Description

The Office of Defense Engagement (ODE) is housed in the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). The mission of the ODE is to promote and coordinate research, scholarship and engagement on programs related to defense, national security, and internationalization of opportunities from the CSU campus.

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) has overall responsibility for promoting and facilitating the research enterprise at Colorado State University (CSU). The OVPR and its research enable the University, its faculty, staff, and students to be part of a world-class research institution complementing our learning, service, and outreach missions. The Office of the Vice President for Research leads the 21st Century Land-Grant mission of Colorado State University by fostering and supporting the research enterprise, promoting scholarship and artistry, and capitalizing on opportunities to address global challenges.

Founded in 1870, Colorado State University is among the nation’s leading research universities and enrolls approximately 32,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Located an hour north of the Denver metro area, Fort Collins is a vibrant community of approximately 157,000 residents that offers the convenience of a small town with all the amenities of a large city. Fort Collins is situated on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains with views of 14,000-foot peaks, and offers access to numerous cultural, recreational, and outdoor opportunities.

Position Summary: 

The Director of Defense Engagement will lead the Office of Defense Engagement, with responsibility to lead strategic efforts to expand the university’s research portfolio by cultivating and securing extramural funding from the Department of Defense (DoD), other national security agencies, and affiliated industry and non-profit organizations. As a specialized research development professional, the Director will work collaboratively with faculty, researchers, and leadership across disciplines to identify, pursue, and secure funding aligned with defense and national security priorities. The position requires a deep understanding of defense research landscapes, sponsor cultures, proposal processes, and emerging funding trends in national security sectors.

This role will serve as a critical bridge between the OVPR and external sponsors, developing strategic relationships, supporting interdisciplinary proposal development, and ensuring institutional readiness and competitiveness in securing awards. The Director will also provide training and resources to enhance the campus community’s engagement with defense sponsors.

The incumbent is a strategic research development professional with deep expertise in the defense and national security funding landscape. They serve as the OVPR’s primary liaison to the Department of Defense and related sponsors, building key relationships, identifying funding opportunities, and supporting faculty in the pursuit of competitive research awards. The incumbent plays a central role in expanding the university’s national security research portfolio.

The Director is responsible for building and maintaining Colorado State University’s extramurally funded support of U.S. defense and national security initiatives. These include themes related to national security across sectors including agriculture, climate change, cybersecurity, energy, environment, artificial intelligence, and health. The Director will lead an effort to bring the CSU research community together to contribute more comprehensively to national security related R&D, including growing the research portfolio, providing domain expertise to campus, drafting and executing a strategic plan, identifying challenges, opportunities, and innovative solutions to conducting national security-related research, and positioning CSU as a valued resource and thought leader for Federal and industry defense and security initiatives.

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, with 7 years’ relevant professional experience.
• Professional experience within a defense or national security–related federal research agency (e.g., DARPA, ONR, AFRL, ARL), such as serving in a scientific, technical, or program management role; or a track record in securing major funding from a defense or national security-related federally funded science agency.
• Demonstrated understanding of defense research structures, funding mechanisms (e.g., FOAs, BAAs, SBIR/STTR), and sponsor expectations.
• Existing professional network within the national security ecosystem.
• Experience using excellent communication and relationship-building skills with stakeholders, including senior academic leadership, faculty, and external agencies.
• Ability to travel regionally and nationally as needed.
• Evidence of superb management of interdisciplinary teams and complex partnership programs and resources.
• Ability to acquire secret level clearance and suitability for controlled and classified science and technology programs.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a defense-relevant discipline.
• Experience coordinating or managing large-scale interdisciplinary proposals or research programs.
• Familiarity with DoD contracting and compliance processes (e.g., DFARS, ITAR).
• Experience as a program officer or similar role within a defense or national security–related federal research agency (e.g., DARPA, ONR, AFRL, ARL)

Job Duties:

30% - Strategic Sponsor Engagement and Relationship Development

• Develop and maintain strong, proactive relationships with program managers, contracting officers, and decision-makers at DoD agencies, national security offices, defense industry partners, and relevant non-profits.
• Represent the OVPR at defense-related conferences, workshops, and strategic visits to Washington D.C., military installations, and defense labs.
• Identify and communicate institutional strengths that align with national security needs and emerging funding opportunities.
• Coordinate visits and briefings for defense sponsors and collaborators to campus.
• Work internally with senior leaders in the OVPR and across the colleges to identify opportunities for new programmatic impacts and funding related to national security.
• Work closely with the Research Acceleration Office in putting together appropriate interdisciplinary opportunities and connecting them to the required faculty, staff, or students.
• Where appropriate, partner with academic colleges and the Office of Extension and Engagement to support new training opportunities for next-generation experiential life-long learning that could include our active veteran’s population.

35% - Faculty Support and Proposal Development

• Proactively engage faculty to identify defense-relevant research capabilities and match them with current and anticipated sponsor priorities.
• Collaborate with faculty teams to develop competitive proposals, including early-stage ideation, teaming, strategy, and project design.
• Provide hands-on support with proposal development, including project management, editing, compliance coordination, and submission support.
• Foster formation of – and support – interdisciplinary research teams around major DoD initiatives.

20% - Campus Training, Outreach, and Capacity Building

• Design and lead workshops, seminars, and briefings on engaging with defense sponsors, writing for DoD programs, navigating DoD contracting processes, and understanding national security trends.
• Develop and disseminate guidance documents, funding opportunity digests, and sponsor-specific proposal templates.
• Serve as a mentor and resource for new faculty interested in pursuing defense funding.

5% - Strategic Planning and Reporting

• Collaborate with university leadership to develop and implement a strategic plan for defense engagement and the Office of Defense Engagement.
• Track metrics related to the Office of Defense Engagement, defense funding growth, engagement activities, and proposal success rates.
• Prepare internal reports, briefings, and presentations to inform leadership and support continuous improvement.

10% - Internal and External Coordination

• Partner with sponsored research offices, government relations, technology transfer, and research centers to ensure coordinated engagement and support for defense opportunities.
• Interface with consortia, academic alliances, and national labs to build external networks and partnerships.

All applicants must submit a resume and cover letter.

https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/165769