Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST) is a Commonwealth of Virginia initiative to innovate Virginia’s semiconductor, microelectronics, and nanotechnology ecosystem. VAST will establish an alliance of institutions of higher education to coordinate the semiconductor and nanofabrication cleanrooms, nano-characterization facilities, and advanced packaging and microelectronics centers across member institutions; to accelerate the development of a qualified workforce through a new Fast Track to Semiconductor Career program; and to market and promote the assets and infrastructure that supports the industry in the Commonwealth. VAST website will serve as the gateway to semiconductor and nanotechnology excellence in the Commonwealth. The VAST Headquarters will be at Virginia Tech Research Center (VTRC) in Arlington, and founding members of the alliance are: George Mason University (GMU), Virginia Tech (VT), University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Norfolk State University (NSU). Each member may have more than one cleanroom or facility that participates in the network. Northern Virginia Community College will be a strategic partner for the workforce development and the Fast Track to Semiconductor Career programs.

Reporting to VAST Director, the Associate Director of Partnerships will play an instrumental role in establishing and nurturing strategic relationships with semiconductor companies, universities, and state agencies as they relate to key strategic activities of VAST including research and development, commercialization, and workforce development. The Associate Director will act as a liaison to partner organizations by building strong relationships with key stakeholders. By facilitating strategic conversations and establishing innovative partnerships with stakeholders across the semiconductor industry, the Associate Director will ensure VAST strengthens the industry in the Commonwealth, and that those partnerships benefit Alliance members in turn.

The Associate Director of Partnerships will serve as a key advisor to the VAST director and VAST Operations Committee to help shape programs that best fit the needs of VAST partners. They will help envision, develop, and execute VAST programs, including those that develop opportunities for the Commonwealth of Virginia students and adult learners to participate in experiential learning programs with corporations, federal agencies, and non-profits in the semiconductor industry. They will work closely with industry engagement and tech transfer offices at VAST universities to promote intellectual properties and inventions in chips, semiconductors, and nanotechnology and to establish pathways for commercialization through a partnership with the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC).

The specific responsibilities of the Associate Director of Partnerships include:

develop and execute a comprehensive semiconductor partnership strategy
monitor and evaluate partnership performance and drive continuous improvement
assist in crafting grant applications, proposals, white papers, status reports and corporate report cards
stay up-to-date with industry trends and public funding opportunities, and identify new partnership opportunities
develop an inventory of companies in semiconductor, microelectronics, and biochips/instrumentations within the Commonwealth of Virginia and map out the sector’s workforce development and entrepreneurial needs
conduct market research and needs assessments to identify education and training opportunities to address corporate, government, and community learning needs in semiconductor and chips manufacturing and R&D
develop intelligence around and connections to University faculty and research interests, capabilities, and activities connections, identifying opportunities that have industry/market relevance, organize working sessions, and effectively connect and shepherd the relationships
Foster relationships with the economic development organizations and industry associations to promote VAST facilities and resources and to promote the growth of the semiconductor’s business community in the Commonwealth of Virginia