James Madison University
Head, Department of Engineering
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Louisiana, United States, 71340
Overview
Head, Department of Engineering Working Title:
Head, Department of Engineering State Role Title:
N/A Position Type:
Instructional / Teaching Faculty Position Status:
Full-Time FLSA Status:
Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime College/Division:
College of Integrated Science and Engineering Department:
100590 - Department of Engineering Pay Rate:
Commensurate with Experience Specify Range or Amount: Is this a JMU only position?
No Is this a grant-funded position?
No Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position?
No Beginning Review Date:
10/27/2025 About JMU
Mission We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. Vision To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world. Who We Are Situated in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000, located about 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. JMU is a selective public institution with ~21,000 undergraduate and ~1,800 graduate students, and over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty. JMU offers programs across liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU is recognized for high-quality programs, strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research. General Information: The Department of Engineering at James Madison University (JMU) invites applicants to join our community and support our project-intensive undergraduate engineering curriculum. We are seeking to hire an Academic Unit Head to start in July 2026. The Head of the Department is responsible for program administration and strategic leadership, and reports to the Dean of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering. This position is a 12-month, tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor. The JMU Department of Engineering is a community of educators who support each other in achieving broad success in teaching, scholarship, and service. The department offers an ABET-accredited BS degree in engineering with new concentrations in civil and environmental, geo-environmental, and electromechanical systems. Anchored in the liberal arts through the university's general education program, the engineering major emphasizes experiential learning in team-based settings, culminating in a two-year engineering project experience. The department currently has fifteen full-time faculty members, seven support staff, and approximately 750 students. Strengths include dedicated faculty and staff, an engaged student body and alumni, strong administrative and lab support, and well-equipped laboratories and design studios. JMU prizes collaboration across departments and provides opportunities for interdisciplinary, team-based teaching and scholarship with a focus on undergraduate research. More information about the department and curriculum can be found at 2025 URL: 2025-2026 pages. Note: In this refined version, the original hyperlink has been removed for formatting compliance. Duties and Responsibilities: We seek a candidate who will: Implement the department's strategic vision in the evolving landscape of higher education; Advocate for the department, internally at JMU and externally to industry, prospective students, and academic peers; Manage and conduct academic administration including course assignments and scheduling, annual faculty evaluations, and departmental budget; Foster departmental cohesion focused on building consensus within the faculty from various engineering backgrounds; Work effectively with college and university leadership in a collaborative and constructive way. Qualifications: Each candidate will be evaluated based on their qualifications in relation to the department's needs, demonstrating aptitude for academic leadership within an undergraduate Engineering context. Successful candidates will hold a PhD in an engineering discipline or closely related field. Experience commensurate with the rank of Associate Professor or higher in the Department of Engineering, with a record of accomplishment in service, scholarship, and high-quality teaching. Additional Posting Information: JMU faculty embrace the teacher-scholar model and maintain a student-centered approach to teaching, scholarship, and service as an institution newly categorized as R2 in the Carnegie classification. At JMU Engineering, these core values guide our educational mission as we continue to grow into the R2 space. Undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize holistic design thinking, systems thinking, and a two-year project experience spanning the third and fourth years, including student competitions. Our scholarship includes undergraduate involvement in research, interdisciplinary work, and dissemination at regional and national meetings; faculty pursue internal and external funding sources. Service includes contributing to the operation of the institution and sharing expertise with professional organizations and community partners. How to Apply: Candidates should prepare application materials addressing duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Complete submissions uploaded electronically to the JMU application portal will be considered and must include: A cover letter outlining professional trajectory for this position A curriculum vitae A reflection on leadership in an academic context (up to two pages) under "Other Document #1" A reflection on teaching and scholarship (up to two pages) under "Other Document #2" A list of three references who can comment on leadership and/or administrative abilities References will not be contacted until a candidate is considered for a campus visit; instructions will be provided by the search committee chair. For additional information, contact the chair of the search committee: Dr. Henry Way, wayha@jmu.edu JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates relocating to the area. For more information, visit 2025 URL. Conditions of Employment: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. EEO Statement: James Madison University is committed to a diverse and inclusive work and educational community free of discrimination. The university does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing these qualities are foundational to an outstanding education. Questions concerning discrimination should be directed to the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807. To apply:
Please visit: 2025 URL
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Head, Department of Engineering Working Title:
Head, Department of Engineering State Role Title:
N/A Position Type:
Instructional / Teaching Faculty Position Status:
Full-Time FLSA Status:
Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime College/Division:
College of Integrated Science and Engineering Department:
100590 - Department of Engineering Pay Rate:
Commensurate with Experience Specify Range or Amount: Is this a JMU only position?
