Senior Economic Development Specialist , Virginia Tech

Senior Economic Development Specialist

Posting Number
0100661

About Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech, located in scenic southwest Virginia, is a comprehensive, innovative research university with the largest full-time student population in Virginia. A wealth of information about the university is available at www.vt.edu, http://www.hr.vt.edu/employment/facts/index.html.

Position Summary
Virginia Tech's Office of Economic Development is seeking a senior specialist with an interest in both technology-based economic development and community economic development. The office provides leadership for the university and the Commonwealth in these areas. Recently this has included a two year, $1.8 million effort to stimulate research commercialization in Southside Virginia funded by the US Economic Development Administration. The office is also spearheading partnerships managing almost $9 million from the US Department of Labor to develop and implement advanced training programs in green building and health information technology. The Senior Specialist will develop and conduct applied research and technical assistance projects and provide leadership for the unit on collaborative design and implementation of projects. This position, reporting to the director of the office, is a restricted calendar year, administrative and professional faculty appointment.

Responsibilities:
Design and implement projects addressing economic and community development needs across Virginia on subjects such as research commercialization, manufacturing extension, distributed research centers, strategic innovation partnerships, asset-based development, entrepreneurship, and strategic planning. This requires the senior specialist to undertake the following:
- Conduct diverse forms of research and analysis such as economic impact and feasibility studies, market analysis, cluster studies, strategic planning, and program design and evaluation with emphasis on economically distressed areas in Virginia. Prepare reports and deliver public presentations to project clients and other stakeholder's derived from that research.
- Write and submit sponsored project proposals, including scope of work, budget development, and secure funding from national, state, and local sources to support up to 50% of salary and fringe for this position.
- Serve as principal investigator on large, multi-partner sponsored projects. This involves developing detailed project scopes and budgets, managing project deliverables and implementation, write final reports and disseminate findings to appropriate audiences.
- Develop contacts with current and potential clients across the public, private, and non-profit sectors through regular travel around the state, active participation in professional associations, and other marketing activities of the unit.
- Build strong relationships with academic departments at the university, including faculty as partners in projects and assisting departments with other educational activities such as teaching or service on student committees.
- Develop an understanding of and follow university procedures.

Provide leadership for the unit in collaboratively developing and implementing project activities, organizing and facilitating a monthly project meeting for the unit. This involves facilitating work teams among faculty to explore funding opportunities, develop proposals, and manage implementation. Related to these activities the Senior Specialist undertakes the following:

- Participate in the internal evaluation and and conduct impact assessments of past projects.
- Participate in recruiting, selecting, and managing graduate assistants and undergraduate interns.
Required Qualifications
- Substantial experience with the management of applied research or technical assistance projects in a collaborative, interdisciplinary setting.
- Substantial experience with research and practice in multiple areas of technology-based economic and community economic development.
- Possess exemplary communication and analytical skills.
- Demonstrate capacity as a highly organized, creative, entrepreneurial self-starter, capable of contributing to a team.
- Earned doctorate in planning, public administration, business, economics or a related field
- Willingness to undertake extensive travel, primarily within the state of Virginia
Preferred Qualifications
- Possess experience with procurement and management of sponsored projects in higher education.
- Demonstrate the ability to build collaborative teams across organizations.
Employment Conditions
Must have a criminal background check
Must have a driver's license check
Describe Other:

Employment Comments

How to Apply for this Job
Applicants must complete the online faculty application at www.jobs.vt.edu, Posting #0100661. Attach a resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references to the online faculty application. Review of applications will begin on September 20, 2010 and continue until the position is filled.

Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to the principle of diversity and, in that spirit, seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including women, minorities, and people with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations should notify the search chair, Dave Nutter at 540/231-6669 or dnutter@vt.edu by the review date.
Employee Category
Administrative and Professional Faculty
Appointment Type
Restricted
If restricted or temporary, enter end date
12/01/2011
FLSA Status:

Faculty Rank
Lecturer
Tenure Status (Faculty Only)
Non-Tenure Track
Academic Year or Calendar Year
Calendar Year
Percent Employment
Full Time
If part time, enter Percent Time

Pay Band (Staff Jobs Only)

Advertised Pay Range (Enter amount or "Commensurate with Experience")
$60,000-$70,000 depending on qualifications and experience
Department
Economic Development
College / Sr. Management
Vice Provost - Outreach & Intnl Affairs
Work Location
Blacksburg
Location, if not Blacksburg:

Work Schedule:
8:00-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday
II. Search Plan
Job Posting Date
08-31-2010
Review Begin Date
09-20-2010
Job Close Date
(if applicable)


Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to the principle of diversity, and in that spirit seeks a broad spectrum of candidates including women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities desiring accommodations in the application process should notify the hiring department by the application deadline.

For a full description of the position and requirements, and to
apply, please go to www.jobs.vt.edu, posting #0100661.