Outreach Coordinator

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm (additional work outside of standard hours may be required due to business needs)

Job Location: Raleigh, North Carolina

Department: Office of University Interdisciplinary Programs

About the Department

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering's primary research mission involves managing high-impact, multi-disciplinary research initiatives, specialized laboratory facilities, and large-scale sponsor portfolios. To support faculty innovation and maintain seamless operations across complex grant portfolios, the department utilizes embedded administrative professionals who provide direct, localized support to large faculty research groups, multi-investigator centers, and specialized laboratory infrastructure. Operate the Self-driving Platforms for Expedited Experimental co-Design (SPEED) as an NSF-funded national autonomous-science user facility. Provide remote access to integrated self-driving laboratories. Connect robotics, scientific instruments, AI, and data infrastructure. Enable reproducible experiments in chemistry and materials science. Serve academic, government, and industry research users.

Wolfpack Perks and Benefits

As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.

What we offer:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Flexible Spending Account
• Retirement Programs
• Disability Plans
• Life Insurance
• Accident Plan
• Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
• 12 Holidays Each Year
• Tuition and Academic Assistance
• And so much more!

Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.

Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

Essential Job Duties

Help expand access to cutting-edge research while building meaningful connections across academia, industry, government, and education. Self-driving Platforms for Expedited Experimental co-Design (SPEED) is an NSF-funded national user facility at NC State University that provides remote access to self-driving laboratories, combining robotics and artificial intelligence to accelerate discovery in chemistry and materials science. As the Outreach and User Engagement Coordinator, you will play a vital role in growing SPEED's user community by recruiting new users, coordinating engagement activities, and developing programs that connect researchers, students, and external partners with advanced scientific resources. Your work will help strengthen research collaborations, support workforce development, and contribute to the facility's long-term success and sponsor objectives.

Key Responsibilities

User Engagement & Community Building

• Recruit and engage prospective users through targeted outreach, conferences, meetings, partnerships, and networking activities to expand participation across academic, industry, government, and educational communities.
• Coordinate user onboarding, orientation, facility access, and project start-up activities to ensure a seamless experience for new and returning users.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with researchers, external partners, and stakeholders while serving as a key point of contact for user engagement initiatives.

Programs, Events & Outreach

• Plan and coordinate workshops, bootcamps, webinars, demonstrations, facility tours, advisory board meetings, sponsor visits, and workforce development programs.
• Develop and distribute outreach materials, newsletters, announcements, and other user-facing communications that promote facility capabilities, opportunities, and accomplishments.
• Manage event logistics, registration, speaker coordination, and post-event communications to deliver high-quality engagement experiences.

Program Operations & Assessment

• Maintain user and stakeholder databases, outreach calendars, and participation records to support ongoing engagement efforts.
• Collect user feedback, testimonials, and success stories while tracking participation, demographics, outcomes, and other program metrics to support reporting requirements and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with SPEED leadership and communications staff to develop and implement outreach strategies that enhance user engagement and strengthen the facility's impact.

If you are someone who enjoys connecting people with innovative research opportunities, building strong partnerships, and creating engaging programs that make a lasting impact, we encourage you to apply. If you thrive in a collaborative environment, excel at managing multiple priorities, and are passionate about supporting research, education, and scientific innovation, we'd love to have you join the SPEED team.

Other Responsibilities:

• Support sponsor visits, advisory-board meetings, and facility tours.
• Maintain user/contact databases and outreach calendars.
• Coordinate event logistics, registration, speakers, and follow-up.
• Collect user testimonials, success stories, and program feedback.
• Collaborate with SPEED leadership and communications staff on engagement strategy.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in science, engineering, education, communications, or related field.
• Three or more years of relevant outreach, program, or stakeholder-engagement experience.

Equivalent combinations of relevant education and applied experience considered.

