Director of The Engineering Place

Essential Job Duties

The primary purpose of the position includes the management and leadership of all operations for The Engineering Place through the oversight of STEM programs that focus on experiential learning, community-based outreach, interdisciplinary collaborations and sustainability by designing, organizing, and facilitating programs for the campus and local community. These programs include summer camps, on-campus programs for all grade levels, community engagement programs, developmental workshops for teachers, support for faculty on societal impacts in grant proposals, and more. The Director will strengthen the relationship between The Engineering Place and communities across North Carolina to build excitement about engineering among students and teachers.

The essential duties are to:

• Provide oversight and vision in the planning, coordination, and execution of The Engineering Place's Engineering Summer Programs, Family STEM Nights, Engineering Kits, Solar House tours, community engagement and other PreK-20 programming throughout the year
• Responsible for overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of direct reports by carrying out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with university, college, and departmental policies and procedures
• Acquire funding for the program thought grant writing and working in partnership with the Engineering Foundation to identify and cultivate financial donors by developing relationships that lead to increased revenue supporting the multi-year mission of The Engineering Place, which leads to sustained investments from various stakeholders at the local, regional, state, and national levels
• Oversee The Engineering Place Budget, as well as allocate funds for programs and initiatives in alignment with university accounting standards
• Serve as primary contact for outreach initiatives throughout the College of Engineering, working in collaboration with grant principal investigators on K-20 and broader impacts initiatives
• Work with the COE/CoEd Engineering Education program to ensure continuity of research-based education from preK-graduate school
• Develop presentations, tours, workshops for campus visits, alumni and teacher training for engineering in the classroom, and sustained outreach, including special requests
• Work with the Strategic Marketing and Planning Manager to develop marketing materials and produce strategic plans for a focused audience
• Serve, lead and participate in national/international communities and conversations in the engineering outreach and extension areas, promoting and sharing the excellent work being done in our program
• Serve on relevant university and college committees, develop relationships to advance enhancement programs, department, college, and university goals, and complete other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Minimum Experience/Education

• Master's degree or higher in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics or education from an accredited college or university
• Five years of experience planning, coordinating, and implementing multifaceted STEM programs within a higher education, non-profit, K12 education, or other similar organization
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management
• Experience developing and managing program budgets and tracking expenditures.
• Experience planning, coordinating, and implementing youth STEM programming such as camps, workshops, or K-12 engagement activities
• Experience collaborating with internal and external partners on STEM outreach or educational initiatives.
• Experience designing and delivering STEM programming (e.g., workshops, tours, curriculum)

Required Qualifications

• Commitment to working in a collaborative environment
• Professional work record characterized by effective leadership and innovation
• Excellent written and oral communications skills with the ability to respectfully and effectively communicate with a varied constituency, including high-level university officials, foundation board members, industry and community partners, faculty, staff, students, and the general public
• Demonstrated leadership with the ability to inspire and engage students and colleagues
• Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, and integrity
• Interpersonal skills and political acumen to build effective bridges and collaborative relationships
• Proven experience with strategic planning and assessment
• Knowledge of best practices related to the delivery of engineering education content
• Understand and effectively use Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and similar Google applications in addition to Adobe Acrobat/Fox-it
• Strong organizational skills and ability to re-prioritize daily tasks, to accommodate fluctuating needs and deadlines

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, education, or a closely related discipline
• Demonstrated success in grant writing or supporting externally funded outreach initiatives
• Experience cultivating donors, partners, or sponsors to support STEM outreach programs
• Experience developing STEM kits, instructional materials, or curriculum for K-20 engagement
• Experience training teachers, alumni, or community partners on engineering education practices
• Familiarity with North Carolina State University undergraduate academic programs, policies, and university structures
• Experience representing programs in national or international outreach, extension, or engineering education communities
• Experience contributing to strategic planning and program assessment in an educational or outreach context