The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Department Chair & Professor

Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Earned doctorate or terminal degree in Theatre or related field.
  • Proven record of academic and professional leadership.
  • Experience in arts administration, fundraising, or professional theatre management is preferred.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to inspire and mentor faculty and students from diverse backgrounds.

Responsibilities

  • Lead departmental operations and programs.
  • Set departmental priorities in consultation with faculty.
  • Administer departmental and college policies and budgets.
  • Oversee hiring of faculty and staff, assigning workloads and schedules.
  • Represent the department within the university and to the external arts community.

Benefits

  • Permanent full-time faculty position with 12-month employment.
  • Opportunity for tenure at the Associate or Full Professor rank.
  • Participation in strategic planning and departmental visioning activities.
  • Collaboration with a diverse faculty and student body.
  • Engagement with the broader arts community beyond the university.
Full Job Description
Position Information

General Information

Position Number
005119

Working Title
Department Chair & Professor

Classification Title
Department Chair/ Director

College
Col of Arts & Architecture (Col)

Department
Theatre

Position Designation
Faculty

Employment Type
Permanent - Full-time

Months per year
12

Description of Work

Responsible for the daily operation of the department and the department programs. The Department Chair/ Director will promote excellence in department programs within the University. Chair/ Director responsibilities are classified as professional duties requiring leadership and mentoring of faculty, administrative expertise to include vision, long term and short-term planning, decision-making and coordination of instruction.

If this position conducts research, the following statement is applicable: This position is subject to research-security screening. As part of the application, applicants must disclose, either in their CV or in a separate document submitted with the application, all current appointments or affiliations with foreign institutions or organizations, foreign research support, and ongoing research collaborations with foreign institutions, organizations, or their personnel. Before candidates advance to an on-campus interview, the university will review this information and other publicly available information for relationships involving institutions on the current Section 1286 list and any other applicable U.S. restricted-party lists. A disclosed or identified relationship does not automatically disqualify a candidate. As a condition of employment, a selected candidate must resolve any relationship the university determines would violate applicable law or sponsor requirements or materially impair the candidate's or the university's eligibility for federal funding.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Chair reports to the Dean of the CoA+A, sets Departmental priorities in consultation with the faculty, provides leadership in strategic planning, administers Departmental and College policies, and assumes final responsibility for Departmental and production budgets, planning documents, self-studies, and annual reports. The Chair takes an active role in, and assumes final responsibility for hiring all faculty and administrative staff. The Chair is responsible for assigning faculty workloads, individual course schedules, service assignments, annual reviews of all full time faculty, and provides guidance in RPT, PTR and other processes. The Chair also assumes final responsibility for the production season schedules and works collaboratively with the Associate Dean for Production Arts Operations on production support and the use of performance spaces. The Chair represents the Department to the Dean and the Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and serves as a liaison to the arts community beyond the University.

Minimum Experience/Education

UNC Charlotte gives primary consideration to the earned doctorate or terminal degree in the teaching discipline or a related discipline.

Preferred Education, Skills and Experience

Successful candidates will display an energetic and collaborative leadership style that inspires faculty, students, and staff to develop a shared vision for the future of the Department of Theatre. Candidates are sought who demonstrate leadership in 21st century approaches to Theatre, evidence of leadership in advancing innovation in pedagogy, performance, research, partnership building, administration, and in the workplace. Successful candidates will also possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to recruit, mentor, and support faculty and students of many different backgrounds. Successful candidates may have experience with community-based, site-specific, devised, and/or collaborative work, and an understanding and appreciation for the variety of approaches, perspectives, and specializations that comprise research in Theatre. This may include an ability to advocate for the value of research in and resources for Theatre, in all its forms, relative to UNC Charlotte's unique role as an R1 Urban Research University.

Candidates may also have qualifications that include arts administration, fundraising, and artistic or managerial experience in professional theatre. This is a tenured position; eligibility for tenure rank (Associate or Full Professor) will depend on the background and experience of the candidate.

Necessary Licenses/Certifications

The successful candidate will hold a terminal degree in Theatre or related field and have a record of significant professional activity suitable for appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, as well as a proven record of academic and professional leadership.

Special Notes to Applicants

This posting is open to UNC Charlotte employees only.

Job Open Date
09/23/2026

Job Close Date

Open Until Filled
Yes

Date Review of Applications will Begin
10/15/2026

Proposed Hire Date
07/01/2027

If time-limited, please indicate appointment end date

Contact Information

About The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 23 doctoral, 64 master's, and 140 bachelor's degree programs through nine colleges: the College of Arts + Architecture, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Belk College of Business, the College of Computing and Informatics, the Cato College of Education, the William States Lee College of Engineering, the College of Health and Human Services, the Honors College, and the University College.
Learn more about The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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