Careers at Virginia Tech

The Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology (FST) seeks an accomplished, energetic and visionary leader for the position of Department Head. Responsibilities of the Department Head include leadership of all departmental programs and administrative responsibility for strategic planning, fiscal management, and human resources including: recruitment; development and advancement; and retention of faculty, staff, and students. The Department Head will advocate for FST within and outside the university, and actively secure resources to strengthen its mission. The best-fit individual will foster excellence in teaching, research, and extension and encourage a positive, collegial climate and participatory decision-making process within the department. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success and distinction in one or more of the disciplines in food science either in academic, government/regulatory or industry organizations. The ideal candidate will also have a transformational leadership style, utilizing engagement and open communication to facilitate positive change and impact. FST’s next leader is expected to build upon the existing momentum within the food sciences for departmental growth and unification, student training, procuring extramural funding and strengthening research, teaching, extension, outreach, and alumni engagement. This position reports directly to the Dean and is administratively and faculty-reviewed every five years.

The Department of Food Science & Technology (FST) is one of the core units in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). FST is dedicated to the tripartite land grant mission of teaching, research and extension and is the home department of 28 faculty members in the tenure track, collegiate, professor of practice, extension specialist, and administrative ranks and 7 staff. FST offers an undergraduate B.S. degree in Food Science & Technology, a thesis-based M.S. in Life Science in Food Science & Technology and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology. Additionally, we participate in the CALS Online Masters in Agriculture and Life Sciences (OMALS). Presently, the FST Department has 125 undergraduate and ~40 graduate students. The Department manages a base budget (state and federal capacity) of over $2.9M and a growing research portfolio of projects totaling nearly $2.6M annually. FST’s comprehensive Extension programs, led by 10 faculty, support safe, high quality food production from field to table in Virginia and beyond.

Doctorate in food science and technology or related field; Record of academic and/or professional achievement commensurate with a tenured appointment at the rank of professor; Evidence of visionary leadership and strategic planning in academic, industry, regulatory, or government organizations; Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the three missions of a land grant university: excellence in teaching, research, and extension/outreach; Demonstrated experience in the leadership of people, projects, and consensus building; Effectiveness in personnel management, interpersonal and stakeholder communication, and financial and physical resources; Excellent organizational and communication skills; A commitment to Virginia Tech's Principles of Community.

Experience at or with land-grant university activities and goals; Experience with the unique administrative structures, student demographics, and accreditation standards of US higher education institutions; Demonstrated ability to secure extramural funding, including through institutional advancement and development.

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

Commensurate with Experience

40

12/08/2026

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.