Pay Range: Based on qualifications.

Department/Organization: 750401 - Alabama Transportation Institute

Normal Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm

Note to Applicants: The planned start date is August 1, 2022, but is negotiable. Only applicants currently legally eligible to work in the United States will be considered. This is an open, national, and rolling search. Review of applications will begin immediately as they are received. Candidates meeting all the required qualifications may be contacted immediately for inquiry and an interview. It is possible that a preferred candidate may be selected as other applications are still being received. Therefore, the most serious and qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible. To receive the fullest and timely consideration, applications should be submitted prior to May 31, 2022; however, the position will remain open until filled. Applications submitted after May 31, 2022, will be reviewed and considered if the position remains unfilled. Application materials should include: 1) a full and updated resume, 2) cover letter summarizing the interest in the position and how the minimum qualifications and any preferred qualifications are met, and 3) a list of four references with full contact information. However, references will only be contacted after written consent of the candidate.

Job Summary: The Senior Research Professional must present documented evidence of an established national or international reputation within the scope of their assigned duties. Documented evidence should include success in pursuing external funding as principle investigator and/or Co-PI or Co-I, leading or co-leading contribution to the dissemination of findings or knowledge, including, but not limited to, public access such as on-line and through exhibits, peer-reviewed reports and publications, and presentation at meetings.

Additional Department Summary: The University of Alabama seeks a visionary founding Executive Director for the Alabama Mobility and Power (AMP) Center. The AMP Center was launched with a major investment by the state of Alabama in July 2021, and approved by the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System in November 2021. The AMP Center was founded by a strong public/private partnership between The University of Alabama (UA), Alabama Power Company (APC) and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) to meet the needs of the booming electric vehicle market. The four major themes of the AMP Center include:

• Preparing the electric vehicle workforce;
• Driving collaborations between industry and UA;
• Creating innovations in electric vehicle R&D, including battery technology and manufacturing and use;
• Developing effective and sustainable vehicle charge infrastructure.

The Executive Director will report directly to the Executive Director of the Alabama Transportation Institute, under the Office for Research & Economic Development. Due to the wide scope of responsibilities, UA invites strong candidates with various backgrounds and experiences from academia, government, non-profit, and/or industry to apply. The Executive Director is a full-time, 12-month, administrative position. Depending on the background and experience of the selected individual, the Executive Director may either be a Senior Research Professional (staff position) or a faculty member with either adjunct or tenured status in an appropriate academic department at UA.

UA, having doubled in size since 2002, is the nation’s fastest-growing flagship university. UA currently enrolls approximately 38,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, and now attracts more than half of its students from out-of-state. In December 2018, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated UA as a Very High Research Activity Doctoral University, formerly called “R1.” This designation is assigned to the nation’s highest level of research activity for institutions that grant doctoral degrees, and places UA among the most elite, public or private, research universities in the United States. The Carnegie designation followed almost a decade of unprecedented investment in the campus and in new faculty. Since taking the helm in July 2015, UA President, Stuart R. Bell, has overseen a $1.16 billion investment in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, and the recruitment of over 150 new research-intensive faculty. As part of the Peter Bryce Campus acquisition, the University also has significant land and facility holdings available for allocation to the research mission, including the signature Alabama Research Institutes focused on transportation, water, life research and cyber. The AMP Center will be housed in a new state-of-the-art Smart Communities and Innovation Building to be opened in late 2023.

UA’s research enterprise has been surging higher for eight consecutive years. For the five-year period from 2014 to 2018, total sponsored awards grew by 85%. In the last three fiscal years (2019-2021), total sponsored awards increased by another 73%. This growth rate strengthens UA’s position as one of the fastest growing in the Southeastern Conference and in the top ten for all 137 R1 institutions.

