Posting DetailsPosting Details
Job Title Chair and Executive Director - Associate or Professor in Social Work
Requisition Number FE04968
Working Title Chair and Executive Director in Social Work
Department Name 8T110:College of Social Work
Work Location Lexington, KY
Type of Position Faculty
Position Time Status Full-Time
Tenure Track Status Tenure Track
Required Education - An earned doctorate in Social Work from an accredited institution
- An earned Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program
Required Related Experience A record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure. Strong potential for securing external funding and producing high-quality scholarship. Ability to foster, develop, and/or maintain positive professional relationships with local, state, federal, and private social work focused agencies/organizations/associations.
Required License/Registration/Certification n/a
Job Summary The Chair and Executive Director of Social Work Programs serves as the chief academic and administrative leader for the College's social work educational enterprise. The Chair provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for all aspects of the College's social work programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Master of Social Work, Doctorate of Social Work, Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, and related certificate programs.
Reporting directly to the Dean and serving as a member of the College leadership team, the Chair and Executive Director advances the College's strategic vision through academic leadership, faculty development, student success, community engagement, operational excellence, and organizational growth.
Primary responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:
Leads Strategic Growth and Innovation- Develops and implements the strategic vision for the College's social work programs.
- Guides academic innovation and program growth across modalities.
- Uses workforce, enrollment, and market data to inform planning.
- Identifies opportunities for new educational initiatives.
Advances Faculty Success- Recruits, mentors, supervises, and evaluates faculty and instructional personnel.
- Supports promotion, tenure, annual review, and workload planning.
- Supports faculty leadership development.
- Cultivates a collaborative faculty culture.
Promotes Academic Excellence- Oversees BASW, MSW, DSW, PhD, and certificate programs.
- Supports curriculum innovation.
- Ensures compliance with CSWE and SACSCOC.
- Promotes instructional quality across all modalities.
Supports Student Success- Partners with admissions, advising, practicum, recruitment, and student success.
- Advances recruitment, retention, persistence, and graduation initiatives.
Strengthens Community Impact- Develops relationships with agencies, alumni, professional organizations, and community partners.
- Supports fundraising and workforce partnerships.
- Expands community-engaged scholarship and education.
Manages Resources for Organizational Success- Oversees personnel, budgeting, operational planning, and resource allocation.
- Collaborates with College leadership to advance strategic priorities.
The University's mission involves three primary functions across our faculty cohort: instruction, research, and service. Each year, various ranking faculty work with the Office of the Dean to delineate their distribution of effort (DOE). This DOE outlines how faculty will spend their time. In general, DOE for faculty members in the Regular Title Series typically includes allocations in the areas of instruction, research, and service. The DOE for the Chair and Executive Director is subject to negotiation but we anticipate roughly 70% Administration, 25% research and 5% service.
Of course, the DOE can fluctuate depending on an array of factors (e.g., grant funding, new course development, service to the college, etc.). It is expected that work in this faculty appointment, including but not limited to course instruction, office hours, administrative meetings, and attending college-wide events such as faculty meetings, will occur on-site.
Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees' retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit:
https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.
Applicants should submit:• Curriculum Vitae (upload as resume)
• Letter of Interest describing qualifications, leadership philosophy, and alignment with the position (upload as cover letter)
• Contact information for at least three professional references (upload as Special Request #1)
• Statement addressing administrative leadership, program development, and commitment to excellence and collaboration (upload as Special Request #2)
We anticipate this search will run from October 2026 through April 2027. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until positions are filled.
Inquiries about the position can be emailed to UKCOSW@uky.edu.Skills / Knowledge / AbilitiesDoes this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes
Preferred Education/Experience WE ARE SEEKING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO POSSESSES:
- Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education, academic administration, community-engaged organizations, or related professional settings
- Experience providing executive-level leadership, including strategic planning, operational oversight, organizational leadership, and collaborative decision-making
- Evidence of successful collaboration across interdisciplinary, professional, and community contexts
- Experience supporting faculty development, mentorship, leadership cultivation, and program growth
- A commitment to fostering excellence through a wide range of perspectives, methodologies, lived experiences, and approaches to scholarship, teaching, and service
- Experience with CSWE accreditation standards and processes
- Experience overseeing curriculum assessment, instructional coordination, and supervision of instructional personnel
Deadline to ApplyOpen Until Filled Yes
