Program Director, Inclusive Innovation in the Sciences

Department
 

Civic Engagement OCE Directors

About the Department
 

At the University of Chicago, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that encompasses our contributions to the enrichment of human life through research and education, our work to increase economic opportunities on the South Side, and our support for the open exchange of ideas with our broader community. Our relationship and engagement with the City of Chicago was of critical importance at the time of our founding and continues to guide the University’s contributions to the city and the South Side today. The University approaches civic engagement in a comprehensive and deliberate way: we approach civic engagement as a University-wide commitment that furthers our core mission of research and education and reflects our core values; we build meaningful, mutually-beneficial partnerships that increase civic participation, expand educational access, and create economic and social opportunity; we apply an interdisciplinary approach that brings our best thinking across multiple domains to advance innovative initiatives that enrich human life in our city; we solve real world problems with rigor by supporting our faculty, students, staff, and alumni to engage with the community and the world around them as they address the most pressing urban challenges and build evidence-based solutions; and we measure and communicate our impact, sharing what we are doing and learning as we partner with others to contribute to the public good.

Job Summary
 

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Civic Engagement, the Director for Inclusive Innovation will develop the coordinating infrastructure for and provide day to day management of the University’s commitment to Inclusive Innovation on the South Side of Chicago, by advancing equitable economic growth catalyzed by innovations in the science and engineering. This will include strengthening and scaling cross-sector collaborations in four areas:
• STEM education
• Employment
• Economic Development; and
• Civic Infrastructure
The University of Chicago (UChicago) is working in partnership with the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign (UIUC), Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, and other institutions to demonstrate inclusive economic growth. These institutions are at the forefront of scientific research and engineering. Representing leading public and private academic institutions and national labs, these entities have come together to advance a shared vision to catalyze inclusive innovation through increased investment on Chicago’s South Side.
The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation will leverage research, education, and commercialization assets coupled with a shared commitment to diversity and inclusion to catalyze and anchor inclusive economic growth. This new partnership builds upon a foundation of joint efforts in the sciences, engineering, technology, and community engagement to support business diversity, youth entrepreneurship, STEM education, and urban research on Chicago’s South Side. Together, the Partnership represents a new center of gravity for building the talented, diverse pipeline of scientists, technologists, educators, early adopters, and civic leaders needed to enable a sustainable innovation economy.
Specifically, the Director for Inclusive Innovation will work with partnership members to advance the Inclusive Innovation framework as well as strategies and initiatives outlined in the Quantum Information Sciences and Engineering (QISE) Implementation Plan. This requires working in close collaboration with colleagues in the Office of Civic Engagement to align with and advance shared priorities related to STEM education/outreach and workforce/small business development goals aimed at South Side communities. In parallel, the Director will partner closely with the Executive Director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, Inclusive Innovation staff at UIUC, and institutional outreach/engagement staff at the National Labs.
This will include engaging external stakeholders and building formal collaboration agreements, overseeing a community awareness campaign, supporting the deployment of a new catalyst fund as well as a programmatic initiatives fund to seed STEM, Employment Pathway, and QISE programs, and align existing and new STEM Education, Employment, and Economic Development pathways in QISE and quantum-adjacent fields.
The Director is also responsible for working in partnership with relevant content leaders across the University and National Labs in scientific areas including Data Science/AI, Clean Tech/Energy, Biotech/Bioengineering, and others as identified by the Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Science Strategy to increase inclusive growth resulting from these areas of investment on the South Side.

Responsibilities

• Support the Executive Director (OCE) in staffing the Partnership Council and aligned working groups to ensure strategic oversight and foster ongoing collaboration on STEM broadly and QISE specific programming, in partnership with colleagues at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• Work with the Office of Science’s Science Strategy team to advance strategic priorities, aligned to the goals of Inclusive Innovation - including support on federal funding opportunities and development of engagement strategies as needed.

• Work with the OCE to develop foundational partnerships in the areas of workforce development, business development, and STEM education to increase alignment of program opportunities in the South Side footprint.

• Work with OCE staff to engage South Side stakeholders on the Inclusive Innovation framework. Also serve as a liaison to other academic, civic, and corporate partners.

• Work with communications teams and other OCE staff to develop and execute a communication and outreach plan to launch the Partnership.

• Develop and support the advancement of collaboration agreements between the University and Inclusive Innovation partners, including City Colleges of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago State University, and community-based organizations.

• Lead the launch of the new Catalyst Fund and Programmatic Initiatives Fund to provide seed grants to scale and pilot new and existing STEM, Employment Pathway, and QISE programs.

• Convene faculty and research partners with Partnership leadership to develop an evaluation model for the plan.

• Manage 1 full-time direct report, Associate Director for Inclusive Innovation.

• Develops and communicates program priorities and performance standards and assesses operations using these criteria. Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.

• Has a deep understanding when interacting with faculty, researchers and staff for committee work or information.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications ​​
 

Education:

• Advanced graduate or terminal degree strongly preferred.

Experience:

• 7+ years of work experience in higher education, policy, or related job discipline.

• Knowledge and skills developed through 10 years of work experience in a position focused on STEM education, workforce development, and institutional partnerships strongly preferred.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Advanced skill using Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Excel) and Adobe Acrobat.

• Project management software skills.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong oral and written communication skills via phone, e-mail, videoconference, and in-person.

• Ability to prioritize work among competing deadlines.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• High level of professionalism, tactfulness, diplomacy.

• Work independently and as part of a team.

• Flexibility and adaptability to shifting priorities.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

• Cover Letter (preferred)

• References Contact Information (3) (preferred)

 

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.