Assistant Chair

Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

Located in an urban environment on a 300-acre tree-lined campus, Rice University leverages its advantageous position to pursue pathbreaking research and create innovative collaboration opportunities that contribute to the betterment of our world.

Bio Sciences at Rice is home to undergraduate and doctoral degree programs in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. We investigate fundamental properties of living organisms and their impacts on the future quality of life on Earth.

The academic chair role focuses on oversight of graduate and undergraduate program administration and recruiting. This position leads the Graduate Program Administrator and Undergraduate Program Coordinator, ensuring consistency and continuity across recruiting, enrollment, orientation, commencement, student records, payroll tracking, fellowships, awards, and curriculum support. Graduate recruiting requires active coordination with faculty committees, data-driven reporting, and leadership during periods of high workload.

This position also provides leadership for major academic and departmental events, including the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium, departmental symposia, workshops, faculty receptions, recruiting weekends, awards ceremonies, and orientation and commencement events. While staff and faculty coordinators handle logistics, the assistant chair oversees planning, scheduling, budgeting, faculty participation, and program coherence to ensure events align with departmental goals.

Additional responsibilities include faculty and committee support, negotiation and coordination of graduate teaching assignments, maintenance of departmental records and history, and assistance with reports, presentations, grant proposals, and writing projects. Teaching and service contributions include co-instructing the graduate seminar, advising on curriculum and policy, supporting summer research programs, and serving as a judge or substitute instructor as needed.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to interact effectively with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders across all levels of the university. The ideal candidate is an experienced academic administrator with a strong record of overseeing graduate and undergraduate programs, particularly in recruiting, enrollment, and student support. They bring the ability to manage complex, overlapping workflows;

provide effective supervision and backup to program staff; and collaborate closely with faculty, committees, and senior leadership on budgeting, awards, and teaching assignments. The candidate demonstrates leadership in planning and coordinating academic events while also offering reliable faculty and student support. A commitment to teaching, student mentorship, and program improvement, paired…