Director for School of Human Environmental Sciences

Position Details

• Closing Date: 12:01 a.m. CT on the specified Closing Date (if designated)
• Type of Position: Chair
• Workstudy Position: No
• Job Type: Regular
• Work Shift: Day Shift (United States of America)
• Sponsorship Available: No
• Institution Name: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

The University of Arkansas is a land grant institution founded in 1871 and classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The campus is located in Fayetteville, the region is a hub for Fortune 500 companies and a growing economy. Northwest Arkansas has a strong reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University offers a vibrant work environment that promotes healthy work‑life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and retirement programs with contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of salary.

The Director of the School of Human Environmental Sciences provides strong, multidisciplinary leadership across research, teaching, and outreach programs that advance the School’s academic, research, and community impact. The School Director promotes a culture of collegiality, professionalism, collaboration, and innovation; communicates effectively with internal and external stakeholders; and integrates research, teaching, and outreach (including Extension collaborations) to serve the College and University.

The Director advances the School in alignment with the University’s 150 Forward Strategic Plan—Student Success, Research Excellence, and Employer of Choice—and contributes to campus “Reaching Higher” priorities.

The Director strengthens the School’s profile locally, across Arkansas, and beyond by cultivating strategic relationships across campus and with state and federal agencies, community partners, and industry. The Director grows a high‑impact research enterprise that develops and transfers credible, timely, objective knowledge to address stakeholder, workforce, and community needs. The Director stewards resources, supports faculty and staff development, and secures funding to sustain excellence.

The Director partners with the Bumpers College leadership and staff to engage alumni and supporters; cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts; and expand resources for scholarships, faculty and staff excellence, research, facilities, and programs.

Regular, reliable, and non‑disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

• Minimum Qualifications:
  • Earned Ph.D. (or equivalent) in a discipline represented within the School or a closely related field
  • Qualify for appointment as Professor with tenure at time of hire.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills in academic administration, including personnel management, budgeting, and strategic planning
  • Evidence of success in research, teaching, and/or engagement that supports faculty and student excellence
  • Demonstrated strong communication, interpersonal, organizational, and collaboration skills
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience leading an multidisciplinary unit or team
  • Experience with the land‑grant mission
  • Experience with donor engagement and fundraising
  • Evidence of securing and managing competitive extramural funding
  • Experience with in‑person, online, hybrid program development and delivery
  • Experience with accreditation processes in disciplines relevant to the School
  • Experience in outreach, Extension, or community partnership
  • Experience aligning curricula and student experiences with workforce needs and pathways to graduate/professional education
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Knowledge of academic program development (undergraduate and graduate), including assessment and accreditation, and the ability to grow curricula and expand delivery (in‑person, online, and hybrid)
  • Leadership skills necessary to administer a program spanning resident instruction, research,…