PAY GRADE:  31E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The Instructional Specialist will be responsible for programmatic leadership at all levels of engineering education and outreach as the Director of Education in the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM), and for education and outreach programming in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) at the University of Delaware (UD).

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

CHARM

• Serve as the Director of Education for the UD Materials Research Science and Engineering Center CHARM to provide support for key education and outreach initiatives under the direction of the Center for Research in Soft matter and Polymers (CRiSP)/CHARM Executive Director and in collaboration with the CRiSP Program Coordinator

• • Core education and outreach programs include the CHARM summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, the TeenSHARP High School Student research experience (HighRise program), the DE Elementary Science Olympiad, STEM outreach events in the local community, and the NSF PREM partnership

• Assist with conceptualizing and implementing initiatives in coordination with academic departments, UD College of Engineering administrative units, Undergraduate Research Program, and Graduate College. Activities may include but are not limited to:
• Organize professional development and social activities for CHARM undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs.
• Develop a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program to advance materials science and engineering teacher training in partnership with the CHARM leadership team and the CRiSP Program Coordinator.
• Lead CHARM’s existing NSF PREM partnership with HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions to broaden participation in materials research and education.
• Lead the CHARM REU and the CHARM (TeenSHARP) HighRise program with tasks related to session coordination and implementation.
• Assist with strategic planning, annual reporting to NSF, and grant proposal preparation.
• Develop activities and programs with close attention to budget and administrative procedures.
• Maintain organized records and checklists for core programmatic activities.
• Perform job-related duties as assigned.

CBE

• Assist in curriculum development to support the success of incoming freshmen in CBE, including building new onboarding programs to assist new students with developing study skills and adapting to the college experience.
• Lead the expansion of high school outreach programming in CBE, for example, by supporting emerging summer program initiatives that bring high school students to the department to engage in technical demonstrations, lab tours, and other activities that highlight chemical engineering to prospective undergraduates.
• Support the launch and operation of emerging REU programs in CBE with tasks related to session coordination and implementation.
• Leverage existing graduate student programs (EmPOWER, Chemistry-Biology Interface (CBI)) and CHARM to provide graduate student and postdoc community building, professional development, and/or mentoring support.
• Pilot new graduate student/postdoc community building and professional development initiatives with CHARM graduate students and postdocs with the goal of expansion to the larger CBE (and possibly external) community as relevant.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in chemical-engineering or a related field and four years of teaching experience.
• Knowledge of graduate-level materials research and higher education environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational skills, program development, and project management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and responsiveness.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to foster a collaborative work environment.
• Ability to interact well with people of all ages and backgrounds.
• Ability to develop, coordinate, and implement projects, while managing multiple tasks concurrently and prioritizing among competing needs.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of constituents on a variety of research management and outreach topics.
• Ability to gather and analyze statistical data and generate ad-hoc reports that are meaningful and understandable to those not familiar with the data being reported.
• Ability to interpret, adapt, and apply University and funding agency guidelines and procedures.
• High level of competency with calendaring, collaboration, and communication tools (e.g., Google Suite, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office Suite).
• Demonstrates an understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated, and equity is a core value.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work flexible hours when required.