A. JAMES CLARK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK

ASSISTANT DEAN FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS 

This position is the top development job for one of the nation’s leading engineering programs. Ranked 16^th by U.S. News and World Report, the Clark School’s reputation has soared in recent years—the result of the breadth and strength of seven academic and three major units, innovative undergraduate educational programs, world-class research programs and a comprehensive approach in working with the business sector.  

Nariman Favardin, Dean of the School, has established goals and put strategic plans in place that will support the school’s momentum and improve its standing in several critical areas. In short, the Clark School of Engineering is “on the move.”

We believe some of the attractions of this position are:  

·         Opportunity to work at a high level with the Dean, department chairs and faculty, and Board of Visitors of the Clark School to promote the interests of engineering and technological innovation to national corporate and business executives, state leadership, and the people of the State of Maryland. 

·         Lead a team of dedicated development professionals who are well trained and enthusiastic about their roles in promoting the Clark School. 

·         The Clark School has a collegial administrative group and a dedicated and loyal faculty. Excellent recruits in faculty and students. Quality of people is high. 

·         The links to the Greater Washington Business Community and the Federal Government create dynamic interactions for faculty and staff at the Clark School. The geographical area is also very pleasant for quality of life. 

·         A new research park being built on the campus creates many opportunities for strengthening relationships between Engineering faculty and the business community.  

The Position 

Reports to the Dean of the School, in parallel with the Assistant Dean for Communications, with a dotted line to the Vice President for University Relations.  

Will design and implement a comprehensive and vigorous development, communications, alumni relations, and corporate relations program to promote the School’s strategic initiatives.  

Manage an office that includes five major gifts, alumni relations, and communications staff, plus student assistants. Work on a peer level with the Assistant Dean for Communications for the School. 

Manage a portfolio of 75-100 major and principal gift prospects, including members of the Engineering Board of Visitors.  

Provide leadership for the Engineering portion of a university-wide capital campaign. 

Qualifications

 The Ideal Candidate Should Have:

·         A Bachelor’s degree.  This is required.

·         Seven to ten years of relevant experience.  This is desirable. 

·         A thorough knowledge of development and demonstrated success as a major gift fundraiser; 

·         Strong interpersonal and communications skills and the ability to work effectively with academic administrators, faculty, corporate executives, engineers, volunteers, etc; 

·         An understanding of higher education and a commitment to the values and role of a public research university;

·         Strong personnel management skills; 

·         Experience in program management, including budget oversight, data analysis and event management; 

·         Experience in corporate relations and public relations, and 

·         An ability to work collaboratively with representatives of other university departments and a multi-faceted University Relations program.

The Ideal Candidate Should Be:

·         Interested and enthusiastic about science and engineering and articulate about the role that technological innovation plays in improving quality of life.d 

·         Entrepreneurial yet able to work within a large university bureaucracy and not get bogged down by it. Able to form linkages and forge relationships with corporate interests

Critical Issues 

·         There is a good deal of work to be done to cultivate prospects for the Clark School and develop them into a philanthropic base for the School. 

·         Use existing resources creatively to accomplish the work. Staff may be increased and more money will become available with the success of the fundraising programs. 

·         The Clark School will play a central role in raising funds in a University-wide capital campaign.

Additional Information 

The president, C. D. (Dan) Mote, comes from the leading public university, the University of California at Berkeley, and is committed to increasing Maryland’s standings in all areas. His broad experience and successful tenure at UC Berkeley is his greatest asset for leading the University of Maryland. Prior to assuming the Presidency at Maryland in 1998, Dr. Mote served on the University of California, Berkeley faculty for 31 years. From 1991 to 1998, he was Vice Chancellor and held an endowed chair in Mechanical Systems and was President of the UC Berkeley Foundation. He led a comprehensive capital campaign that raised $1.4 B. He earlier served as chair of the department of Mechanical Engineering and led the department to its number one ranking in the National Research Council review of graduate program effectiveness.

College Park is the flagship campus in the University of Maryland System.  It is one of the nation’s premier public research universities.  Founded in 1856, the University is strategically located 9 miles from Washington and 30 miles from Baltimore.  The University is one of only 62 institutions with membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.  Sixty-five University programs are ranked in the top 25 nationally and 50 programs are ranked in the top 15.

For more information about the University of Maryland, visit http://www.umd.edu .

Candidates and sources, please communicate with:
Bob Sellery or Katie Wilson, Robert Sellery Associates, Ltd.
1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., 10th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Email: wilson@sellery.com  or sellery@sellery.com
FAX 202.333.1167 or 202.772.3101
Telephone: 202.331.0090
All inquiries will be kept in strict confidence.

ROBERT SELLERY ASSOCIATES, LTD.
1050 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W. , 10TH FLOOR     WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036     202.331.0090
sellery@sellery.com