What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, Rehabilitation Research & Training Center position at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)?
Director, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC), School of Education Mission or Goal of Unit: VCU dates to 1838 with the formation of the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College, whose mission was to educate physicians in central Virginia and which was later renamed Medical College of Virginia. In 1968, Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia to become what is now known as Virginia Commonwealth University. Located in downtown Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, VCU enrolls more than 28,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs across its urban campuses: the downtown Monroe Park and MCV campuses in Richmond; the Rice Rivers Center in Charles City, Virginia; satellite locations in Fairfax, Virginia, and Abingdon, Virginia; and a campus in Doha, Qatar, for the School of the Arts. Mission or Goal of Unit: Position Responsibilities: Required Qualifications: Preferred Qualifications: Completed applications received by April 1, 2025, will be assured full consideration. Application materials received after this date will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.
We are the university for Virginia. We know that the unique backgrounds and life experiences of the VCU community are what drive the university forward. Together, we’re forging a future that is built by us. Here, artists and engineers, doctors and designers come together to reimagine the human experience and tackle the problems of tomorrow. It’s this mindset that makes us one of the top 20 most innovative public universities in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The School of Education (SOE) is committed to excellence in the initial preparation and continuing development of professionals for leadership, teaching, service, and scholarly inquiry in culturally diverse settings across the lifespan. Our mission and values are grounded in and committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and engagement.
About the RRTC
Established in 1983, the Virginia Commonwealth University RRTC provides educational and employment resources for professionals, individuals with disabilities, and their representatives. The center includes a team of nationally and internationally renowned researchers who are committed to developing and advancing evidence-based practices to increase the hiring and retention for individuals with disabilities. The center has 100 faculty and staff grants funded through a variety of funding sources such as state, federal, and foundation grants. VCU RRTC's major areas of focus include Employment of People with Disabilities, Employer Practices for Individuals with Disabilities, Autism, Customized Employment, Transition from School to Work, Post-Secondary Education, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Social Security Policy. The RRTC is an off-campus grant-funded center located a few blocks from Oliver Hall on the Monroe Park campus and situated within the School of Education.
About the School of Education
The VCU School of Education aims to be the leader in urban education by leveraging existing resources and talents among our faculty, centers, and institutes, and relationships with agencies in the community to expand innovation, excellence, and impact in schools, communities, families, and children. We prepare effective and highly skilled teachers, counselors, school administrators, higher education faculty, and other education professionals committed to addressing challenges in urban schools, communities, and families. The school ranked No. 27 for the best Online Graduate Education Program by U.S. News & World Report. The school also ranked No.15 for the Best Online Special Education Grad Program and #16 among public graduate schools of education. The VCU School of Education focuses its teaching, interdisciplinary research, and development efforts on issues of educational equity, social justice, and the complexities of poverty that impact student learning and family engagement.
The Director, as the chief administrative officer of the RRTC, is responsible for the direction and administration of center operations and assesses the effectiveness and impact of center operations. This position provides leadership in all aspects of the RRTC including leadership and mentoring of faculty and staff, administrative expertise to include vision, long-term and short-term planning, financial planning, and demonstrating superb and proven interpersonal skills plus the ability to maintain a strong teamwork culture. The Director's primary duty will be to provide evidence-based research and high-quality training to support and expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities as well as lead the center’s efforts to generate new grants and research data for improving school and work environments for people with disabilities. The position includes oversight of grant writing, development of training curriculum, and collecting and disseminating data. They should be able to support and expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities as well as lead center efforts to generate new research data for improving school and work environments for people with disabilities. Rank to be determined based on qualifications and experience.
Ph.D. in rehabilitation or educational counseling, special education in the employment or transition area or a closely related field;
Superb team-building skills, maintaining and improving highly trustworthy work environments, and demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills;
A record of external funding from diverse sources, including a demonstrated ability to write federal grants, state grants, and provide facilitation and oversight of large programmatic grants, creating national collaborations, training, and technical assistance design and knowledge translation;
Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU;
Extensive knowledge of the field of intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities, especially related to federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and practices in the disability employment field;
Demonstrated commitment to mentoring colleagues, faculty, staff, and students who have been historically marginalized and done from a culturally responsive lens, and serving on dissertation committees;
Demonstrated research and/or practice in writing high-quality studies using all different types of research methodologies; and also demonstrated capacity to present to influential public officials and policy leaders;
An ongoing record of scholarly work commensurate with the rank of associate or full professor;
A well-developed scholarly/research portfolio with evidence of a diverse portfolio of peer-reviewed publications and national presentations;
Minimum of 10 years experience with mixed method, big data analysis, and randomized clinical research studies as well as the ability to write studies independently;
Demonstrated success in mentoring and developing faculty members' competence in scholarly productivity and securing external funding in transition and disability employment;
Experience developing and/or sustaining collaborative partnerships and interdisciplinary initiatives with schools, businesses, state, and federal agencies in vocational rehabilitation program development, research, and policy at the federal level;
Proven success in developing an active and growing research program that works closely with the business communities in the context of hiring, training, and maintaining persons with disabilities;
Knowledge of how to change segregated work programs and their clients and staff into real work for real pay in the community;
Strong administrative leadership experience, signifying the ability to develop and communicate a strategic and focused vision about research through prior experiences in administering university centers, large grants, or interdisciplinary programs;
Minimum of 10 years experience mentoring, developing, and managing faculty and staff;
Demonstrated ability to work with individuals with severe autism in clinical settings as well as in natural field settings, eg. Schools, businesses, etc.;
Strong organizational, communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills to manage teams, as well as foster a strong team culture of working together and providing a trusting relationship of supervision.
Sophisticated, strategic leadership skills to develop, implement, and measure the outcomes of strategies and programs, as well as expand funding of grants in creative ways;
Demonstrated experience working directly with individuals with disabilities, disability advocates, and organizations and the ability to create and support diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in all aspects of their work;
Proven record of accomplishment adapting to new technologies, online coursework, and forward-thinking to reach stakeholders nationally and internationally;
Creative research thinker and highly motivated to work hard and yet efficiently.
Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 1
Tenure: Open
Rank: Open
Months: 12
Department:
SOE Spec Ed & DP - RRTC
Salary: $185,000 - $205,000
Contact Information:
Contact Name: Dr. Carol Schall
Contact Email: cmschall@vcu.edu
Contact Phone: 804-828-6979
Salary : $185,000 - $205,000
