Assistant Director for Visualization, Interactivity & Simulation

Assistant Director for Visualization, Interactivity & Simulation

The Assistant Director, Visualization, Interactivity & Simulation (VIS), provides advanced project-focused leadership for interdisciplinary research initiatives in areas such as digital twins, advanced manufacturing, virtual production, digital humans, and spatial computing. This role oversees project execution, including scope, timelines, budgets, compliance, and sponsor deliverables, while supervising project support staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and coordinating operational functions that directly impact research success. Working closely with the VIS leadership, faculty, and external partners, the Assistant Director ensures effective resource alignment, communication, and process improvement to deliver innovative, sponsor-aligned research outcomes. The position also supports proposal development, budget planning, and compliance oversight to help research teams secure funding and successfully deliver high-impact technical and creative research outcomes.
Job Responsibilities:
Project Oversight: Oversees complex, multi-phase research initiatives, ensuring projects remain on track with respect to scope, timelines, budgets, and sponsor requirements. Establishes and monitors project management frameworks, allocates resources across concurrent initiatives, identifies risks, and implements mitigation strategies. Provide day-to-day guidance to graduate students; track progress and give constructive feedback to ensure successful project completion. (30%)
Proposal & Grant Support: Develop proposals by gathering technical descriptions, timelines, and budget information. Compile documentation required by funding agencies, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines. Interpret and apply funding requirements from federal agencies. Oversees projects to ensure alignment with sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and strategic priorities. (25%)
External Stakeholder Communication: Engages with industry partners, sponsors, and collaborators to facilitate clear expectations, milestone tracking, reporting, and deliverable management. Serves as liaison between faculty investigators, technical staff, students, and external collaborators. Organize and facilitate project meetings, preparing agendas, minutes, and action items. (15%)
Budget & Resource Tracking: Track and monitor expenditures, forecast financial needs, coordinate procurement, and ensure appropriate allocation of personnel, facilities, and technical resources across projects. Ensures operational efficiency while maintaining compliance with institutional and sponsor guidelines. (15%)
Reporting & Documentation: Prepare and submit progress reports in accordance with sponsor requirements. Maintain project documentation, including workflow records, meeting notes, and version logs. (10%)
Other duties as assigned. (5%)
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience in a relevant field.
LSU values skills, experience, and expertise. Candidates who have relevant experience in key job responsibilities are encouraged to apply--a degree is not required as long as the candidate meets the required years of experience specified in the job description.
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree and 3 or more years of experience in a relevant field. Prior experience working with externally funded research grants and agencies. Experience managing technical or R&D projects, tracking budgets, scheduling, and working with interdisciplinary teams.