U-M Maritime Institute Research Area Specialist Lead

At Michigan Engineering, we develop the talent and technologies that move society forward and serve our state and national interests. Through discovery and innovation, we create the foundational knowledge and practical technologies to solve not only today's most pressing challenges, but also power industries and change lives. Our programs and community are designed to promote personal well-being and achievement - enabling everyone to unlock their potential and contribute with confidence.

The Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was started in 1879 with an act of Congress authorizing a Navy officer to teach "steam engineering and iron shipbuilding." Since this modest beginning, NAME has grown into a worldwide leader in education and research, with 25 faculty members and 11 staff members, serving our undergraduate and graduate students and a network of some 3,000 living alumni.

Our department continues to develop engineers and technology to advance the state-of-the-art systems operating in the marine environment. The department's students and faculty engage in a wide range of research, with specialists working in hydrodynamics, marine and offshore structures dynamics, control, and marine system integration, robotics and autonomy, yacht design, production, and management, marine renewable energy, and structural and hydro-acoustics.

The Department has access to outstanding computational resources and the experimental facilities of the Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory, including its large physical modeling basin, which is a vital resource.

The U-M Maritime Institute Research Area Specialist Lead is responsible for leading and supporting interdisciplinary maritime research, applied studies, and University of Michigan (U-M) Maritime Institute-sponsored project activities, with an administrative home in the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. The U-M Maritime Institute is being established through a five-year Strategic Initiative Fund award to position U-M as the national leader driving America's maritime revitalization through maritime innovation, technology development at speed and scale, and holistic workforce development.

Working in coordination with the Institute Directors, affiliated faculty, students, Institute staff, and external partners, this role serves as a senior individual contributor and project lead for Institute-supported research projects and shorter-term studies addressing priority maritime topics, including maritime policy, ship production and the marine supply chain, marine technology and integration, and maritime education and workforce development. Activities include defining research questions and methods;

coordinating analysis and research personnel; preparing reports, publications, briefings, and other research products; managing project work plans, budgets, and resources; supporting proposal development; and communicating findings to academic, industry, government, and public audiences.

The Research Area Specialist Lead should analyze, compare, and evaluate alternative actions; make independent decisions within assigned responsibilities; and consult with the Institute Directors on significant research, financial, personnel, partnership, and strategic matters. This is a five-year internal U-M-funded position with funding through 2031 and the possibility of renewal that year.

• Lead and support interdisciplinary maritime research projects, applied analyses, technical studies, and consulting-like engagements sponsored or administered by the Maritime Institute.
• In coordination with Institute Directors and faculty leads, define research…