Other Required Qualifications:

• Experience coordinating events, workshops, training programs, or community engagement activities.
• Effective communication skills with both technical and nontechnical audiences through written, verbal, and presentation-based communications.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, including scheduling activities, coordinating logistics, and following projects through to completion.
• Demonstrated success building and maintaining professional relationships with scientists, students, industry representatives, and other external stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple programs, projects, or competing deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency with standard office software and customer relationship management (CRM), contact management, webinar, or other collaboration tools.
• Experience collecting, organizing, and reporting participation and outcome metrics.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in STEM outreach or higher education programs.
• Experience supporting research user facilities or shared instrumentation programs.
• Demonstrated involvement in workforce development, scientific training, or educational programs.
• Demonstrated experience engaging industry, government, or national research communities through outreach, partnerships, or collaborative activities.
• Experience developing outreach metrics and sponsor reports.
• Familiarity with autonomous science, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, chemistry, or materials research.

Required License(s) or Certification(s): N/A

Valid NC Driver's License required: No

Commercial Driver's License required: No

Job Open Date: 09/21/2026

Anticipated Close Date: Open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicant required documents: Cover Letter, Resume, Contact Information for at least three Professional References.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Position Number: 00112337

Position Type: EPS/SAAO

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week): 1.0

Appointment: 12 Month Recurring

Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather: Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather

Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events: Non Mandatory - Emergency Event

Department ID: 230101 - Interdisciplinary Programs - SVP

EEO:

NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Organization

NC State: Think and Do

NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina and the country. We began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, we're a pre-eminent research enterprise with 12 colleges excelling in all major academic fields.

Our 34,000 high-performing students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world by conducting research, working in internships and co-ops, and performing acts of world-changing service. That experiential education ensures that they leave here ready to lead the workforce. NC State's 13:1 student-faculty ratio is one of the reasons why we're the best college for your money in North Carolina (Money) and the No. 5 best value among public universities nationally (U.S. News & World Report).

Overcoming Challenges, Improving Lives

NC State is one of only two universities in the nation leading two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers — one developing wearable, self-powered health monitors, and the other researching smart-grid technology. We're also leading interdisciplinary efforts to curb nuclear proliferation, help farmers confront climate change and build a new American manufacturing sector.

Our research doesn't just get published in a journal or sit on a shelf; it makes an impact. NC State is No. 6 nationwide in commercialization agreements based on university research, and we're No. 2 among universities without a medical school. Our Cooperative Extension Service provides research-based information to citizens in all 100 North Carolina counties. In addition, our industrial extension unit — Industry Expansion Solutions — has created an economic benefit for the state's manufacturers averaging $149 million per year since 2005.

Bright Minds Creating a Bold Future

NC State's 9,000 faculty and staff are world leaders in their fields, bridging the divides between academic disciplines and training high-caliber students to meet tomorrow's challenges. NC State students won two Goldwater scholarships, five Fulbright scholarships, one Churchill scholarship and a record-breaking 25 National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships in the 2016-2017 academic year. In addition, 25 faculty are members of the National Academies.

Our Centennial Campus, an award-winning public-private research campus, is home to more than 70 partner organizations working alongside more than 70 NC State research and academic units. Centennial is also the location of the innovative Hunt Library, which Time magazine has dubbed "the library of the future."

In Raleigh and Around the World

It all happens in one of the best cities in America. A top spot for job-seekers and tech professionals, Raleigh is nationally recognized as a leading urban center:

• No. 2 hot spot for tech jobs (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 3 best city for young professionals (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 4 best city for jobs (Glassdoor.com, 2017)
• No. 4 best place to live (U.S. News & World Report, 2016)
• Best big city in the Southeast (Time, 2016)
• Selected as a Google Fiber expansion city

With Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a national hotspot for high-tech enterprise. The top companies in the region — including IBM, Cisco Systems, SAS Institute, Biogen Idec and GlaxoSmithKline — are among the country's best employers. They also lead the way in hiring new NC State graduates.

More than 130 years after its creation, NC State continues to make its founding purpose a reality. Every day, our career-ready graduates and world-leading faculty make the fruits of learning and discovery available to people across the state, throughout the nation and around the world.