Career Center

Requisition Number: S_260329

Department: NE Manufacturing Exten Partnership-9028

Description of Work:

• Engage manufacturing owners, CEOs, and presidents through direct outreach to identify business needs and demonstrate the return on investment of operational and strategic improvements.
• Assess complex strategic, operational, managerial, and technical challenges within manufacturing companies and develop solutions to improve business performance. · Develop and present client proposals, negotiate scope and fees, and coordinate service delivery with University partners and service providers.
• Manage client relationships, revenue development pipeline, and fee-for-service projects and awarded grants.
• Serve as a statewide manufacturing industry expert and maintain partnerships with businesses, economic development organizations, state agencies, and industry associations.
• Lead workshops, events, and training sessions on manufacturing best practices, industry trends, and business improvement strategies.
• Develop strategies, programs, and service offerings to improve the performance and growth of the manufacturing sector across the state.
• Build partnerships and lead collaborative teams of University staff, partners, and industry professionals to deliver solutions to manufacturers.
• Mentor staff and support project managers and specialists to ensure successful service delivery and client outcomes.

• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, parental leave, and holidays
• Comprehensive insurance options including medical, dental, vision, and life coverage
• Employee and dependent scholarship programs to pursue higher education
• Retirement plans with university match

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Associate's degree in engineering, manufacturing/industrial technology, business/management, supply chain/operations, or a closely related field plus five (5) years of experience in one or more of the following within a manufacturing context:
  • Manufacturing support, leadership or consulting, continuous improvement, advanced manufacturing, quality/lean, technology adoption or implementation experience or manufacturing business development or account management.

• Demonstrated ability to diagnose multidisciplinary problems (strategy, operations, technical) and translate findings into data driven recommendations and ROI/impact cases.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to engage owners/executive leadership, present proposals, and negotiate statements of work.
• Ability to track record leading across functional teams.
• Valid driver's license with ability to meet University driver eligibility requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Eight (8) years progressive experience in manufacturing strategy/operations (e.g., lean/continuous improvement, quality systems, advanced automation, Industry 4.0/IIoT, supply chain, workforce, or commercialization).
• Specialized experience in one or more of the following relevant manufacturing domains:
  • Growth & Market Expansion (marketing strategy, digital marketing, government contraction, exporting),
  • Leadership & Business Systems (strategy, supply chain, organizational culture, management systems),
  • Productivity & Operational Excellence (lean/continuous improvement, quality systems, process improvement), or
  • Technology & Innovation (Industry 4.0, automation, engineering, testing).

• Experience owning a CRM (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics) to build/maintain a revenue development pipeline, drive follow-ups, and report of KPIs.
• Experience with grant funded projects, university partnerships, applied research environments, or collaborative extension/outreach models.

Posted Salary: $89,800/year minimum

Job Type: Full-Time

About University of Nebraska Lincoln

With over 25,000 students, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a diverse educational insitution with international stature. The intellectual center for the state of Nebraska and beyond, we are a land-grant, top tier national research-extensive insitution. Part of the Big Ten conference, Big Ten Academic Alliance, our mission includes growing relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives.

Connections working at University of Nebraska Lincoln