Associate Dean, Aerospace and Business

Floridaairports; Lakeland (FL); On-site; USD 64,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Polk State College seeks an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development to provide leadership for its aerospace and business programs. The role oversees curriculum, faculty, staff, flight operations, and industry partnerships to advance program quality and safety.

Reporting to the Provost, you will drive accreditation compliance, workforce-focused learning, and industry collaboration to prepare graduates for careers in aviation, aerospace, and related fields through hands-on

Qualifications

• Master's degree in aerospace, aviation, or engineering from an accredited college with relevant business coursework.
• Eight+ years of aerospace-related experience.
• Experience leading academic departments and managing flight operations.
• Knowledge of FAA regulations and accreditation standards.
• Ability to build industry partnerships and coordinate external relations.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for aerospace and business departments and programs.
• Oversee curriculum development, assessment, and improvements.
• Supervise faculty and staff and manage enrollment and partnerships for field-based learning.
• Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and program accreditation.
• Engage with industry and government partners to strengthen program reputation.

Skills

Aviation accreditation

Academic leadership

Strategic planning

Industry partnerships

FAA compliance

Curriculum development

Staff mentoring

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in aerospace, aviation, or engineering

Ph.D. preferred in Aerospace or related field

MBA preferred

Job description

Salary: $63,738.00 - $82,135.00 Annually

Application Deadline: N/A

This position reports to the Provost of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development. The Associate Dean, Aerospaceand Business provides academic and operational leadership for Polk State College's aerospace and business programs.This position oversees curriculum, faculty, staff, flight operations, and continuing education and industry partnerships.This position is responsible for program quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across both the academic and flightoperations sides of the program. This position develops industry partnerships and integrates hands‑on learningopportunities with a focus on workforce development.

The Associate Dean works with faculty, students, and industry and government partners to strengthen the program'sreputation, support student recruitment, program matriculation (interest, recruitment, admission, registration, advising,academic progression/success, articulation participation, job placement, and alumni activity), and prepare graduates forcareers in aviation, aerospace, business and related fields.

Essential Functions/Duties

Academic leadership:

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for the aerospace and business departments and their academicprograms.
• Develop plans for the facilities to support faculty and program growth.
• Oversee curriculum development, assessment, and continuous improvement across aerospace and businessprograms.
• Manage the department's administrative and academic functions, including course assignments, enrollment, andpartnerships for field-based learning.
• Ensure programs maintain required academic accreditations and certifications.
• Support collaboration across Polk State College programs and academic disciplines.

Flight operations, safety, and compliance:

• Provide oversight of flight operations, including academic alignment, operational performance, and safety culture.
• Oversee the Safety Management System (SMS) and the ongoing improvement of flight training, simulation, andoperational infrastructure.
• Ensure compliance with FAA regulations, accreditation standards, and institutional risk management requirements.
• Align flight training capacity, staffing, and instructional quality with enrollment growth and academic qualitypriorities.
• Coordinate the program's financial and operational planning with college-wide financial and enrollmentmanagement and academic outcomes.

External relations and engagement:

• Represent the aerospace and business programs to industry partners, government agencies, students, faculty, alumni, and professional organizations.
• Build and maintain relationships with aviation, aerospace, and educational and business industry partners.
• Support student recruitment, retention, graduation, post‑graduation job placement, and alumni engagement.
• Support professional and continuing education initiatives aligned with industry needs.

Supervisory responsibilities:

• May supervise faculty, professional/technical, career, OPS, and work-study employees as assigned.

Required skills, knowledge, and abilities/duties:

• Experience in aviation accreditation, safety, and regulatory environments, including FAA-related programs, compliance frameworks, flight education, and flight operations or flightline management.
• Experience in academic leadership, including program-, department-, and college-level strategic planning and decision-making.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies in aviation, including advanced air mobility, unmanned systems, and relatedinnovation.
• Professional aviation credentials, flight experience, flightline management or maintenance experience, or relatedcertifications.
• Knowledge of curriculum development, instructional methods, and evaluation of professional developmentprograms.
• Experience recruiting, retaining, developing, evaluating, and mentoring qualified faculty.
• Strong oral and written communication skills for working with faculty, administrators, and external partners.
• Experience building and sustaining industry partnerships.
• Ability to manage departmental records and prepare reports according to college guidelines.

Working Conditions/Additional Information:

• This position is a full-time on-campus position located at our Airside East and/or Lakeland campuses; the positionwill travel between College and community locations as necessary. (Remote/hybrid options are not available.)
• Weekend and evening work may be required.
• Position may be required to work during College closures (such as winter/spring break and inclement weather closures).
• Reliable transportation is required for travel to campuses, centers, and community locations.
• Possession of a validFlorida’s Driver’s License is required (or must be eligible to obtain a Florida’s license within 30 days).
• Standard office work environment with potential for long periods of sitting and extended time at a computer.

This position will require the ability to lift at least 10 lbs.

Required Education:

• A Master's degree in aerospace, aviation, or engineering from an accredited college or university with relevantcoursework in business-related subject matter is required.

Preferred Education:

• An earned Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field (such as EngineeringMechanics or Materials Science) from an accredited institution with relevant coursework in business-relatedsubject matter is preferred.
• An MBA with relevant graduate coursework in aerospace, aviation, engineering, or business is preferred.

Required Experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years of professional work experience in aerospace programming or a closely related field.
• A relevant combination of documented success with project management, business operations, academicprogramming, class instruction, or training administration is required
• Demonstrated effective professional leadership with progressively increasing leadership responsibilities duringfield-specific employment is required.