Education Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator: Department of Materials Science and Engineering - UTK

This position is responsible for leading and supporting the department’s day-to-day and strategic outreach and recruitment efforts, coordinating advertising and promotion of departmental activities and achievements, and managing and analyzing data to inform and improve these initiatives.

• Education, Outreach, and Recruitment
• Plan, coordinate, and execute outreach and recruitment events in collaboration with MSE leadership.
• Develop and implement strategies to grow overall undergraduate enrollment.
• Identify and recommend major recruitment venues and events—both local (e.g., high schools) and national (e.g., conferences)—and travel as needed to represent the department and maintain partnerships (may include occasional work outside normal business hours).
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with partner institutions; coordinate campus visits and provide departmental tours and engagement opportunities with faculty, staff, and students.
• Design and execute targeted recruitment strategies for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Lead and manage outreach efforts, including planning logistics and supervising event execution.
• Assist with departmental events such as new student orientation and prospective student visit days.
• Support the creation and curation of onboarding and training videos in collaboration with MSE leadership, faculty, and students.
• Continuously assess and refine outreach and recruitment practices to improve effectiveness and outcomes.
• Develop and manage communication strategies to support recruitment and outreach goals.
• Maintain and update project websites and advertise departmental educational and research activities.
• Serve as the point of contact within the MSE department for advertising and coordinate with college- and university-level advertising units to promote student and faculty achievements.
• Track, collect, and analyze data related to recruitment and outreach efforts; prepare reports for MSE leadership with recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Enhance campus visit experiences by designing engaging and informative itineraries for prospective students and their families.
• Maintain direct communication with prospective and admitted students to support yield efforts.
• Develop and administer student satisfaction surveys; analyze results and report findings to leadership.
• Support strategic planning by analyzing trends, identifying opportunities, and suggesting innovations in recruitment and outreach.
• Ensure strong internal coordination with MSE faculty, staff, and UTK partners involved in recruitment and advertising efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• 2-3 years of experience in the areas of education, outreach, and/or recruitment
• Working in a collaborative office setting that requires coordination and communication
• Experience working in a team environment
• Producing written documents

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field
• Producing reports that include data synthesis and analysis
• Speaking in public
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, data-driven
• Decision making, relationship building, and strategy development.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Best practices in student recruitment and retention
• Experience assessing outcomes of outreach initiatives
• Experience working in higher education
• Strong written communication and public speaking skills to interact effectively with a variety of audiences
• Knowledge and competency working with diverse groups
• Passion for higher education and a commitment to assisting others who are pursuing education
• Ability to provide exceptional attention to detail in written communication, oral communication, and data tracking and analysis
• Organizational skills necessary to manage multiple concurrent undertakings
• Strong interpersonal skills for building and maintaining relationships, inside and outside of IAMM and the institution
• Willingness and ability to travel
• Ability to work independently and in groups
• Ability to analyze quantitative and qualitative data

Work Location

• Onsite in Knoxville, TN
• Some Overnight Travel

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR08
• Anticipated hiring range: $50,000 - $55,000 depending on experience and qualifications
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before 8/15/25.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

About The Department:

At the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, we stay on the leading edge of technology through the development of new materials and the improvement of existing materials for applications in all engineering fields. As an interdisciplinary field, MSE is at the forefront of modern technological advances, offering students a stepping stone to solving tomorrow’s grand challenges as they take their next steps toward their future in engineering.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!