Hiring Department

Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery

Job Description

Position Overview:
The Chair for the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is responsible for the academic, administrative, and strategic leadership of the department. This role is pivotal in ensuring the delivery of exceptional education, research, and clinical service.

This position has the opportunity to profoundly impact how the department contributes to the mission of the College of Veterinary Medicine:

• Teach: Enhance clinical education by providing a robust, well-managed environment for student learning and faculty instruction.
• Heal: Ensure the delivery of high-quality veterinary care that improves animal health and well-being.
• Discover: Support research through clinical trials, external partnerships, and collaboration across the University of Missouri.
• Serve: Elevate the standard of care for animal patients and strengthen community trust through compassionate service.

About the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery:
The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is a large department, with ~320 employees, split evenly between academic and staff appointments. The department serves as the academic home of the Veterinary Health Center with a majority of the faculty providing clinical service within the teaching hospital.

Our faculty are leaders in the field of veterinary education and training. The department contributes to instruction and training across all four years of the professional curriculum, from didactic courses to supervising DVM students on clinical rotations. The department offers advanced specialty training to interns and residents as well as graduate educational opportunities that lead to a Master of Science degree. Several of our faculty are engaged in national efforts that look to shape the future of veterinary education on a large scale. Additionally, faculty and staff within the department contribute to the professional development and continuing education of veterinary professionals, livestock producers, and other external constituents. They regularly attend regional and national conferences and meetings where they lead presentations, seminars, and other activities. Faculty and staff design and lead professional development opportunities such as our VET ECHO program which offers free continuing education courses focused on livestock health and management, an annual Veterinary Technician Continuing Education Conference, and other programs through MU Extension and other external partnerships.

The department advances scientific knowledge through dynamic and varied research programs that include comparative orthopedics, internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, oncology, physiology, pharmacology, cell and molecular biology, imaging and nuclear medicine, ophthalmology, rehabilitation, tissue engineering, food animal, equine, small animal medicine and surgery, and others. Research projects are supported by federal grants, foundation awards and funds, corporate grants and contracts, and intramural funds. The faculty of the department actively contribute to translational research, One-Health One-Medicine initiatives, herd and population health research, and numerous other interdisciplinary research efforts across the campus. Department faculty frequently collaborate with faculty in the School of Medicine; School of Nursing; College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; and College of Arts and Sciences, as well as faculty within the Department of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences and the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory within the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Some of our most active research partnerships include:

• The faculty of the Neurology and Neurosurgery service are active collaborators within the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program
• Our Oncology Faculty contribute to research at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, and our Radiation Oncology Faculty are active researchers at the MU Research Reactor
• Our Ophthalmology Faculty lead the Ophthalmology One-Health One-Medicine Research Laboratory, a collaborative endeavor with the Department of Ophthalmology in the School of Medicine
• The department is home to the Feline Genetics & Comparative Medicine Lab, one of several leading genetics research labs across the university
• Our Large Animal Faculty are active collaborators with the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; several of the departments Extension Faculty office within the Division of Animal Sciences to further strengthen partnerships and collaboration

Faculty and staff of the department serve the greater field of veterinary medicine through leadership in both state and national scientific and professional organizations. Members of the department currently serve as leaders, committee members, and officers in the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, Missouri Veterinary Technicians Association, American Board of Veterinary Ophthalmology, National Mastitis Council, American Association of Equine Practitioners, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Radiation Research Society, American College of Veterinary Radiologists, American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society, International Council for Veterinary Assessment, and the American Thoracic Society.

Position Responsibilities:
The Department Chair is responsible for fostering a collegial work environment, supporting faculty and staff development, and ensuring excellence across all departmental functions. We seek a dynamic leader with a strong background in all aspects of academic life who will support teaching, research, service, and outreach throughout the scope of assigned duties. The chair will participate in the planning and delivery of both didactic and clinical education by collaborating with the Associate Dean for Academic & Student Affairs and Chair of the Department of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences; they will strengthen clinical innovations through enhanced research opportunities for faculty in collaboration with the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies; they will work to ensure high quality clinical service in the Veterinary Health Center through collaboration with the Associate Dean for Hospital Operations and continue to foster strong clinical collaborations with the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in partnership with the Director of the VMDL.

Successful candidates will possess a distinguished record of scholarship, innovation, and academic achievement in a field relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, biomedical sciences, or public health. Areas of expertise may include, but are not limited to, clinical and translational research, comparative medicine, population and herd health, disease investigation, diagnostic advancement, therapeutic and pharmacologic development, educational innovation, One Health initiatives, or other disciplines that advance the health and welfare of animals and people.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished academic leader with demonstrated experience fostering excellence in teaching, research, clinical service, outreach, and faculty development. Candidates should possess a collaborative leadership style, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a proven ability to build consensus, manage organizational change, and advance strategic priorities within complex academic environments. Prior leadership experience may include service as a section head, division chief, assistant or associate department chair, department chair, research center director, assistant or associate dean, clinic or hospital director, program director, or other roles involving significant administrative, personnel, fiscal, and strategic responsibilities.

Key areas of responsibility for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement departmental goals aligned with college and university priorities. Build cross departmental connections for education and research.
• Faculty Oversight: Recruit, mentor, and evaluate faculty (TT and NTT); oversee promotion and appointment processes.
• Academic Programs: Ensure quality delivery of DVM, graduate, and continuing education programs; support curriculum development.
• Research Support: Promote scholarly activity and facilitate research collaborations and funding opportunities.
• Fiscal Management: Oversee departmental budget, resources, and staffing; working in close collaboration with the Associate Dean for Hospital Operations to ensure all missions are successfully met.
• Communication & Representation: Serve as liaison to college leadership; foster transparent internal communication.

Based on incumbent interest, continued engagement with their medical specialty or discipline through research, DVM and graduate student instruction, involvement in house officer training, and / or clinic service is possible.

This position will report directly to the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. This position works in close collaboration with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Associate Dean for Hospital Operations regarding operation of the Veterinary Health Center. The Chair will be expected to successfully collaborate with numerous other leaders within the College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Missouri.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Either a DVM or equivalent (VMD, BVSc) and / or a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, or a closely related discipline

Candidates will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated understanding of veterinary academic medicine, including professional veterinary education, graduate education, research, clinical service, faculty affairs, and shared governance.
• An advanced doctoral degree (PhD or equivalent) and/or additional professional training, credentials, or degrees (such as MS, MPH, residency training, board certification, or equivalent) that contribute to success in leading a complex veterinary academic unit.
• A record of scholarly achievement appropriate to the candidate's discipline, including evidence of research productivity, publications, extramural funding, innovation, or other forms of academic impact.
• Progressive experience in academic leadership and administration, including faculty development, program oversight, resource management, and strategic decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement a compelling strategic vision that advances educational, research, clinical, and service missions.
• Proven success fostering collaboration across disciplines, departments, and stakeholder groups to achieve shared goals and institutional priorities.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with faculty, staff, students, alumni, industry partners, donors, and other constituents.
• For candidates whose background includes veterinary clinical practice, eligibility for veterinary licensure in the State of Missouri is desirable.

Application Materials

Interested candidates should be prepared to attach:

• Letter stating professional interests and career goals.
• Curriculum Vitae.

Please contact Noah Hartsfield, HR Recruiter, at [email protected] or 573-882-3761 with questions or to learn more about the opportunity.

Sponsorship Information

Employment visa sponsorship may be available for candidates currently in the United States in H-1B status or other work-authorized status.

Community Information

Columbia has been consistently rated as one of the most desirable places to live and work in the U.S. This college city of 128,000-