About the Department:

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Development (FA&D) at George Mason University provides an intentional and integrated approach to supporting faculty in their scholarly and professional growth and success. Our mission is to promote faculty excellence, equity, and wellbeing by providing innovative career enhancement and recognition, and implementing evidence-based policies, practices, and resources for Mason faculty of all career stages, roles, and appointment types. Contributing to an inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic faculty community at Mason is central to our mission.

George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of inclusive excellence. We are home to one of the country's most diverse student populations—the most diverse in the Commonwealth of Virginia—and pride ourselves on being one of the few institutions that has similarly high graduation rates for students of all backgrounds. We encourage candidates to apply to enrich Mason's academically and culturally inclusive environment.

About the Position:

The Director of Faculty Development and Career Enhancement provides leadership and coordination for a range of programs that support the professional development of individual faculty and academic leaders, as well as contributes to institution-wide initiatives related to faculty. This is a full-time (12-month) Administrative/Professional (A/P, non-tenure-line) faculty position. The position provides and supports growth opportunities for a faculty member who has experience engaging with colleagues on career development issues and is interested in exploring further university-level leadership opportunities. The position reports to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development (VP FA&D), who reports directly to the Provost.

The Director collaborates with a broad range of faculty and administrators, including the Director of Faculty Engagement and Wellbeing, and has frequent opportunities to interact with colleagues and partners across campus. The Director serves as one of the primary sources of faculty support within FA&D; thus, they must be adept at interacting with faculty across different fields of study/disciplines and knowledgeable about the challenges that they face, in particular with regard to the faculty lifecycle and tenure/promotion for all faculty ranks and appointment types.

Responsibilities:

• Develops, implements and assesses programs that support faculty success across career stages (e.g., early career, mid-career, seasoned faculty), appointment types (e.g., term, tenure-line, adjunct), and faculty roles (e.g., scholar, teacher, leader), with a focus on continuous improvement;
• Leads, coordinates and assesses existing programming (e.g., Faculty Success Workshop series, Faculty Writing Support) with a focus on continuous improvement;
• Leads, coordinates, and assesses faculty onboarding programs (e.g., New Faculty Orientation, Adjunct Faculty Success Workshops);
• Develops and maintains online resources for faculty success;
• Contributes to academic leadership development initiatives (e.g., workshops, seminars); and
• As appropriate, actively contributes to FA&D and institutional initiatives (e.g., university-wide committees, developing and supporting faculty recognition opportunities).

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Earned tenure;
• Demonstrated experience and success working with faculty on various institutional and/or college/school initiatives;
• A documented record of excellence in teaching, mentoring, and scholarship/creative activities as a faculty member;
• Demonstrated understanding of current research and best practice related to faculty development, career advancement, and trends in higher education;
• Clearly articulated knowledge of and ability to implement current professional approaches around the development, implementation, and assessment of programming for faculty across various career stages and appointment types;
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to maintain collaborative and confidential relationships;
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated success with project management, including experience prioritizing and managing multiple tasks;
• Ability to develop cross-campus relationships that allow for connecting faculty members to appropriate resources that will support their overall success at Mason; and
• Demonstrated success working effectively with inclusive practices with faculty from diverse groups.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience working as a member of a leadership team, with a strong commitment to and experience promoting faculty success, and with an openness to exploring new ideas for strengthening faculty members’ professional and leadership development will be particularly valuable; and
• Flexible, creative, resourceful.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Director of Faculty Development and Career Enhancement at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date: December 02, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 10, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes