Director of the Advanced Composites Center (ACC)
Position Overview
Organization: Bioengineering (COE)
Title: Director of the Advanced Composites Center (ACC)
Position Details
Position Description
The University of Washington invites applications for the position of Director of the Advanced Composites Center. This will be an internal search for candidates from within the University of Washington.
Position:
The Advanced Composites Center (ACC) vision is to build a robust innovation ecosystem for industry and academia to advance the field of composites manufacturing. ACC leverages advances in data-driven methods and machine learning for developing high-rate, cost-efficient composite manufacturing methods, reducing the environmental footprint of the aerospace industry and training the workforce of the future.
The ACC was founded in 2021 with support from the William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the College of Engineering to transform fundamental research into practice by leveraging industrial partnerships, and to feed back successful technology into workforce education and training.
As a leader and national magnet for design, manufacturing, evaluation and certification of novel energy-efficient lightweight composite systems, the ACC’s outcomes will include research, workforce development, educational outreach, professional technical training, and commercialization.
The ACC will catalyze translational research by bringing together faculty teams from across the college and university, such as Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics & Astronautics , Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, the eScience Institute, the Boeing Advanced Research Center (BARC), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funded Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials in Transport Aircraft Structures (AMTAS).
The ACC will also promote educational programs for both undergraduate and graduate students; grow new partnerships with industry, other universities, and community colleges; and foster an aerospace innovation ecosystem in the state of Washington. ACC facility equipment, such as an automated fiber placement (AFP) system that is currently in a UW Sandpoint facility building, will be available as a cost center for other UW and external users.
The Advanced Composite Center (ACC) Director will report to the ACC Administrative Oversight Committee (AOC), comprised of the Dean of the College of Engineering or the Dean’s designee, as well as the Chairs of the William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. The Director will be primarily responsible for administering programs in the ACC, with oversight by the AOC, which makes decisions on major administrative, operational, and financial initiatives. The CoE Dean or the Dean’s designee will act as the lead in scheduling meetings and setting agendas for the AOC. The ACC Director will work with the CoE Dean to determine the level of college support in areas such as administrative support, facilities management, finances, HR, etc.
The Director is expected to lead an interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, and students to develop the vision and mission for the ACC, including a sustainable fiscal plan. The Director will have control of all facilities assigned to the ACC. Our expectations are that the successful candidate will lead the efforts to leverage ACC and UW strengths and make a substantial impact on areas of strategic interest to UW such as new materials, manufacturing, and workforce development.
Qualifications
Candidate:
The University of Washington Advanced Composites Center (ACC) seeks a full-time Professor to serve as Director effective September 1, 2022. This position will be expected to provide leadership and foster excellence in education, research and service, building upon existing strengths in the ACC Institute. The successful candidate will be expected to fulfill a strategic vision in working with faculty, staff, administration, and students from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and academic backgrounds.
The ACC Director will be appointed by the Dean of Engineering with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2022. All UW faculty engage in teaching, research and service. We value diversity, and view diversity as integral to our ability to foster a welcoming, respectful environment and promote access, opportunity and equity for all.
Qualifications:
Successful candidates must possess a PhD or foreign equivalent, in an engineering discipline or a field related to composites manufacturing. Competitive candidates should possess outstanding leadership and communication skills, and a track record of fostering and supporting excellence in teaching, research and service.
Instructions
Applicants should submit their CV and a cover letter addressing their accomplishments and vision for the future of the ACC Institute highlighting demonstrated excellence and commitment in research, education, service, diversity, fundraising/advancement and administrative leadership. These two documents may be uploaded directly via the Search Committee Interfolio site.
Confidential review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For best consideration, all documents should be submitted by May 31, 2022. Additional information may be requested from finalists as the search process progresses.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.
Commitment to Diversity
The University of Washington is committed to building diversity among its faculty, librarian, staff, and student communities, and articulates that commitment in the UW Diversity Blueprint (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/diversity-blueprint/). Additionally, the University’s Faculty Code recognizes faculty efforts in research, teaching and/or service that address diversity and equal opportunity as important contributions to a faculty member’s academic profile and responsibilities (https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/FCG/FCCH24.html#2432).
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements and Information
Under Washington State Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.1, University of Washington (UW) workers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof thereof, or receive a UW-approved medical or religious exemption. This requirement will be a condition of any offer associated with this recruitment. For more information, please visit https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/vaccination-requirement/.