Strategic Plan for the Alabama Mobility and Power Center

With Alabama’s engagement in the automotive industry, including Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, there is a substantial automotive industrial ecosystem within the state, and a corresponding commitment to e-mobility. Alabama is the number three auto exporting state in the country, and exports of Alabama-made vehicles and parts totaled $7.5 billion in 2018. With this level of commitment, there is substantial potential for success in manufacturing, distribution and deployment of electric vehicles and infrastructure. Alabama has the potential to be among the nation’s leaders in e-mobility – if we have an adequately skilled workforce and a commitment to leadership in electric vehicle and corresponding power grid technologies.
The AMP Center will position UA to play a critical role in supporting both private and government investment in new battery technologies and secure an efficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the state of Alabama. In a joint effort, UA, APC, and MBUSI have developed and structured the AMP Center with the following core research topics: (1) Cell Chemistry and Materials, (2) Battery Systems and Pack Management, (3) Cell, Pack, and Electric Vehicle Manufacturing, and (4) Grid Integration and Operation with Electric Vehicles and Repurposed Battery Packs. Additionally, the AMP Center will incorporate interdisciplinary research in e-mobility areas such as cybersecurity, economic feasibility, environmental impact and system optimization.

Eventually, the AMP Center will consist of multiple faculty chairs, one for each of the above topics, with the Executive Director as the leader. The AMP Center will be part of the Alabama Transportation Institute, an umbrella organization, consisting of a set of core facilities and research centers and institutes. The AMP Center will be expected to work with centers and laboratories including the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies, Center for Advanced Public Safety, Transportation Policy Research Center, Center for Business and Economic Research, Center for Transportation Operations Planning and Safety, and several others.

The AMP Center will be expected to collaborate across the University, as well as with other academic institutions, industry, state and federal governmental agencies, and private foundations. In particular, the following collaborative and cross-functional topics have been identified as important for the center’s holistic education and research mission, (a) Education and workforce development, (b) Integration of power grid and transportation system level planning and operational optimization of electric vehicles on road networks, and (c) Economic feasibility and environmental impact for cell materials, pack manufacturing, and second life usage of electric vehicle battery packs.

The AMP Center Executive Director will have the following responsibilities:

• Implement a vision for electric vehicle research and education including basic cell materials and chemistry, battery pack management, manufacturing, and integration of electric vehicles into the power grid.
• Work closely with existing centers affiliated with the Alabama Transportation Institute and external stakeholders to support collaborative proposal development and project management for large team efforts.
• Provide effective leadership over the full range of disciplines represented by the AMP Center.
• Foster and support high quality research and scholarly activities within the AMP Center by ensuring a stimulating, collegial, and well-managed environment.
• Manage resources effectively to move the AMP Center towards self-sustainability.
• Assess gaps and meet the need for common resources and facilities of AMP-affiliated faculty.
• Establish and grow a national AMP Consortium.
• Develop the national and international profile for the AMP Center.

Required Minimum Qualifications: A relevant post-Baccalaureate degree (Master’s degree or higher) with evidence of an established national or international reputation is required. For candidates demonstrating exceptional comparable independent research productivity, a relevant four-year undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.) and fifteen (15) or more years of relevant experience may be substituted. May require terminal degree and licensure.

Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications: Required Qualifications of the Executive Director

• Evidence of a firm understanding of the full range of disciplines represented by the AMP Center.
• A degree in a relevant discipline with particular expertise in topics related to electric vehicle charging and power grid integration.
• Prior and relevant experience working in a research-intensive academic, industrial or government setting, and experience leading successful cross-disciplinary research teams, as evidenced nationally and, preferably, internationally.
• Prior experience establishing and growing public/private partnerships.
• Understanding of the priorities, operation, and strategies of securing externally-funded grants and contracts to support research.
• History of successful and effective staff management and professional development efforts.

Preferred Qualifications: Preferred Qualifications of the Executive Director

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have one or more of the following:

• Strong academic record and eligibility for the rank of Full Professor in an appropriate academic department at UA.
• A PhD in a scientific discipline relevant to the AMP Center with at least 10 years of prior experience, or a MS degree with at least 15 years of prior experience.
• Experience in battery cell R&D and battery pack control and management.
• Successful and sustained record of achieving high levels of research-based funding as a Principal Investigator on projects with multiple faculty investigators.
• Existing externally funded research in areas of science represented by the AMP Center and the desire to maintain funding while serving in the Executive Director position.
• Experience developing and leading successful partnerships at other academic institutions, industry, state and federal governmental agencies, and foundations.

Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, genetic or family medical history information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" Poster

l bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" Poster