Careers at Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), one of seven research institutes created by Virginia Tech to address global challenges, is a world-leading transportation institute that works with public and private partners to answer impactful research questions that drive the future of transportation. VTTI research spans the breadth of transportation dimensions from pedestrians to heavy vehicles, user interfaces to automation, digital to physical infrastructure, driver behavior to crash causation, and policy to technology development. VTTI’s vision aspires to a future with “Safe, Effective Mobility” - three words meant to be our North Star toward improving the human condition.

Reporting directly to VTTI’s Executive Director, the Director of the Division of Freight, Transit, & Heavy Vehicle Safety (DHVY) at VTTI is a critical senior leadership role that directly impacts VTTI’s mission of “saving lives, enhancing efficiency, and protecting the environment to improve transportation through research and development, education, and helping implement solutions”. With responsibility for managing approximately 25% of VTTI’s research portfolio, the Director of DHVY will lead a team that solves complex and impactful heavy-vehicle challenges through deployment, testing, analysis, education and outreach. With a long history of establishing key partnerships across a variety of industry and government stakeholders, DHVY conducts innovative research-based initiatives that translate research findings into actionable countermeasures – most recently with a strong focus on cutting-edge driver assistance, supply chain, and automated truck and bus technologies.

Major Responsibilities as Director of DHVY:
• Drive the strategic direction of the division, providing leadership and specialized research and development expertise across all DHVY programs
• Acquire and maintain a diversified work package sufficient to sustain the division’s resources
• Contribute to the strategic direction of VTTI and align a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and support staff within DHVY to that strategy.
• Provide leadership, technical direction, and mentorship to DHVY team members
• Establish systems and processes that assure efficient, rigorous, compliant, high-quality, and cost-effective research practices that result in quality deliverables and services while remaining on time and on budget
• Coordinate resources and activities and advise VTTI’s Executive Leadership Team to ensure the continued success and maximum positive impact of VTTI’s research endeavors

About Virginia Tech and VTTI:
See more about what it’s like to work at VTTI by watching this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj4VWviw5JA

Location and Campus
• Virginia Tech’s 2,600-acre main campus is nestled in the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Blacksburg, Roanoke, and the New River Valley offer the charm of small towns combined with the modern conveniences of a metropolitan area. The area boasts a plethora of unique and chain restaurants and stores, symphonies, theatres, historical attractions, museums, a vibrant night life, sporting events, outdoor recreation activities, and a temperate climate.

- PhD in engineering, supply chain logistics, psychology, public policy, or another related field. May consider an advanced degree with significant related experience.
- Demonstrated leadership experience with a willingness to work in a fast-paced, flexible research environment and a demonstrated aptitude for conducting research and business administration.
- Proven record of leading large-scale transportation-related initiatives and solving complex problems through the application of advanced research and development techniques.
- Ability to accurately assess key business metrics and situations from a senior leader perspective to drive improvement and strategy.
- Possess a positive, sustained impact in complex environments, where collaboration and influence management are critical to success.
- Highly strategic and creative thinker with the ability to ensure effective implementation.
- Impactful communicator, from one-on-one conversations to high-profile presentations.
- Possess strong analytical skills, ethics and integrity, and organization skills.
- Ability to work independently and with multidisciplinary teams to advance cutting-edge research with the ability to obtain, plan, develop, coordinate, and direct large (greater than $5M) and small-scale research projects from research conceptualization, proposal development, research execution, resource acquisition, logistics, strategic planning, policy interpretation, and documentation
- Develop and execute effective strategies to nurture sponsor partnerships and foster new relationships to expand the diversified research portfolio capable of supporting DHVY business operations and resources.
- Work effectively as part of a collaborative leadership team characterized by trust, open communication, and shared goals

- Demonstrated leadership experience in transportation safety, automotive engineering, or supply chain transportation logistics
- Previous experience in heavy-vehicle related research
- Experience working with operators of commercial trucks or buses
- Previous experience with an academic environment, with an understanding of the roles and relationships of faculty, staff and students, and the diverse needs for operational support
- Experience leading business development efforts resulting in new lines of funding

Appointment Type

Regular

Commensurate with experience, starting at $180,000

08/23/2024

Learn more about working at VTTI (https://www.vtti.vt.edu/) and Virginia Tech (https://www.vt.edu/; https://www.hr.vt.edu/onboarding.html)

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.