The Department Head provides strategic and operational leadership for the academic department, guiding its faculty, programs, and initiatives toward excellence while shaping the department’s vision and fostering a shared understanding of faculty success through leading efforts in faculty workload planning, scheduling, and performance. The position's main accountability is faculty success while also contributing to student and curriculum success. In collaboration with faculty and administrative teams, the Department Head ensures effective scheduling, facilitates faculty contracts, addresses faculty concerns, and supports continuous growth and faculty development.

Department Heads are in 12-month, ranked, career-track (not eligible for tenure) positions with core duties to teach asynchronous undergraduate and graduate courses to adult learners; lead development of programs and courses and supervision/mentorship of associate faculty; and service to students and the institution to ensure its continued improvement toward its critical student success goals. At the heart of our institution is a deep commitment to a Culture of Care—an ethos that emphasizes proactive, compassionate, and responsive engagement to ensure every student feels supported and empowered to succeed. UAGC programs are intentionally designed to bridge academic learning and workforce relevance, equipping students with both practical skills and disciplinary expertise that prepare them for meaningful career advancement and lifelong learning.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Administrative Service

• Collaboratively creates a vision and shared aims for the department.
• Supports college leaders in developing relationships with external partnerships and relationships. 
• Reviews departmental success metrics through the lens of faculty outcomes and creates a strategy for continuous improvement.
• Develops, organizes, and monitors outcomes of faculty success initiatives.
• Mentors and supports faculty in helping them achieve their goals and desired career outcomes.
• Engages in and organizes regular review of faculty teaching quality and development plans.
• Supports and contributes to curriculum success initiatives and strategic plans at the divisional level.
• Attends and actively participates in department, college, and university meetings.
• Engages in shared governance activities and committees.
• Work with faculty to create contracts and establish workload.
• Oversees faculty scheduling in the department.
• Leads search and hiring committees and makes departmental hiring decisions.
• Works with college leadership to create and monitor the departmental budget.
• Oversees program review, accreditation, and licensure efforts.
• Provides academic and operational oversight of undergraduate and master's leadership programs.
• Provides academic oversight of doctoral faculty and supports the consistent implementation of doctoral program expectations related to student progression, applied doctoral projects and dissertations, academic standards, and program policies.
• Guides, mentors, and supports doctoral faculty across professional and research doctoral programs by promoting instructional quality, ensuring consistency in doctoral processes, facilitating faculty assignments and development, and advancing the continuous improvement of doctoral student outcomes.

Learning Leadership

The UAGC online educational model is built around a "quality at scale" approach, in which a centralized, expertly designed curriculum ensures consistency, rigor, and excellence across all course sections. All faculty teach from a shared course shell, allowing them to focus on delivering high-impact instruction and individualized support.

• Develop and improve courses and innovative teaching practices in collaboration with instructional designers, assessment specialists, and other experts.
• Implement ideas and initiatives focused on enhancing student learning and success outcomes related to UAGC's institutional goals (retention completion, and value).
• Develop and improve course materials including texts, media, assessment tools, and other innovative instructional modalities.
• Review, support, and mentor instructional quality of associate faculty.
• Leads continuous improvement of curriculum and instructional design, with a focus on relevance, rigor, and accessibility.
• Leads and supports the department in coordinating efforts with student success, student affairs, library, writing center, access and wellness, academic advising, and career services to create, monitor, and improve initiatives for a holistic student support experience.
• Monitors, organizes, and reports on initiatives related to students’ sense of connection to the university in an online environment.

Teaching

Department Heads demonstrate a passion for helping students achieve their goals, applying disciplinary and professional knowledge in effective practices in teaching, assessment, and student engagement for online, asynchronous courses.

• Deliver high-quality, engaging online instruction.
• Connect the learning experience to workforce skills and professional advancement.
• Foster a supportive learning environment for adult learners.
• Prioritize student learning, achievement, and timely feedback.
• Maintain strong communication with students and respond promptly to inquiries.
• Ensure academic integrity and uphold university policies.
• Collaborate with academic support teams to enhance student experience.

Additional Information:

• Distribution and expectations of duties, including teaching load, vary annually depending on department needs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to provide visionary and strategic leadership to guide academic programs and faculty toward institutional excellence
• Skill in managing faculty workload planning, performance evaluation, and development within an online workforce academic environment
• Ability to oversee complex academic operations, including course scheduling, faculty contracts, and resource allocation, with precision and fairness
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills to support the efficient and responsive operation of academic departments
• Ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships across faculty, program leadership, and administrative teams
• Skill in resolving faculty concerns and promoting a healthy and productive academic environment.
• Knowledge of best practices in teaching and learning, including curriculum development assessment strategies, especially in virtual environments.  
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a capacity to foster student engagement and clarity in a remote learning context.  
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines and balance competing responsibilities within a flexible, evolving work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead programmatic initiatives, mentor faculty, and foster continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of scaling innovative teaching practices and supporting holistic student development in online learning environments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned doctorate degree in a discipline aligned with the academic program.
• Experience in academic leadership, including faculty development, curriculum oversight, or departmental operations.
• Evidence of experience demonstrates adequate training, depth of knowledge in a particular specialty, and capacity to undertake high-quality teaching and service.
• A collaborative and student-centered approach to leadership and instructional support.  
• Experience contributing to a strategic vision, increased student success, and growth preferred.
• Experience contributing to or leading strategic planning and implementation in academic programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Applied professional experience in the field.
• Experience teaching on-ground and online higher education, including experience in faculty development, instructional design, and continuous improvement.
• Experience working with adult, non-traditional, post-traditional learners.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more! 

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please . 

Special Instructions to Applicant: The application window is anticipated to close on Friday, August 28, 2026 (11:59 PM MST).

Rate of Pay: $95,000-$130,000

Compensation Type: Salary at 1.0 Full-Time Equivalency (FTE)

Compensation Guidance:

The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

Career Stream: Chapter 4 Service Professional

Level: Chapter 4

Job Function: Service Professional

Job Family: Academic Services