Academic Department Head

New Mexico State University; Las Cruces (NM); On-site; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

New Mexico State University invites applications for the Academic Department Head of Kinesiology in Las Cruces. The role leads the department’s direction, including teaching, research, and service, and requires strong administrative and strategic planning skills.

The Head will oversee budgeting, personnel, accreditation, and program development while collaborating with a wide range of college and university leaders to advance graduate and undergraduate education and expand research capacity in

Qualifications

• An earned doctorate in kinesiology or closely related discipline.
• Qualifications sufficient for tenure as Associate Professor or Professor at NMSU.
• Demonstrated academic leadership at an accredited institution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the department's chief academic and administrative officer.
• Provide collaborative leadership across teaching, research, and service.
• Recruit, mentor, and retain faculty and staff; oversee budgeting and operations.
• Maintain accreditation and drive program assessment and improvement.
• Foster external funding and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Skills

Academic leadership

Fundraising

Communication skills

Education

Earned doctorate in kinesiology

Job description

• 503848
• Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
• Faculty
• 12-Month Faculty Full-Time
• Closing at: Sep 18 2026 - 23:55 MDT

Department Contact: Christopher Aiken, [e-mail], [phone] Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Advertising Summary

The College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation (HEST) at New Mexico State University invites nominations and applications for the position of Department Head of Kinesiology. This is an opportunity to lead a thriving academic department that combines outstanding faculty, exceptional students, nationally recognized academic programs, expanding research infrastructure, and a mission that directly improves the health and well-being of communities throughout the U.S.-Mexico Borderland. The successful candidate will join New Mexico State University at an exciting moment in its history. As New Mexico's land-grant university and a Carnegie-designated Research 1 institution, NMSU is committed to research excellence, student success, innovation, and public engagement. The Department of Kinesiology has experienced sustained growth in enrollment, academic programming, and research capacity, and is well positioned for continued national prominence. The Department of Kinesiology combines many of the characteristics that outstanding academic leaders seek:

• a supportive college and university administration;
• exceptional faculty committed to teaching, scholarship, and service;
• approximately 600 undergraduate and graduate students;
• 17 full-time faculty members representing diverse areas of expertise;
• strong undergraduate, professional master's, and doctoral programs;
• significant recent investments in research and instructional facilities.

The next Department Head will inherit a department with tremendous momentum. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to recruit outstanding faculty, strengthen nationally recognized research programs, expand interdisciplinary collaborations, enhance graduate education, and position the department among the leading kinesiology programs in the western United States.

Position Details

Position Title: Academic Department Head College/Division: College of Hlth, Educ & Soc Trans Department: 350500-DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable)

Target Hourly/Salary Rate: $135,000 - 150,000, with a department head differential pay of $21,000 Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0 FLSA Status: Exempt Bargaining Unit Announcement: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Department Head serves as the department's chief academic and administrative officer and provides collaborative leadership that advances excellence across teaching, research, creative activity, clinical education, outreach, and service. The positions will have the opportunity to collaborate with the college’s Executive Council and help shape the administrative landscape of the college which includes a dean, two associate deans, nine academic units. Working closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and college leadership, the Department Head will

• articulate and implement a strategic vision for the department;
• support faculty success across teaching, scholarship, creative activity, and service;
• recruit, mentor, and retain outstanding faculty and staff;
• promote interdisciplinary research and external funding;
• strengthen undergraduate and graduate education;
• oversee budgeting, personnel, and departmental operations;
• maintain accreditation and continuous program improvement;
• cultivate partnerships across campus and throughout the Borderland; and
• foster a culture grounded in collaboration, innovation, transparency, accountability, and shared governance.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• An earned doctorate in kinesiology, exercise science, athletic training, physical education, sport science, biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor behavior, sport and exercise psychology, dance science, or a closely related discipline.
• Qualifications sufficient for appointment as a tenured Associate Professor or Professor at New Mexico State University and the Department of Kinesiology.
• Demonstrated academic leadership experience at an accredited institution of higher education.
• Evidence of excellence in research, teaching, and service appropriate for appointment with tenure.
• Experience supporting faculty development and student success.
• Demonstrated administrative experience that may include budgeting, personnel management, accreditation, assessment, curriculum development, strategic planning, or related leadership responsibilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.

Equivalent Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• leading multidisciplinary academic units;
• supporting doctoral education;
• mentoring faculty through promotion and tenure;
• securing external funding;
• leading accredited academic programs;
• fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations;
• supporting enrollment growth and academic innovation; and
• working at Research 1 universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, land-grant universities, or institutions serving diverse communities.

Special Certification/Licensure

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment. Physical Effort: Light physical effort. Effort applies to no more than two (2) hours per day. Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking. Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.

Recruitment Summary

We are New Mexico’s land-grant institution and a comprehensive research university dedicated to teaching, research public service and outreach at all levels. NMSU is a welcoming community of talented faculty, staff and students who are working together to make a difference. We are a NASA Space Grant College, a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), a minority-serving institution (MSI) and home to the first Honors College in New Mexico. We offer an accessible education that shapes bright futures. NMSU provides learning opportunities to a diverse population of students and community members at four campuses, Cooperative Extension offices located in each of New Mexico’s 33 counties, 12 research and science centers, and through distance education.

NMSU Global Campus

Since 1888, NMSU has proudly embodied this tradition, building relationships that last a lifetime while serving students who want to earn their degree and grow in their field. Today, NMSU Global Campus provides flexible, career-focused online education that helps our students transform their lives - and the lives of the people they love - through over 70 degree and certificate programs, skill-building microlearning courses, and career and talent development.

NMSU Main Campus

Located in Las Cruces, NM, New Mexico State University's 900-acre main campus is located at the crossroads of I-10 and I-25 in the Southwestern United States. As a thriving center of higher education, deeply rooted in the regional tradition, its role as a comprehensive university is recognized throughout the state.

Doña Ana Community College

Founded in 1973 in collaboration with local school districts to support occupational education, DACC is now a leading community college that provides transformative educational opportunities that meet the workforce needs of Doña Ana County. With a focus on access, innovation and excellence, DACC offers over ninety degrees and certificates, adult education, specialized workforce training, and small business assistance.

Alamogordo Campus

Established in 1958 to serve the needs of the airmen and families stationed at Holloman Air Force Base located only 10 miles west of Alamogordo, NMSUA is a community college with a long history of excellence that is supported by a caring community of hard-working students and dedicated faculty and staff. The campus is situated "on the hill" above Alamogordo and provides inspiring views of the city and the Tularosa Basin, offering the perfect venue for creative and motivated learning.

Grants Campus

NMSU Grants was established as a branch of New Mexico State University in 1968 through the cooperative efforts of New Mexico State University and Grants Municipal Schools. As a two-year branch community college, NMSU Grants serves the local communities in Cibola and McKinley counties, including the Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni, as well as Tohajiilee, San Mateo, San Rafael, Cubero, the City of Grants, and the Village of Milan.

EEO Statement

New Mexico State University does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Requesting an Accommodation

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and New Mexico State University policy, if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply, interview, or complete onboarding for a position with New Mexico State University, or if you cannot use the online application system, please visit our Accessibility & Accommodations page to initiate an accommodation request