Associate Director, School of Applied Engineering

Associate Director School of Applied Engineering

Posting Category:E

About UIS: Located in the state capital the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three members of the University of Illinois system. The University serves more than 4000 students in 44 graduate and 56 undergraduate programs. You are encouraged to visit the university web page at .

Application deadline:

The Associate Director of the School of Applied Engineering serves as the senior operational and academic leader responsible for curriculum innovation K12 pipeline development industry partnership strategy and applied research infrastructure for the Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Technology (BAS-ET) and future programs within the School. The Associate Director works in close partnership with the Director to build and sustain the Schools academic programs employer relationships and regional engagement mission.

This position is central to the Schools founding leadership team. The Associate Director brings technical expertise in applied engineering and emerging technologies the ability to build and sustain relationships with regional career centers community colleges and industry partners and a commitment to applied workforce-aligned education. The role combines strategic program development with hands-on operational leadership including direct management of the Schools applied research laboratory K12 engineering pipeline programming and the Schools applied research and maker-space infrastructure.

The Associate Director will teach one course per semester and may teach up to two courses per semester subject to workload agreement with the Director and the Dean.

The Associate Director also directs the Orion Lab.

Curriculum Development and Academic Innovation: Lead ongoing curriculum development refinement and innovation for the BAS-ET and future School programs in collaboration with the Director and engineering technology faculty. Coordinate the integration of emerging technologies (robotics AI additive manufacturing automation) into the curriculum as the program evolves. Develop and maintain Advanced Technical Elective course offerings aligned with industry demand student interest and faculty expertise. Support ABET ETAC accreditation preparation including curriculum mapping student outcome documentation and continuous improvement processes. Collaborate with Computer Science Mathematics Physics and Psychology faculty to develop cross-listed courses and interdisciplinary learning opportunities.

K12 Pipeline and Career Center Partnerships: Lead the development and delivery of introductory engineering programming at regional career and technical education centers including curriculum design instructional delivery student advising and dual-enrollment/dual-credit coordination. Develop and expand recruitment relationships with regional career and technical education centers and their member school districts across central Illinois. Develop and deliver career exploration STEM outreach and pipeline programming to career center students regional high schools and prospective student populations. Manage dual-enrollment and dual-credit processes in coordination with the UIS Office of Admissions and Records.

Industry Partnership and Employer Engagement: Develop and maintain relationships with regional industry partners for work-based learning placements equipment donations advisory board participation and applied research collaboration. Support the Director in managing the industry advisory board including meeting coordination feedback synthesis and curriculum alignment recommendations. Identify and pursue corporate partnership opportunities including sponsorships named lab spaces scholarship funding and in-kind equipment contributions. Represent the School at industry events workforce development forums and regional economic development meetings.

Applied Research and Laboratory Infrastructure: Direct the Schools applied research and prototyping laboratory including equipment management safety compliance student access and applied research programming. Oversee the development and operational readiness of the engineering lab building including equipment procurement installation safety certification and ongoing maintenance coordination. Develop the Schools maker-space and prototyping capabilities to support curriculum student projects community engagement and applied research partnerships. Pursue external grant funding for laboratory equipment applied research projects and STEM outreach programming. Direct the Orion Lab.

Community College Articulation and Transfer Pathway Development: Lead the development of formal articulation agreements with Tier 1 and Tier 2 community college feeder institutions in partnership with the UIS Office of Admissions and Records. Work with community college faculty and administrators to map AAS curricula into the BAS-ET degree ensuring maximum credit applicability for transfer students. Participate in community college advising visits transfer fairs and co-branded recruitment activities.

Strategic Planning and Program Growth: Contribute to the Schools strategic planning including identification and development of future program concentrations (e.g. automation/robotics instrumentation/controls mechatronics geomatics). Contribute to enrollment strategy in collaboration with the Director the Dean and UIS Enrollment Management. Prepare grant proposals and manage funded projects related to curriculum innovation workforce development and STEM pipeline programming. Represent the School in college university and system-level planning as assigned by the Director or the Dean.

Minimum Qualifications:
Masters degree in engineering engineering technology computer science applied science or a closely related STEM discipline.
Five years of professional experience in engineering manufacturing applied technology or a related technical field which may include a combination of industry and academic experience.
Demonstrated experience in curriculum development or instructional design in STEM or engineering technology education.
Demonstrated experience building and managing external partnerships with industry K12 institutions or community colleges.
Evidence of successful grant writing applied research or externally funded project management.

Preferred Qualifications:
Doctoral degree in engineering engineering technology engineering education or a closely related discipline.
Experience with ABET-accredited programs or accreditation processes.
Experience directing a laboratory maker space or applied research facility.
Experience with dual-credit or dual-enrollment programming between secondary and postsecondary institutions.
Expertise in one or more applied engineering technology areas such as robotics automation AI additive manufacturing industrial controls mechatronics or related fields.
Record of applied research industry-sponsored projects or scholarship of teaching and learning.
Familiarity with regional workforce development ecosystems employer engagement strategies and career and technical education infrastructure.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities:
Ability to work across academic industry and K12 environments with credibility in all three.
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives.
Excellent communication skills including the ability to represent the School to diverse audiences: students faculty employers legislators and community leaders.
Collaborative leadership style suited to a startup environment with limited resources and high ambiguity.
Technical fluency with engineering tools equipment and software sufficient to direct laboratory operations and advise curriculum.

Employment Policies and other information:

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer dedicated to building a community of excellence equity and diversity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and we welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds and identities. The University of Illinois System does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their real or perceived race color religion sex national origin ancestry age order of protection status genetic information marital status disability sexual orientation including gender identity unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a protected veteran and will comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination equal opportunity and affirmative action laws orders and regulations. Visit University of Illinois Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Illinois System conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.

As a qualifying federal contractor the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health Dental Vision Life Insurance a Retirement Plan Paid time Off and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position however all employment decisions will be made by a person.

UIS employment in this role is not covered by Social Security and instead is covered by the State University Retirement System.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted by contacting UIS HR at or call .

***Please Note: All postings close at 5:00pm CST on the posting close date.***

Required Experience:

Director