Chair & Executive Director, Social Work Programs

University of Kentucky; Lexington (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kentucky, College of Social Work (CoSW) seeks a Chair and Executive Director of Social Work Programs at the Associate Professor or Professor level with tenure. This leader provides strategic oversight for BASW, MSW, DSW, PhD, and certificate programs and guides academic excellence across modalities.

Reporting to the Dean, the Chair advances the college's vision through academic leadership, faculty development, student success, and community engagement, while managing resources

Qualifications

• Record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure.
• Strong potential for securing external funding and producing high-quality scholarship.
• Ability to foster, develop, and maintain positive professional relationships with local, state, federal, and private social work focused agencies/organizations/associations.

Responsibilities

• Leads Strategic Growth and Innovation: Develops and implements the strategic vision for the College’s social work programs.
• Advances Faculty Success: Recruits, mentors, supervises, and evaluates faculty and instructional personnel.
• Promotes Academic Excellence: Oversees BASW, MSW, DSW, PhD, and certificate programs; ensures CSWE/SACSCOC compliance.
• Supports Student Success: Partners with admissions, advising, practicum, recruitment, and student success.
• Strengthens Community Impact: Develops relationships with agencies, alumni, professional organizations, and community partners.
• Manages Resources for Organizational Success: Oversees personnel, budgeting, operational planning, and resource allocation.

Education

An earned doctorate in Social Work from an accredited institution

An earned Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program

Job description

Chair and Executive Director - Associate or Professor in Social Work

Job Title Chair and Executive Director - Associate or Professor in Social Work

Requisition Number

Requisition Number FE04968

Working Title

Working Title Chair and Executive Director in Social Work

Department Name

Department Name 8T110:College of Social Work

Work Location

Work Location Lexington, KY

Type of Position

Type of Position Faculty

Position Time Status

Position Time Status Full-Time

Required Education

• An earned doctorate in Social Work from an accredited institution
• An earned Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE -accredited program

Required Related Experience

A record of teaching, scholarship, and service commensurate with appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure. Strong potential for securing external funding and producing high-quality scholarship. Ability to foster, develop, and/or maintain positive professional relationships with local, state, federal, and private social work focused agencies/organizations/associations.

Required License/Registration/Certification

n/a

Job Summary

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY , COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK (CoSW) is a renowned leader in higher education. Our mission is clear: Through rigorous research, excellence in instruction, and steadfast service, the CoSW works to improve the human condition. Always, in all ways.

As the state’s flagship university, CoSW is committed to actualizing our mission through innovative, accessible academic programming. CoSW is home to several undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, including: Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice (traditional and online), Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (traditional and online), Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (traditional and online), Master of Science in Criminal Justice (online), Master of Social Work (hybrid and online), Doctorate of Social Work (online), Ph.D. in Social Work (traditional), and multiple certificate programs. In addition to Lexington’s main campus, we have a satellite campus at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

The Chair and Executive Director of Social Work Programs serves as the chief academic and administrative leader for the College’s social work educational enterprise. The Chair provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for all aspects of the College’s social work programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, Master of Social Work, Doctorate of Social Work, Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work, and related certificate programs.

Reporting directly to the Dean and serving as a member of the College leadership team, the Chair and Executive Director advances the College’s strategic vision through academic leadership, faculty development, student success, community engagement, operational excellence, and organizational growth.

Primary responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to:

Leads Strategic Growth and Innovation

• Develops and implements the strategic vision for the College’s social work programs.
• Guides academic innovation and program growth across modalities.
• Uses workforce, enrollment, and market data to inform planning.
• Identifies opportunities for new educational initiatives.

Advances Faculty Success

• Recruits, mentors, supervises, and evaluates faculty and instructional personnel.
• Supports promotion, tenure, annual review, and workload planning.
• Supports faculty leadership development.
• Cultivates a collaborative faculty culture.

Promotes Academic Excellence

• Oversees BASW , MSW , DSW , PhD, and certificate programs.
• Supports curriculum innovation.
• Ensures compliance with CSWE and SACSCOC .
• Promotes instructional quality across all modalities.

Supports Student Success

• Partners with admissions, advising, practicum, recruitment, and student success.
• Advances recruitment, retention, persistence, and graduation initiatives.

Strengthens Community Impact

• Develops relationships with agencies, alumni, professional organizations, and community partners.
• Supports fundraising and workforce partnerships.
• Expands community-engaged scholarship and education.

Manages Resources for Organizational Success

• Oversees personnel, budgeting, operational planning, and resource allocation.
• Collaborates with College leadership to advance strategic priorities.

The University’s mission involves three primary functions across our faculty cohort: instruction, research, and service. Each year, various ranking faculty work with the Office of the Dean to delineate their distribution of effort ( DOE ). This DOE outlines how faculty will spend their time. In general, DOE for faculty members in the Regular Title Series typically includes allocations in the areas of instruction, research, and service. The DOE for the Chair and Executive Director is subject to negotiation but we anticipate roughly 70% Administration, 25% research and 5% service.

Of course, the DOE can fluctuate depending on an array of factors (e.g., grant funding, new course development, service to the college, etc.). It is expected that work in this faculty appointment, including but not limited to course instruction, office hours, administrative meetings, and attending college-wide events such as faculty meetings, will occur on-site.

Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with many rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits .

Applicants should submit:

• Curriculum Vitae (upload as resume)

• Letter of Interest describing qualifications, leadership philosophy, and alignment with the position (upload as cover letter)

• Contact information for at least three professional references (upload as Special Request #1)

• Statement addressing administrative leadership, program development, and commitment to excellence and collaboration (upload as Special Request #2)

We anticipate this search will run from October 2026 through April 2027. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until positions are filled.

Inquiries about the position can be emailed to [e-mail].

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes

Preferred Education/Experience

WE ARE SEEKING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO POSSESSES :

• Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education, academic administration, community-engaged organizations, or related professional settings
• Experience providing executive-level leadership, including strategic planning, operational oversight, organizational leadership, and collaborative decision-making
• Evidence of successful collaboration across interdisciplinary, professional, and community contexts
• Experience supporting faculty development, mentorship, leadership cultivation, and program growth
• A commitment to fostering excellence through a wide range of perspectives, methodologies, lived experiences, and approaches to scholarship, teaching, and service
• Experience with CSWE accreditation standards and processes
• Experience overseeing curriculum assessment, instructional coordination, and supervision of instructional personnel

Deadline to Apply

Open Until Filled Yes

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

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