No Is this a grant-funded position?
No Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position?
No Beginning Review Date:
10/27/2025 About JMU
Mission We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. Vision To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world. Who We Are Situated in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000, located about 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. JMU is a selective public institution with ~21,000 undergraduate and ~1,800 graduate students, and over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty. JMU offers programs across liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU is recognized for high-quality programs, strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research. General Information: The Department of Engineering at James Madison University (JMU) invites applicants to join our community and support our project-intensive undergraduate engineering curriculum. We are seeking to hire an Academic Unit Head to start in July 2026. The Head of the Department is responsible for program administration and strategic leadership, and reports to the Dean of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering. This position is a 12-month, tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor. The JMU Department of Engineering is a community of educators who support each other in achieving broad success in teaching, scholarship, and service. The department offers an ABET-accredited BS degree in engineering with new concentrations in civil and environmental, geo-environmental, and electromechanical systems. Anchored in the liberal arts through the university's general education program, the engineering major emphasizes experiential learning in team-based settings, culminating in a two-year engineering project experience. The department currently has fifteen full-time faculty members, seven support staff, and approximately 750 students. Strengths include dedicated faculty and staff, an engaged student body and alumni, strong administrative and lab support, and well-equipped laboratories and design studios. JMU prizes collaboration across departments and provides opportunities for interdisciplinary, team-based teaching and scholarship with a focus on undergraduate research. More information about the department and curriculum can be found at 2025 URL: 2025-2026 pages. Note: In this refined version, the original hyperlink has been removed for formatting compliance. Duties and Responsibilities: We seek a candidate who will: Implement the department's strategic vision in the evolving landscape of higher education; Advocate for the department, internally at JMU and externally to industry, prospective students, and academic peers; Manage and conduct academic administration including course assignments and scheduling, annual faculty evaluations, and departmental budget; Foster departmental cohesion focused on building consensus within the faculty from various engineering backgrounds; Work effectively with college and university leadership in a collaborative and constructive way. Qualifications: Each candidate will be evaluated based on their qualifications in relation to the department's needs, demonstrating aptitude for academic leadership within an undergraduate Engineering context. Successful candidates will hold a PhD in an engineering discipline or closely related field. Experience commensurate with the rank of Associate Professor or higher in the Department of Engineering, with a record of accomplishment in service, scholarship, and high-quality teaching. Additional Posting Information: JMU faculty embrace the teacher-scholar model and maintain a student-centered approach to teaching, scholarship, and service as an institution newly categorized as R2 in the Carnegie classification. At JMU Engineering, these core values guide our educational mission as we continue to grow into the R2 space. Undergraduate and graduate programs emphasize holistic design thinking, systems thinking, and a two-year project experience spanning the third and fourth years, including student competitions. Our scholarship includes undergraduate involvement in research, interdisciplinary work, and dissemination at regional and national meetings; faculty pursue internal and external funding sources. Service includes contributing to the operation of the institution and sharing expertise with professional organizations and community partners. How to Apply: Candidates should prepare application materials addressing duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Complete submissions uploaded electronically to the JMU application portal will be considered and must include: A cover letter outlining professional trajectory for this position A curriculum vitae A reflection on leadership in an academic context (up to two pages) under "Other Document #1" A reflection on teaching and scholarship (up to two pages) under "Other Document #2" A list of three references who can comment on leadership and/or administrative abilities References will not be contacted until a candidate is considered for a campus visit; instructions will be provided by the search committee chair. For additional information, contact the chair of the search committee: Dr. Henry Way, wayha@jmu.edu JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates relocating to the area. For more information, visit 2025 URL. Conditions of Employment: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. EEO Statement: James Madison University is committed to a diverse and inclusive work and educational community free of discrimination. The university does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing these qualities are foundational to an outstanding education. Questions concerning discrimination should be directed to the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991. Reasonable Accommodation: If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807. To apply:
Please visit: 2025 URL
#J-18808-Ljbffr