CHAIR & ASO/FULL PROF

Candidates must possess:
• An M.D., D.O., or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
• Board certification in a surgical specialty appropriate to the department.
• Eligibility for medical licensure in the State of Florida.
• Qualifications for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in either the clinical or tenure-accruing track.
• A distinguished record of clinical excellence, academic achievement, scholarly activity, and educational leadership.
• Significant leadership experience, such as serving as a division chief, vice chair, associate chair, department chair, or in a comparable leadership role, with demonstrated responsibility for strategic planning, faculty affairs, financial management, and operational oversight.

The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville (UF COM-J) invites applications and nominations for the position of Chair, Department of Surgery.

The Department

The Department of Surgery is a dynamic and nationally recognized academic department committed to excellence in patient care, education, research, and service to the community. The department provides a broad range of surgical services and serves as a major referral resource for patients throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.

The department encompasses seven major divisions: Acute Care Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Vascular Surgery. With expertise spanning general and specialty surgery, trauma, surgical oncology, and complex surgical care, the department is well positioned for continued growth and innovation across its clinical, academic, and research missions.

The department provides inpatient and outpatient surgical services at multiple locations and is closely integrated with UF Health Jacksonville, the region’s academic health center and tertiary referral hospital. A defining strength of the department is its leadership of UF Health TraumaOne, which is the only adult and pediatric Level I trauma program in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia and provides comprehensive care for patients with complex and life-threatening injuries.

The Department of Surgery has a robust educational mission. It sponsors a five-year, ACGME-accredited General Surgery Residency Program that provides broad operative and clinical experiences, including trauma, emergency general surgery, surgical critical care, vascular surgery, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, breast surgery, minimally invasive surgery, pediatric surgery, and plastic surgery. The department also offers fellowship training in complex gastrointestinal surgery, surgical critical care, advanced rhinology and endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery, laryngology, and medical otorhinolaryngology. 

The department is also committed to advancing surgical knowledge through clinical research, faculty scholarship, translational research, and collaboration across the University of Florida. Its research enterprise includes clinical research and opportunities for faculty and trainees to engage in innovative investigations that improve surgical care and patient outcomes.

With a broad clinical footprint, nationally significant trauma and surgical programs, a strong graduate medical education enterprise, and a highly accomplished faculty, the Department of Surgery is well positioned for continued growth and innovation across its clinical, academic, educational, and research missions.

The Opportunity

The Chair will join a strong and collaborative leadership team committed to advancing the academic, clinical, educational, and research missions of UF Health Jacksonville and the University of Florida. The continued growth of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, combined with the statewide reputation, resources, and academic strength of UF Health, creates significant opportunities for the Chair to expand surgical services, strengthen centers of excellence, develop innovative models of care, advance surgical research, enhance graduate medical education, and elevate the department’s regional and national reputation.

The Chair will provide strategic and operational leadership for the department and will be responsible for advancing its clinical, academic, research, and educational missions. The Chair will work closely with faculty, division chiefs, department leadership, hospital and health system leaders, and University partners to identify opportunities for growth, strengthen collaboration, and ensure alignment with the broader priorities of UF COM-J and UF Health.

A particular opportunity for the next Chair will be to lead the continued development and strategic growth of the department’s surgical enterprise throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. This includes strengthening existing surgical programs, expanding access to advanced and specialized surgical care, optimizing the integration of inpatient and outpatient services, and identifying opportunities for growth across the department’s diverse clinical divisions.

The next Chair will also have the opportunity to build upon the department’s significant trauma and acute care surgery infrastructure, including UF Health TraumaOne, while strengthening multidisciplinary partnerships and developing innovative approaches to complex surgical care.

The Chair will be expected to foster an environment that supports clinical excellence while advancing the department’s academic and research profile, strengthening surgical education, and recruiting and developing the next generation of surgical leaders.

