Program Director of the Water Engineering Research Center (WERC)
The University of Texas at Arlington

Posting Number:

S05819P

Program Director of the Water Engineering Research Center (WERC)

Pro Dir Water Eng Resource Cen

Civil Engineering

Arlington

Research

Full-time

Standard

Monday through Friday; 8:00am - 5:00pm

External and Internal

Salary is commensurate based on qualifications and relevant experience.

Funding expected to continue

Monthly

Yes

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The University of Texas at Arlington is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. UTA is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. The University is committed to providing access and ensuring student success, and to a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization of discoveries by our community of scholars. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 "Very High Research Activity" institution. UTA ranks No. 4 nationally in Military Times' annual "Best for Vets: Colleges" list and is among the top 30 performers nationwide for promoting social mobility of its graduates (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). UTA is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and it has one of the top 5 most ethnically diverse undergraduate student bodies in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). Its approximately 270,000 alumni, including some who occupy leadership positions at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas, contribute to UTA's $22.2 billion annual economic impact on Texas.

Furthermore, UTA is poised to experience widespread growth in the near future. The university recently launched the first phase of its RISE 100 initiative aimed at recruiting 100 new tenure-system faculty to amplify research standing and position UTA as a leader in key scholarly areas; more details are available at https://www.uta.edu/administration/president/strategic-plan/rise100. The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to join UTA during an exciting period of growth and contribute as the university broadens its impact.

The Water Engineering Research Center (WERC) at the University of Texas at Arlington is hiring a full-time Program Director to begin in October 2024. The job requires the Program Director to assist the Center Director to operate and manage the Center and affiliated facilities for the University, supporting multiple and varied research studies and assist the Director to oversee the strategic planning and coordination and operate the WERC. The program director is expected to secure direct and indirect support to sustain the operations of the Center and provide suggestions and input to the Center's researchers and technical staff.

• Pursuit of Funding:
  • Cultivates, solicits, and engages key external stakeholders to advance the Center's strategic priorities; fosters and enhances relationships with stakeholders to increase awareness of the Center's vision, mission, goals, and community impact.
  • Assists the Center Director with pursuing federal, state, local and industry funding's as appropriate to advance the Center's mission.
  • Works with the various agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, and forges coalitions among stakeholders to tap funding in identified topic areas from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Institute of Health (NIH), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Texas General Land Office (TxGLO), and Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), among others.
  • Devises and implements strategies for outreach and education. These include, but are not limited to, participating in research fairs, organizing workshops/seminars/conferences, holding open houses, and establishing corporate relations with water infrastructure groups.
  • Represents the Center to various local, state, regional, and/or national agencies, organizations, and other constituent bodies, as appropriate, and makes presentations at conferences and/or professional organizations.
  • Works with the Center's researchers and external research beneficiaries to ensure that the college and department take maximum advantage of the opportunities to obtain external research funding to support the achievement of the Center's strategic objectives in research, and to expand the Center's sources of research income.
  • Facilitates connections between researchers and external infrastructure groups to better understand the research needs of the water infrastructure community-of-practice.
  • Supports the development, develops, reviews, and submits proposals for the Center.
  • Administers special events, marketing, and media relations to promote the goals and objectives of the Center.

• Management and Operations:
  • Support the Center Director to devises and implements effective mechanisms for monitoring research quality, intensity, and impact to uphold the University's and department's strategic goals pertaining to research.
  • Coordinates, manages, and oversees research teams and research programs affiliated with the Center; identifies, understands, and catalogs capabilities and areas of expertise of each researcher at the Center.
  • Identifies, evaluates, and recruits researchers to the Center to enhance future research capacities.
• Strategic Planning and Coordination:
  • Supports the Center Director to provide strategic planning data for input into their strategic plans.
  • Supports the Center Director to formulate and present the Center's strategic approach to research at departmental meetings.
  • Provides strategic guidance, direction, and support to internal and external users of facilities.

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or related field.
• At least fifteen years of work experience in a supervisory role at a federal agency in the area of water resources engineering.

• Experience with Strategic Planning and Coordination, Management and Operations, and Pursuit of Funding, as described in the duties above.
• Supervisory and management experience at a federal agency.
• Extensive experience in the areas of water availability and flood sciences for large watersheds in Texas and/or the nation.
• Extensive experience with the Interagency Flood Risk Management (InFRM) team and its affiliated government entities as well as the member institutions of InFRM's Academic Council.
• Experience of executing projects (at least $100M).
• Experience of securing external funds (at least $40M).

• Adept at working with various constituencies, including the academic community (faculty, staff, and administrators) and government agencies.
• Professional leadership and management skills.
• Expert conceptual, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Advanced public speaking skills.

Specific job requirements or physical location of positions allocated to this classification render the position security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Section 51.215 Texas Education Code. A criminal background check will be conducted.

It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a criminal background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University.

It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or The University) to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University's compliance with this policy.

The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to 817-272-5554 or email ADADocs@uta.edu.

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Applicants must include in their online resume the following information: 1) Employment history: name of company, period employed (from month/year to month/year), job title, summary of job duties and 2) Education: school name, degree type, and major.