Director, Western Transportation Institute

Director, Western Transportation Institute

Montana State University

Position
Information

To apply, visit https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/50352

Announcement Number:
STAFF – VA –
26279

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Lee Spangler, Interim Director of
WTI
spangler@montana.edu
406-994-7527
Classification Title: Managing Director

Working Title: Director, Western Transportation Institute

Brief
Position Overview

Montana State University (MSU) is seeking an innovative and energetic research leader to serve as the Director
of the Western Transportation Institute (WTI).

The Director provides guidance, management and oversight to all aspects of a large,
nationally recognized research center and contributes to Montana State University’s land grant mission of teaching, research and service.
The successful candidate will have a passion for and experience in advancing transportation research, attracting and managing new research
funding, working collaboratively with state transportation departments and federal agencies, and preparing the next generation of
transportation professionals. The position requires exceptional strategic vision, multidisciplinary knowledge, and collaborative leadership
skills to continue WTI’s growth, integration with MSU’s academic departments, including the Department of Civil Engineering, and
collaboration with the Montana Department of Transportation. This position is a full-time administrative and research role.

Position Number: 4C0738

Department: Western Transportation Institute

Division: Office of
Research and
Economic Development

Appointment Type: Professional

Contract Term: Fiscal
Year

Semester:

If other, specify From date:

If other, specify End date:

FLSA:
Exempt

Union Affiliation:
Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE: 1.0

Benefits Eligible:
Eligible

Salary: $160,000
annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type:
LOA

If other, please specify:

Recruitment Type: Open

Position Details

General
Statement

The Western Transportation
Institute (WTI) was founded in 1994 by the Montana and California Departments of
Transportation and Montana State University, with the goal
of spearheading applied research to solve the real-world transportation
challenges in rural America. WTI currently has a staff of 20
professionals and averages approximately $5 million in annual research
expenditures.

WTI’s research investigates and integrates key
topics in rural transportation, including safety, mobility,
infrastructure, sustainability, and winter maintenance. Research is complemented
by technology transfer initiatives focused on practical
guidance and deployment assistance, and educational initiatives that offer
experiential learning to students.

WTI has twice been
designated as a National University Transportation Center (UTC) under the U.S.
Department of Transportation (USDOT) since 1998 and has also
twice been awarded Tier I UTCs. Current large programs include two USDOT ‘Safe
Streets and Roads for All’ awards and a Consolidated Rail
Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program at approximately $4.7M, $5M and
$6M, respectively. WTI also leads the Montana Local Technical
Assistance Program (LTAP), serves as a member of a regional Tribal Technical
Assistance Program (TTAP), and leads the National Center for
Rural Road Safety, the Federal-Public Lands Transportation Institute, and the
West Region Transportation Workforce Center. Additionally, WTI
is a founding member of the Western States Rural Transportation Consortium
and one of the two Member Research Institutions for the
WSRTC.

WTI collaborates with federal, state, regional and local
transportation and related agencies, and has led projects in nearly
40 states across the U.S. and numerous other countries. WTI also
partners with other universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
and private agencies, and maintains a strong national and
international presence in the transportation research community, including
longstanding leadership roles in the National Academy of Sciences
Transportation Research Board (TRB). WTI also works closely with the
Montana Department of Transportation (MDT).

The successful
candidate will be responsible for integrating WTI activities with the
land grant mission of MSU, in the Department of Civil Engineering and
other MSU departments.

Duties and
Responsibilities

The Director of WTI will provide overall organizational leadership,
including facilitating and directly
engaging in the development and oversight of research programs, interdisciplinary centers, and
laboratories. The Director will also serve as
Principal Investigator on sponsored research.

Primary duties and responsibilities will
include:
Provide the strategic vision
and guidance to continue to advance WTI as a recognized center for rural transportation research
and education.
Attract and direct
externally funded projects to build a relevant, multidisciplinary, and impactful research
portfolio.
Engage and support a staff of
full-time and part-time professional researchers, jointly appointed researchers/faculty
members, affiliated faculty, and
administrative/communications staff members.
Partner with the Montana Department of Transportation to
help develop Montana’s
transportation research program as appropriate and ensure MSU’s research and outreach efforts address state
needs.
Lead outreach and
partnership development activities with off-campus collaborators, including federal, state, and local
governmental agencies; academic
institutions, NGOs, and private entities.
Stimulate national and international dialogue on rural
transportation issues by organizing
workshops and conferences, providing technical expertise for policy development, and serving as a
champion of enhanced rural
transportation.
Coordinate WTI management, services, and activities with MSU Administration (Vice President
of Research and Economic
Development, and other MSU administrators as appropriate, including the Norm Asbjornson College of
Engineering).
Provide oversight and
management of personnel, accounting and services, with a focus on excellence in service and research
products provided to sponsors and
partners, as well as effective and efficient stewardship of funding and resources.
Continue to develop
the Western Transportation
Institute into a world class center for transportation research and education.
Enrich relevant MSU academic
programs by adding advanced
transportation concepts and supervising student research.
Work with the Assistant Vice President for
Economic Development and Federal
Relations on federal appropriations and earmark requests.

Required Qualifications – Experience,
Education, Knowledge &
Skills

1. Progressive demonstrated leadership experience in a transportation-related field.
2.
Doctorate in transportation
related discipline or Master’s Degree with equivalent research and leadership experience.
3. Proven track
record of securing a diverse
mix of significant research funding and effectively managing large research portfolios.
4. Strong experience
developing and leading
innovative research projects, providing guidance and support to research led by others, and ensuring excellence in
research outcomes.
5.
Extensive knowledge of current and emerging topics in rural transportation, and the ability to develop integrated
approaches for in-depth,
comprehensive studies.
6. Strong collaboration skills to develop and retain partnerships with public agencies,
academic institutions,
research organizations, NGOs, and private entities. In particular, candidates with a record of building effective
partnerships with federal
and state transportation agencies and tribal entities are highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications –
Experience, Education,
Knowledge & Skills

1. Registration as a Professional Engineer, AICP-certified planner, and/or similar
professional/practitioner
experience in the transportation industry.
2. Experience leading or working with USDOT University
Transportation Centers or other
federal Centers of Excellence
3. Experience working with transportation professionals and agencies in
small urban, rural and/or tribal
areas.
4. Ability to recruit, inspire, coordinate, and support talented researchers and staff,
individually and in teams.
5.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with state transportation departments to advance transportation
research.

The Successful
Candidate Will

Demonstrated commitment to the research, teaching and outreach mission of WTI
and Montana State University.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to represent WTI at the state, federal, and
international level, as well as to articulate
and champion the issues of rural transportation.
An extensive network among professional
transportation practitioners and prominent
visibility in the national research community.
Proven institutional management skills and
exceptional ethical values.
Have an
appreciation of a broad range of constituencies and add intellectual diversity to the
department.

Position Special
Requirements/Additional Information

Must be able to travel as needed to meet with state
and national partners.

This job
description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or
requirements, but a general description of the
job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or
reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at
any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an
individual must be able to perform each essential
duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed
above are representative of the knowledge, skill,
and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties?: Yes

Posting Detail
Information

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: Upon completion of a successful
search

Position End Date (if temporary):

Open Date:

Close Date:

Applications will
be:

Review of applications will be on a continual basis and will continue until the position is filled.

Special
Instructions

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an
equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other
protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU
provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference,
please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Applicant
Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

To apply, visit https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/50352

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