Chair, Department of Pharmacology

University of California, Davis; Davis (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Davis seeks a Chair of Pharmacology to lead the department’s scientific direction, education and research strategy within the School of Medicine. The Chair will work with school leadership to align basic science and clinical programs and drive high-impact translational work.

The role requires a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent terminal degree, a distinguished research portfolio with NIH or similar funding, and a proven record in academic leadership, collaboration, and

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership across a research-intensive department.
• Breadth in pharmacology, drug discovery, and computational fluency.
• Record of NIH or comparable extramural funding.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic vision for the department’s scientific direction.
• Recruit, retain, mentor and develop faculty, trainees and staff; conduct annual reviews.
• Oversee finances, operations, personnel, space and research infrastructure with transparency.

Skills

Leadership

Pharmacology

Research strategy

Mentoring

Academic administration

Fundraising

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Ph.D., M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree

Job description

Reporting directly to the Dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, the Chair of Pharmacology will work closely with the Vice Dean for Basic Sciences to advance a strategic vision to create an institutional ecosystem which enables truly innovative, high-risk yet high-impact, ground-breaking discovery across the School of Medicine (SOM)’s basic sciences and pre-clinical departments. The incoming Chair will also work closely with the Vice Dean for Research and Vice Dean for Basic Sciences in aligning departmental research support and coordinating the department’s research goals with the SOM’s overarching research strategy. In support of the SOM and Department’s strong educational programs, the Chair will partner with the Vice Dean for Medical Education to ensure alignment of preclinical curriculum design, faculty teaching loads, and student competencies with institutional standards. In addition to these key relationships, the Chair will also work closely with other institutional leaders across UC Davis SOM's basic science and clinical departments, centers and institutes, and other UC Davis schools and colleges, such as the School of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and more.

Across all missions of the Department, the Chair will serve as the senior strategic, scientific and operational leader. They will lead the team’s educational and research programmatic growth, crafting a compelling scientific vision and strategy for the Department. The Chair is currently supported by a Department Executive Advisory Group which consists of the Chief Administrative Officer, Vice Chair for Education, Vice Chair of Academic Development, and Vice Chair for Research and Administration who work together closely when making any major departmental decisions. The Chair also acts as the Department’s primary representative, managing external relationships with community partners, funding agencies, regulatory bodies, and potential donors.

The Chair holds administrative responsibility for all academic affairs of the department and provides strategic, academic and financial leadership across its research, education and service missions. Key responsibilities include:

• Developing and executing a strategic vision for the department’s scientific direction, in partnership with faculty and School of Medicine leadership
• Recruiting, retaining, mentoring and developing outstanding faculty, trainees and staff, and conducting rigorous, equitable annual review
• Overseeing the Department's finances, operations, personnel, space and research infrastructure with transparency, discipline and an entrepreneurial mindset
• Advocating for Department resources using evidence and scenario planning, including faculty support, research infrastructure, and laboratory space
• Supporting faculty in securing sustained federal, foundation, industry and philanthropic funding, including large-scale collaborative and programmatic awards
• Overseeing the quality of pharmacology teaching across medical, graduate and undergraduate programs, and strengthening interdisciplinary training
• Promoting meaningful mentorship, career development and interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students, trainees and junior faculty
• Fostering collaboration across departments, graduate groups, centers, other UC Davis schools and colleges, and industry partners
• Representing the department to the Dean’s office, university leadership, funding agencies and the broader scientific community

The candidate must be eligible to hold an appointment at the Full Professor level. As a faculty member, responsibilities include clinical service in the area of specialty, as applicable; teaching medical students and post-graduate trainees; conducting bench/clinical/translational research leading to peer-reviewed publication; and University service. All responsibilities will be further determined based on faculty series.

• Ph.D., M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline. The ideal candidate will have expertise across a breadth of pharmacology, drug discovery, and computational fluency.
• Academic credentials qualifying for appointment as Professor in the ladder-rank series with tenure; rank and tenure status will be determined by the successful candidate's qualifications.
• An internationally recognized, active research program with a sustained record of independent NIH or comparable extramural funding.
• A distinguished record in research, teaching and mentoring, and demonstrated academic administrative or leadership experience.
• A track record of building vigorous, competitive research programs and of recruiting and developing faculty.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively, collegially, and to build durable relationships with faculty, staff, students and institutional leadership.
• Progressively responsible leadership experience in a research-intensive, complex organizational environment, preferably within a basic science department, research institute, or similarly matrixed academic medical center.
• Fluency with the evolving federal and philanthropic research funding landscape, including its near- and long-term risks and opportunities.