Defense Research Relationship Manager, Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors

Job Posting Title: Defense Research Relationship Manager, Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors ---- Hiring Department: Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA ---- Earliest Start Date: Immediately ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue ---- Location: AUSTIN, TX ---- Job Details: General Notes The mission of the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors (OVPR) is to foster the expansion of the scale, quality, and impact of scholarly endeavors at UT Austin. We are committed to building capacity, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and lowering the barriers and burden involved in scientific and creative inquiry through the development of an investigator-focused infrastructure that supports the needs of UT Austin's research enterprise. UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes: 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage Retirement contributions Paid vacation and sick time Paid holidays Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered. Purpose Assists the OVPR Research Development portfolio in increasing UT’s capacity for executing innovative research for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) by building and maintaining strategic research relationships both within and beyond the University. Responsibilities As a member of the OVPR Research Development (RD) team, reporting to the RD Officer, STEM Disciplines and Defense, focus on maintaining strategic research relationships with a special emphasis placed on DOD including, but not limited to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, and direct reporting units. Duties include facilitating connections between UT PIs and DOD representatives and hosting DOD representatives on site. Maintain a steady presence in key DOD research environments including research conferences and campus visits. Assist the Defense RD Officer in the development and execution of workshops that convene UT faculty with DOD program managers and officials around emerging research topics of mutual interest. Work cooperatively with other members of the OVPR Research Development team in pursuit of these objectives. Support the Defense RD Officer in liaising with other UT campus offices involved with DOD, including Government Affairs, Discovery to Impact, and others. Establish regular communication mechanisms with these partners and ensure that up-to-date information about research progress emerging from UT colleges and schools is being conveyed. Lead efforts to ensure that DOD campus visits include broad representation from these units. Assist the Defense RD Officer in furnishing research information relevant to Congressional funding requests. Oversee internal seed funding designed to promote collaborative research relationships between University college/school PIs and Applied Research Laboratories (ARL:UT) PIs. Develop calls for proposals and a vetted selection process, with support from OVPR Research Development team members. Provide backup support to OVPR Research Development Officers by contributing strategic insight and suggested edits to DOD proposals as requested. Contribute to the overall success of the OVPR Research Development team by performing other duties as assigned. Required Qualifications U.S. Citizenship is required for this role Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience in relationship management, stakeholder engagement, program/project management, business development, or a related field; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated success building and maintaining professional relationships across organizational boundaries, including connecting technical or research staff with external partners or sponsors. Working familiarity with the U.S. Department of Defense, including its organizations, culture, and how it funds and executes research. Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to represent the institution to senior external stakeholders as well as translate evolving DOD priorities and requirements to faculty. Demonstrated ability to manage and execute numerous parallel activities in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment. Willingness and ability to travel regularly and maintain a consistent on-site and field presence at conferences, sponsor sites, and campus events. Self-motivated to learn and share knowledge. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate Preferred Qualifications Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in a technical, scientific, business, or policy field. Direct experience within or alongside the DOD research and science & technology (S&T) ecosystem, such as service components, defense laboratories, program offices, or DOD-funded research. Demonstrated understanding of R1 research university culture and how faculty pursue and manage sponsored research. Experience developing and managing research projects for the DOD including proposals, budgets, quad charts and related documents. Familiarity with research-security and compliance frameworks relevant to defense work, including NIST 800-171 (CUI), ITAR, CMMC/DFARS, NSPM-33, and CHIPS and Science Act restrictions. Fluent in differences between DOD and academic culture. Ability to prioritize academic requirements and capabilities. Familiarity with DOD basic-research funding mechanisms such as DURIP, MURI, and early-career programs (YIP/YFA) Experience coordinating across internal offices such as government/legislative relations, industry engagement, or technology commercialization. Event, workshop, or convening planning experience in academia. Salary Range $110,000 + depending on qualifications Working Conditions May work around standard office conditions. Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. Use of manual dexterity Required Materials Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates being considered for the position. Resume/CV 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor Letter of interest Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes. Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above. ---- Employment Eligibility: Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval. ---- Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. ---- Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position. ---- Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. ---- Pay Transparency: The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. ---- Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university. ---- E-Verify: The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF] ---- Compliance: Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701. Start Here, Change the World At The University of Texas at Austin, tradition meets innovation in the heart of a city that frequents lists of the best places to live and work. Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers for the sixth year in a row in 2025, UT offers both a dynamic work environment and a gateway to vibrant local culture. Whether you're at the forefront of the student experience, conducting world-changing research or supporting the engine that drives Texas’ flagship university, working at UT means making a lasting impact on our city, our state and our world. Our more than 20,000 faculty and staff empower 55,000+ students to challenge ideas, pursue passions and shape their futures. Joining UT, you’ll become part of a community dedicated to making a meaningful impact on campus and throughout the world. 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