Department/Organization
217101 - HES Dean's Office
Rank
Professor
Position Summary
The College of Human Environmental Sciences invites applications for the position of Senior Associate Dean. This is open for HES College Faculty Only.
Detailed Position Information
The College of Human Environmental Sciences invites applications for the position of Senior Associate Dean. This full-time, 12-month administrative appointment is open to tenured Professors within the College. Reporting directly to the Dean, the Senior Associate Dean serves as a key member of the College leadership team, provides leadership in faculty affairs, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and college administration, and contributes to long-term planning and policy development for the College. The Senior Associate Dean works collaboratively with faculty, staff, department chairs, and university administrators to advance the College's mission and strategic priorities.
Key Areas of Responsibility
Faculty Affairs
• Lead faculty promotion, tenure, reappointment, annual review, post-tenure review, and evaluation processes.
• Provide guidance to faculty and department chairs regarding academic advancement, workload, professional development, and University policies.
• Support faculty recruitment, onboarding, startup, retention, recognition, and retirement activities.
• Coordinate faculty governance processes, committee appointments, and leadership development initiatives.
Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
• Coordinate strategic planning, assessment, and continuous improvement efforts across the College.
• Analyze and report data that support planning, decision-making, and institutional effectiveness.
• Monitor progress toward College goals and key performance indicators.
• Coordinate annual reporting, faculty award nominations, and other institutional recognition initiatives.
College Administration and Strategic Initiatives
• Advise and support the Dean on matters related to College operations, policy implementation, and strategic priorities.
• Coordinate responses to University initiatives, reporting requirements, and special projects.
• Represent the College on University committees, councils, and task forces.
• Serve as a liaison between the College and key University offices.
College Engagement and Special Projects
• Lead and support special initiatives on behalf of the Dean.
• Assist with major College events, recognition programs, and leadership activities.
• Foster collaboration among departments and administrative units.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean.
Minimum Qualifications
• Earned doctorate in a discipline represented within the College.
• Tenured faculty member within CHES at the rank of Professor.
• Demonstrated record of achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service.
• Evidence of effective academic leadership and administrative experience.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience supporting faculty success, strategic planning, assessment, or related initiatives.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituencies across the University.
Preferred Qualifications
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Applications will be accepted until October 22, 2026. Review of applications and interviews will begin following the close of the application period. The starting date for this position is January 1, 2027. Applicants should submit: • A letter of interest addressing your relevant accomplishments and qualifications for the position and • A current curriculum vitae For questions regarding the position or application process, please contact Dr. Robb Nielsen at rbnielsen@ches.ua.edu The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged.
About the Division/College/School
At the College of Human Environmental Sciences, we empower students to bring about positive change in the world. Our faculty conduct advanced research, provide outreach and prepare a new generation of professionals with a shared goal of improving lives.
CHES brings together a wide range of disciplines which focus on the interaction between individuals, families and the environment. Five distinct departments cover a multitude of human science programs that help individuals across the lifespan improve their mental, physical and financial well-being. We touch people’s lives in the home, at school, in the workplace, at the dinner table, on the athletic field, and in a myriad of other arenas.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
