Career Center

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

About Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a diverse learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to build a better world through business. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improve business and society.

About the Tauber Institute

The Tauber Institute works with world-class firms to develop top-tier graduate graduate business and engineering students into operations professionals — managers who are fluent in the underlying technology of their industry, yet want to apply their talents to the broader challenges of business — leaders who can guide their companies through the vast changes ahead and help them emerge the victor. The Tauber Institute's degree program "overlay" approach offers several advantages for both students and companies associated with Tauber. As a degree program add-on for students, Tauber addresses career preparation issues from both a curricular and hands-on perspective through the Institute's LeadershipAdvantage Program and Team Project experience to become highly sought-after operations professionals upon graduation.

For more information about the Tauber Institute for Global Operations, please visit our website.

About the College of Engineering

The University of Michigan College Of Engineering is one of the top engineering schools in the country. Eight academic departments are ranked in the nation's top 10 -- some twice for different programs. Its research budget is one of the largest of any public university. Its faculty and students are making a difference at the frontiers of fields as diverse as nanotechnology, sustainability, healthcare, national security and robotics. They are involved in spacecraft missions across the solar system, and have developed partnerships with automotive industry leaders to transform transportation. Its entrepreneurial culture encourages faculty and students alike to move their innovations beyond the laboratory and into the real world to benefit society. Its alumni base of nearly 70,000 spans the globe.

Purpose

The position of Assistant Director of Industry Relations  is crucial to the Institute's mission of acquiring operations-oriented team projects for Tauber students. You will oversee a large network of existing corporate relationships and develop new relationships with student-desired companies/industries to benefit the Institute, the Ross School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the University of Michigan.

Important elements of the Institute's goals involve training students in operations and leadership, including arranging 14-week projects for teams of Tauber graduate students. The last element is considered a capstone experience for our students and requires you to collaborate with companies to develop projects with business and engineering content. Challenging projects, exciting companies, and impressive team project results position the Institute to draw qualified candidates and sought-after project sponsors.

You will also secure $1+ million in operating funds for the Institute; your success (or failure) will open up the Institute's exposure to over $2 million. You will have the authority to create new financial models of interaction between industry and the University.

The Institute's interactions with industry have expanded beyond team projects; as the Assistant Director of Industry Relations, you will create opportunities/programs for expanded corporate connections with the Institute and its students, and facilitate multidisciplinary faculty research in operations. You will need creativity and bold ideas to develop these new forms of interactions.

In addition to directly overseeing a portion of student team projects, you will evaluate and initiate improvements to the team project process with input from staff, students, sponsors, and faculty advisors. The Assistant Director of Industry Relations will report to the Institute's directors and manage 1-3 FTEs.

You Will:

Team Project Solicitation

• With the Industry Director, manage the Team Project solicitation and selection process including initial project contact, guiding scoping discussions, reviewing student skillsets, and promoting project benefits.
• Accommodate all students in a cohort with a guaranteed team project assignment (historically in the range of 25-40 projects, depending on class size).
• Use financial incentives, if required, to secure enough projects every year, deviating from normal sponsorship.
• Evaluate all team project submissions and provide feedback to sponsors to ensure appropriate operations content and scope, relevance/interest to students, and quality and range of business and engineering content with nominal input from unit director and Co-Directors.
• Direct sponsors to determine the strategic importance of the project, identify expected deliverables, and identify executive backing within their organizations.

Team Project Oversight and Improvement

• Oversee project presentation process and ensure corporate sponsors are educated in how to most effectively present project content to students.
• Administer team project interview process to ensure project sponsors and students portray themselves in their best light. If necessary, intervene and offer counsel on how to improve.
• Manage the project matching process using a linear optimization algorithm to staff students on projects and ensure all students receive an internship offer from a team project sponsor.
• Ensure physical and virtual resources (e.g., guides, handouts) exist to supplement students, faculty, and sponsors' needs including team dynamics coaches, communications coaches, and librarians.
• Oversee work with the Office of Sponsored Research and Projects (ORSP) to complete the NDA process and bind the university in a project relationship with a sponsoring company.
• Directly oversee a subset of projects; travel to on-site project presentations to confirm projects are on track to provide high-level results to sponsor, that students are performing well, and that faculty is engaging with both students and sponsor companies.
• Establish processes to improve team project process for students, faculty, and sponsor companies.

Implement Activities to Support Industry Relations

• Coordinate with the Industry Director to represent the Institute to current and potential corporate partners. Guide partners on how to engage with the Institute above and beyond team project sponsorship (e.g., student recruitment, enrichment activities, speaking engagements, conference participation, etc)
• Promote faculty collaborations with industry partners including project advisement, faculty research, and publication of project results (e.g., case studies or white papers).
• Represent the organization to internal and external audiences in the absence of the Managing Director or Co-Directors.
• Manage Team Project Manager and one additional resource.

You Have:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or the sciences.
• You have 7 or more years of direct industry experience preferably in an operations, supply chain, or manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated team managerial skills
• Proficiency in working simultaneously on numerous projects
• 5+ years of experience working with a diverse group of people
• 5+ years of experience in strategic planning
• Contribute to a positive work community by approaching work with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind

Benefits:

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after one year of employment with immediate vesting
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Generous tuition benefits for employees and their dependents
• Dental and vision insurance
• Parental leave

Salary Information:
The general salary range for this position is $90,000 - $100,000. Candidates can expect to be paid a competitive and equitable salary. Factors used to determine salary include experience, knowledge and skills for the position. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.

Michigan Ross values a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to the development of diverse and culturally intelligent staff who thrive and contribute to a positive and inclusive environment.

The statements included in this description are intended to reflect the general nature and level of work assigned to this classification and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine.  This includes those working remotely.   More information on this new policy is available on the Campus Blueprint website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.