Associate Provost

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Assumption University in Worcester, MA seeks an experienced Associate Provost to partner with the Provost and advance academic offerings aligned with Thrive. The role provides leadership across colleges, centers, and departments, overseeing budgets, hiring, and program assessment.

Key responsibilities include strategic planning with cabinet, faculty development, and accreditation coordination, leveraging institutional data and IT partnerships for digital learning initiatives.

Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or doctorate from a non-profit, accredited university.
• Earned tenure and promotion to at least the associate professor rank at a non-profit, accredited university.
• Experience in recruitment, hiring, and evaluation of faculty and staff in academic affairs.
• Familiarity with shared governance.
• Experience managing and leading an academic unit including budgeting and evaluation of faculty and staff.
• Experience working with institutional data and strategic planning and metrics.
• Demonstrated organizational leadership skills, including strategic planning, team development, and process management.
• Demonstrated experience building and monitoring academic budgets.
• Familiarity with high impact practices and faculty development.
• Understanding the role of digital learning, AI, and instructional technology in higher education.
• Experience working with curricular development and oversight in a university setting.
• Ability to provide professional development initiatives for faculty and staff in academic affairs.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the provost and program directors, department chairpersons, and university librarian to make budget requests and provide oversight of all academic budgets.
• Collaborate with the provost and CFO on annual budgets for Academic Affairs operating, capital, and salary budgets.
• Collaborate on strategic priorities with cabinet members and division leaders, including the Academic Support Center, Student Accessibility Services, Emmanual D’Alzon Library, Campus Ministry, Denecker Career Development and Internship Center, Office of the Registrar, and Institutional Research.
• Provide oversight of faculty recruitment, hiring, and evaluation processes.
• Provide oversight of academic affairs staff and staff and faculty annual reviews.
• Collaborate with the President’s Cabinet, the Provost and Deans/Librarian on academic assessment and accreditation issues and compliance.
• Work closely with Institutional Research to provide academic affairs and faculty appropriate and verifiable institutional data.
• Work with IT on instructional technology and digital learning.
• Engage with the provost, other academic leadership, and faculty in strategic planning for academic affairs and the university.
• Partner with the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence to provide faculty development for faculty members.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the provost.

Skills

Budget management

Faculty recruitment

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Academic leadership

Digital learning

Education

Ph.D. or Doctorate

Job description

Overview

Assumption University (AU) is a private Catholic liberal arts institution sponsored by the Augustinians of the Assumption. We are a diverse community that welcomes different points of view and pursues the harmony of faith and reason in the pursuit of truth. Our programs educate students to become thoughtful citizens with intellectual seriousness who are prepared for meaningful careers and service to the common good. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, AU serves approximately 2,000 full‑time undergraduate and graduate students across five schools and colleges, with an average class size of 18 and a broad set of academic programs. AU competes athletically in NCAA Division II and emphasizes high standards of academic and personal achievement.

Discrimination Statement: In compliance with federal and state laws, AU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and other legally protected statuses in admission, access, treatment, or employment in its programs and activities.

Opportunity Proposition

AU seeks an experienced, energetic, outgoing, and collaborative academic leader who will partner with the provost and key constituents to advance and assess the university’s academic offerings in line with its strategic plan, Thrive.

Principal Responsibility

The associate provost reports to the provost and is responsible for supporting the provost and AU’s academic colleges, schools, centers, and departments in providing leadership for the operational, strategic, diversity, and assurance goals of the academic areas of the university. The associate provost serves as a key liaison among departments and divisions. The associate provost oversees strategic planning, recruitment, evaluation, hiring and mentoring of faculty members, and monitors programmatic assessment and professional accreditations. The associate provost accesses and utilizes institutional and market data to assess program strength and opportunities for growth and/or innovation.

Specific Duties

1. Collaborate with the provost and program directors, department chairpersons, and university librarian to make budget requests and provide oversight of all academic budgets.
2. Collaborate with the provost and CFO on annual budgets for Academic Affairs operating, capital, and salary budgets.
3. Collaborate on strategic priorities with cabinet members and division leaders, including the Academic Support Center, Student Accessibility Services, Emmanual D’Alzon Library, Campus Ministry, Denecker Career Development and Internship Center, Office of the Registrar, and Institutional Research.
4. Provide oversight of faculty recruitment, hiring, and evaluation processes.
5. Provide oversight of academic affairs staff and staff and faculty annual reviews.
6. Collaborate with the President’s Cabinet, the Provost and Deans/Librarian on academic assessment and accreditation issues and compliance.
7. Work closely with Institutional Research to provide academic affairs and faculty appropriate and verifiable institutional data.
8. Work with IT on instructional technology and digital learning.
9. Engage with the provost, other academic leadership, and faculty in strategic planning for academic affairs and the university.
10. Partner with the D’Amour Center for Teaching Excellence to provide faculty development for faculty members.
11. Performs other duties as assigned by the provost.

Professional and Personal Profile and Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or doctorate from a non-profit, accredited university in one of the disciplines taught at Assumption University.
• Earned tenure and promotion to at least the associate professor rank at a non-profit, accredited university.
• Demonstrated experience in recruitment, hiring, and evaluation of faculty and staff in academic affairs.
• Familiarity with shared governance.
• Demonstrated experience in managing and leading an academic unit such as a disciplinary department, Honors program, Core Curriculum, interdisciplinary program, or other area that included budgeting and evaluation of faculty and staff.
• Experience working with institutional data and strategic planning and metrics to improve engagement, outcomes, and operational effectiveness.
• Demonstrated organizational leadership skills, including strategic planning, team development, and process management.
• Demonstrated experience building and monitoring academic budgets.
• Familiarity with high impact practices and faculty development.
• Understanding the role of digital learning, AI, and instructional technology in higher education.
• Experience working with curricular development and oversight in a university setting.
• Ability to provide professional development initiatives for faculty and staff in academic affairs. Experience as a dean or associate dean is a plus.

Dispositional Qualities

• A willingness to collaborate.
• Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to inspire trust, accountability, collaboration, and shared ownership.
• Effective communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to engage effectively with students, faculty, staff, alumni, employers, and senior leaders.
• Appreciation for the value of Catholic liberal education.

Additional Requirements: Ph.D. or Doctorate required. Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. Applicants must submit a CV, cover letter, and a list of three references. Finalists must provide an official copy of their transcripts upon invitation for an on-campus interview. Position open until filled; for first consideration, applications should be received no later than July 24, 2026. Anticipated Start Date: August 17, 2026. Anticipated Salary range: $175,000 – $185,000.