Director of University Partnerships

The Director of University Partnerships serves as the Laboratory's senior steward of relationships with our Strategic University Partners (SUPER) and other university partners. Reporting to the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology, this role provides executive-level management of a portfolio of academic partnerships that touch nearly every function of the Laboratory's research enterprise. This is a senior position requiring the gravitas, credibility, and professional standing to engage with Vice Presidents and Vice Provosts for Research, Deans, and other senior academic leaders at major research universities. The successful candidate will represent the Laboratory Director and Deputy Laboratory Director in high-level external engagements and will elevate the Laboratory's university partnerships from a set of formal agreements into genuine, sustained strategic relationships that deliver mutual value in research, talent, and mission impact.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

Relationship Stewardship

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the Laboratory and designated SUPER and other university partners
• Maintain a coherent, current view of the full portfolio of activities with each partner institution, including active collaborations, joint appointments, student and post-doctoral engagements, proposals in development, and commercialization activities
• Develop and maintain trusted working relationships with counterpart offices at partner institutions (typically Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts for Research, Deans, department chairs)
• Anticipate and proactively address friction points in partnership execution

Coordination Across the Laboratory

• Coordinate university engagement across the Office of the Deputy Laboratory Director for Science and Technology portfolio
• Partner with chief scientists, principal investigators, and program managers to align university engagement with Laboratory scientific and mission priorities
• Convene internal working groups as needed to develop coordinated approaches to specific partners, opportunities, or challenges

Strategic Development

• In collaboration with Laboratory leadership, develop and execute partnership strategies for each SUPER and other key university partner, tailored to the strengths and priorities of both parties
• Identify opportunities to deepen partnerships through new joint activities, including but not limited to collaborative research initiatives, jointly pursued proposals, and coordinated talent pipelines
• Support the negotiation, renewal, and stewardship of partnership agreements in coordination with the appropriate Laboratory offices

Reporting and Analytics

• Develop and maintain metrics that characterize the health and impact of each partnership, including joint publications, joint proposals and awards, personnel flows, and commercialization outcomes
• Provide regular reporting to Laboratory leadership and partner institutions on the state of the university partnership portfolio
• Represent the Laboratory at university partnership events, reviews, and convenings
   

Required:

• Level 5: Master's degree and 8 years of experience or PhD and 6 years of experience.
• Level 6: Master's degree and 12 years of experience or PhD and 10 years of experience. 
• Advanced degree in a scientific, engineering, or related discipline strongly preferred
• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in research leadership, research administration, sponsored programs, strategic partnerships, or a closely related field, with substantial experience in a research-intensive setting (national laboratory, major research university, federal research agency, or comparable)
• Demonstrated record of engaging with senior academic leaders (Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts for Research, Deans, department chairs, institute directors)
• Demonstrated experience building and stewarding complex, multi-stakeholder relationships across organizational boundaries at the executive level
• Deep working knowledge of the U.S. research enterprise, including the roles, cultures, incentives, and decision-making structures of DOE national laboratories and research universities, and fluency in federal research funding mechanisms
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to represent the Laboratory professionally and credibly to the most senior external audiences
• Demonstrated ability to convene and coordinate senior stakeholders across functions and institutions without direct authority
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage a diverse portfolio of concurrent high-stakes priorities

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Direct experience with DOE national laboratory operations, programs, or partnerships
• Familiarity with strategic university partnership frameworks such as SUPER or comparable constructs
• Experience with academic-industry-lab collaborations
• Established relationships within the U.S. research university community

Key Competencies: 

• Executive presence and gravitas; ability to engage as a credible peer with senior academic and federal research leaders
• Relationship building and stewardship at the executive level
• Strategic thinking and portfolio management
• Cross-functional coordination and convening
• Cultural fluency across academic, laboratory, and government environments
• Discretion, judgment, and professionalism in representing the Laboratory Director and Deputy Laboratory Director externally
• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to define and shape a new role

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, and work in an office and field/laboratory environment. The job requires hand/finger dexterity to keyboard or type, handle materials, manipulate tools, and reach with hands and arms. The job requires operation of job-related equipment and driving a vehicle. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance. Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform the essential functions and interact with the public is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Information:

• The pay range for this position is: Level 5 ($137,076 - $281,196) / Level 6 ($164,592 - $337,428). At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.
• Multi-Level: This is a multi-level posting and you will be placed at the appropriate level dependent on depth and breadth of proven experience and skills.