University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville

The UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville is the largest of the three University of Florida health colleges located on the approximately 110-acre UF Health Jacksonville campus. The College’s 16 clinical science departments include more than 500 faculty members and 450 residents and fellows. The College sponsors 39 accredited graduate medical education programs and serves as a major regional campus for the University of Florida College of Medicine, providing third- and fourth-year medical student clerkships and electives.

The College is an integral part of UF Health Jacksonville, an academic health center providing tertiary and quaternary care to patients throughout Northeast Florida and the surrounding region. The College’s faculty are engaged across the full continuum of clinical care, medical education, research, and community service.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Medicine – Jacksonville, the Chair will have overall responsibility for the leadership, strategic direction, administration, and performance of the Department of Surgery.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and advancing a compelling strategic vision for the department that aligns with the priorities of UF COM-J and UF Health.
• Leading the continued growth, integration, and strategic development of surgical services across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
• Strengthening the department’s clinical programs and centers of excellence while identifying opportunities for new programs and services.
• Advancing the department’s academic and research missions, including clinical research, translational research, scholarly activity, and external funding.
• Supporting the continued development and excellence of UF Health TraumaOne and the department’s acute care, trauma, and surgical critical care programs.
• Fostering excellence in graduate medical education and strengthening the department’s residency and fellowship programs.
• Recruiting, retaining, mentoring, and developing talented faculty and future surgical leaders.
• Promoting a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Strengthening partnerships across surgical divisions, departments, specialties, the College, UF Health, and the broader Jacksonville medical community.
• Providing effective fiscal and administrative oversight of the department and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
• Supporting quality, safety, patient experience, access, and operational excellence across the department’s clinical enterprise.
• Developing strategies to enhance faculty productivity, engagement, professional development, and academic advancement.
• Representing the department effectively within the University, health system, professional organizations, and broader community.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance the department’s regional, national, and academic reputation.

The next Chair will have an exceptional opportunity to build upon the Department of Surgery’s strong clinical, academic, and educational foundation while shaping its future growth and impact across Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia, and beyond. The Chair will lead a highly specialized surgical enterprise with the opportunity to further strengthen its reputation for clinical excellence, surgical education, research, innovation, and service to the region.

Salary commensurate with experience and training.

Candidates must possess:

• An M.D., D.O., or equivalent degree from an accredited institution.
• Board certification in a surgical specialty appropriate to the department.
• Eligibility for medical licensure in the State of Florida.
• Qualifications for appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor in either the clinical or tenure-accruing track.
• A distinguished record of clinical excellence, academic achievement, scholarly activity, and educational leadership.
• Significant leadership experience, such as serving as a division chief, vice chair, associate chair, department chair, or in a comparable leadership role, with demonstrated responsibility for strategic planning, faculty affairs, financial management, and operational oversight.

Desired Attributes

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished physician leader with a clear vision for the future of academic surgery and a demonstrated ability to translate that vision into meaningful clinical, academic, and organizational results.

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in patient care, medical education, research, and faculty development.
• Have a track record of recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining high-performing faculty.
• Bring experience leading growth and transformation within a complex academic or integrated health system environment.
• Demonstrate strong financial, operational, and organizational leadership skills.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, accountability, and innovation.
• Champion interdisciplinary and cross-organizational partnerships to improve patient care and advance the academic mission.
• Demonstrate a commitment to quality improvement, patient safety, and health equity.
• Have experience advancing graduate medical education and developing future physician and surgical leaders.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the unique clinical, educational, and operational requirements of a comprehensive academic surgical department.
• Have experience developing or expanding clinical programs and centers of excellence within a competitive healthcare environment.
• Be well positioned to expand the department’s clinical, academic, research, and educational footprint throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
• Possess national recognition and active engagement in professional societies and academic organizations, which are highly desirable.

The executive search firm Spencer Stuart has been retained to assist in this recruitment.  Application, nominations and inquiries may be sent to TSorota@Spencer.com.  Review of application will begin immediately and will continue until position is filled.

The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under the Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-2HRS or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.