Director, Industry Relations

Department:	Electrical and Computer Engineering	Effective Date:	June 2006
Grade:	USG 12	Reports to:	Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering

General Accountability

This position reports directly to the Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering (E&CE). The DIR serves as the portal to Waterloo’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for industrial contacts as well as for external and internal communications.

The purpose of this position is twofold: 1) To broaden the relationship between industry and E&CE and to foster meaningful interactions between industry and the department that will lead to collaborative research projects, research chairs, cooperative education links and graduate recruitment opportunities; 2) To raise the profile of the Department by planning and implementing a wide range of marketing and communications initiatives.

Residing in E&CE, the DIR will establish excellent working relationships with the Engineering Office of Research and External Partnerships, the Engineering Communications Team, the Nanotechnology, Mechatronics, and Software Engineering undergraduate programs’ Directors, and with the University’s Co-operative Education and Career Services Office and Office of Research. The DIR will be responsible for working closely with Engineering’s Associate Dean for Research and External Partnerships, the Engineering’s Advancement Director, and the Engineering’s Director of Planning and Communications for information and resource sharing.

This position requires professional expertise in sourcing, researching, and analyzing corporate mandates to assess the company’s suitability as a research partner and in planning and implementing communications strategies and vehicles to effectively promote the Department. Working in a collaborative team environment, the DIR will work closely with E&CE faculty members, other staff in E&CE, the Faculty, and with the campus community (senior administrators, deans, college heads, faculty, staff, and students). This position requires proactive leadership skills and outstanding communications and interpersonal skills. The overall objectives are to establish long-term, mutually beneficial relationships between E&CE, industry, and government to stimulate collaborative research activities and to raise the profile of the Department through planned, effective communications strategies.

Nature and Scope

The primary purpose of this position is to attract and secure corporate, government and industry commitments and to facilitate reciprocal partnerships between these groups and the E&CE faculty, staff, and students. The position is also responsible for raising the profile of the E&CE Department through integrated marketing and communications strategies.

Develops and implements an ongoing strategy for the identification, prospecting and stewardship of external partners that will lead to research and educational collaborations in collaboration with the E&CE Chair.
Recruits professors and students to meet with corporations, government and industry.
Maintains relationships with corporations, government and industry through campus visits, invitation to special events & announcements, information exchanges.
Supports Departmental Initiatives (e.g. proposals to senate, CFI…).
Help drafting contracts, agreements and MOU’s, etc…
Implements and manages a contact management database system.
Supports and promotes the work of Faculty-wide interdisciplinary research centres that have high E&CE participation.
Coordinates campus visits, workshops, and other events to provide industry and government opportunities to connect with E&CE researchers and research groups.
Organizes and coordinates the University’s presence at events related to E&CE.
Coordinates and delivers as needed, presentations to corporations, government and industry.
Assist in responding to inquiries, from corporations, government and industry about the E&CE Department and its undergraduate and graduate programs.
Develops and maintains a good working knowledge of E&CE activities, priorities and needs, in both teaching and research.
Provides functional direction to staff involved in these activities, where applicable.
Actively participates in monthly Departmental meetings.
Works with the Department chair, other faculty and staff in E&CE, and the Engineering communications team to develop, implement, and evaluate a strategic marketing and communications plan that effectively meets the Department’s goals.
Ensures the effective integration of academic and communications planning to best advance the Department among its many constituencies.
Plans and implements effective internal and external communications strategies and tactics/vehicles, both print and electronic, to raise E&CE’s profile
Ensures an effective and dynamic web presence for the Department, determining content and navigation, in collaboration with others as needed, and researching and developing content as necessary.
Works with the Engineering communications team to review and comment on the Department’s representation in Faculty communications vehicles
Produces and edits Departmental publications and communications vehicles, targeted to the Department’s various internal and external constituencies
Participates in monthly Engineering communications team meetings for information and resource sharing across the Faculty.

General: Complexity, Judgment and Planning

Works with the Chair of E&CE, the Engineering Advancement Director, and the Associate Dean of Research and External Partnerships to ensure that industrial and government relationships are optimized for the Department.

Works with the Chair of E&CE and the Director of Planning and Communications to ensure that E&CE communications materials are targeted and consistent with Faculty messaging.

Provides advice to the Chair and on an as-needed basis to the Associate Dean of Research and External Partnerships, the Engineering Advancement Director and the Director of Planning and Communications on issues related to E&CE.

Develops a strong working knowledge of the Department, Faculty, Research Office, research contract process and Intellectual Property policies of the University in order to facilitate the engagement of corporations, associations and governments.

Significant Internal and External Relationships

Significant Internal Relationships

E&CE Department Chair
E&CE faculty members
Associate Dean, Research and External Partnerships, Engineering
Engineering Advancement Director
Director, Planning and Communications, Engineering
Office of Research
Technology Transfer and Licensing Officer
Manager Business Development of the R&T Park
Communications and Public Affairs

Significant External Relationships

Companies involved in electrical and computer engineering
Provincial and Federal Government
Industry Associations
Research partners
Other Canadian Universities

Statistical Data

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is the largest department in the University of Waterloo with 70 faculty members and 306 graduate students. In addition, 420 undergraduate students are admitted each September. There is 19 secretarial/administrative staff as well as 25 technical support staff. The department is in a recruiting phase and will be recruiting approximately 24 faculties over the next 5 years and expects to have more than 450 graduate students in the same time frame. The department offers 2 undergraduate degree programs, one in Electrical Engineering, and one in Computer Engineering. The Software Engineering undergraduate program is offered jointly with the School of Computer Science. The Mechatronics Engineering undergraduate program is offered in conjunction with Mechanical Engineering and Systems Design Engineering, and the Nanotechnology Engineering undergraduate program is offered in conjunction with Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. At the graduate level, the Department has already 11% of all the graduate students of the University.

The operating budget for the department is above $11 million. Faculty members of the department generated above $10 million in 2004-05 that supported research by professors and graduate students at the frontiers of the electrical and computer engineering sciences. five faculty members hold NSERC/Industry Research Chairs, and four have been appointed to Canada Research Chairs. Faculty members hold grants from a variety of funding agencies including NSERC, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, National Networks of Centres of Excellence, and Ontario Centres of Excellence.