contact with Opus College of Engineering Industry Relations Office and grow relationships with employers that lead to internship, co-op and career opportunities for students and alumni. Assist the Industry Relations office with internship and co-op initiatives for students in related majors, and help with tracking and monitoring internship, co-op, and job placements for students, with strategies in place to ensure successful placements. Assist as needed with professional development opportunities for students within the college and across the institute’s supported students.

• Lead Student Communications: Manage and increase the frequency of student communication, including the production of a weekly bulletin to share news, opportunities, reminders, and event information across relevant student bodies.

3. Alumni Engagement and External Visibility

• Expand Alumni Networking Opportunities: Strategically increase involvement and communication with alumni from both Colleges, specifically by developing and executing targeted alumni networking events and professional development opportunities for alumni in relevant interdisciplinary fields.

• Facilitate Alumni Participation: Create clear pathways for alumni to re-engage with the University, including serving as guest speakers, mentors, or competition judges in interdisciplinary programs.

4. Promote External Visibility: Represent the Vieth Institute and the University as an effective speaker at conferences and events to share institutional research, ideas, and trends that impact the civil, construction, and real estate industries.

5. Execute Fundraising and Strategic Alignment: Collaborate with their leader and University Advancement to lead an assigned segment of the fundraising goal for the Vieth Institute and actively contribute to the overall strategy of establishing the University as a nationally recognized leader in construction and civil engineering. Partner with the Office of University Advancement as needed. Build and maintain donor and sponsor relationships.

6. Support and execute the institute strategy, working with their leader and affiliated staff.

7. Lead specific advisory board initiatives, as assigned by their leader, focused on establishing the University as a nationally recognized leader in construction and civil engineering. Work directly with the Construction Engineering Advisory Council to help maximize their connection to the program and impact on the lives of students.

8. Partner with faculty and the office of the associate dean to ensure all construction engineering majors are completing relevant experiential learning opportunities and required curriculum. Work with the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC-GM) and the local American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to follow best practices for excellence in undergraduate and graduate outcomes and help students work toward professional registration, including the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, the Professional Engineer designation, and the PMP Project Management Professional exam and certification.

9. Work with affiliated faculty to ensure that the educational objectives for the Civil and Construction Engineering degrees are clearly carried out, including:

• Working as a construction engineer with awareness of ethical, moral, religious, social, environmental, and economic factors on engineering solutions.

• Attaining or pursuing professional registration

• Enhancing team building and communication skills and effective performance in multidisciplinary teams

• Holding leadership positions in professional societies and community organizations

• Engaging in lifelong learning with emphasis on both technical and contemporary issues