Dean, College of Engineering

University of Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits

Job summary

University of Arizona invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Engineering, a pivotal leadership role to guide Engineering into its next era of excellence and impact.

The Dean will serve as the public face of the College with strong financial leadership, fundraising, and external partnerships, advancing education, research, and practice across disciplines.

Qualifications

• Holds a terminal degree in a relevant field and has a distinguished record of academic accomplishment as a tenured professor or has a significant record of accomplishment in industry service.
• Possesses significant experience in academic leadership and administration or industry leadership and administration.
• Possesses significant experience building relationships with external partners, donors, industry leaders, boards, and community stakeholders, including nationally and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Leads a clear and actionable vision to enable Engineering to differentiate itself from local, national, and international competitors.
• Oversees all academic programs, operations, and initiatives within the College to ensure excellence in instruction and assessment, research, and service.
• Creates and maintains organizational structures and practices within the College that advance its goals and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
• Provides visionary yet disciplined financial leadership, thoughtfully balancing the pursuit of growth and innovation with responsible stewardship of the College's resources.
• Strengthens initiatives that improve student persistence, academic progression, retention, and timely graduation, particularly for students facing academic or financial barriers.
• Promotes and supports research and scholarly activities among the faculty and students, ensuring ethical conduct and integrity.
• Builds strong relationships with university leadership and colleagues to advance the College's interests and secure the resources and support needed for its success.

Job description

Dean, College of Engineering

Posting Details

Posting Number req27548

Department Engineering Administration

Department Website Link https://engineering.arizona.edu

Location Tucson Campus

Address Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The University of Arizona (U of A) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Engineering. This is a pivotal opportunity for a visionary and strategic leader to guide Engineering into its next era of excellence and impact.

The University of Arizona is one of the world's preeminent public research universities and the most prestigious institution in the American Southwest. The state's flagship, land-grant university, and a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), the U of A serves more than 75,000 students across 20 colleges and advances more than $1 billion in annual research. Arizona is guided by its three Strategic Imperatives: Success for Every Student, Research that Shapes the Future, and Engagement with Our Communities to Create Opportunity.

This leader will serve as the public face of the College, providing innovative and visionary academic leadership; exhibiting strong financial management; leading the pursuit of excellence in education, research, and practice; championing recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students; promote interdisciplinary collaborations; cultivating community relations and expanding existing local and global partnerships; investing in resource development fundraising; and enhancing the reputation of the College of Engineering.

The ideal candidate will embody the University of Arizona's land-grant mission and commitment to serving the people of Arizona through improving quality of life through research, service and educational excellence that fosters the next generation of adaptive leaders.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

Duties & Responsibilities

Essential Duties

• Leads a clear and actionable vision to enable Engineering to differentiate itself from local, national, and international competitors.
• Oversees all academic programs, operations, and initiatives within the College to ensure excellence in instruction and assessment, research, and service.
• Creates and maintains organizational structures and practices within the College that advance its goals and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
• Provides visionary yet disciplined financial leadership, thoughtfully balancing the pursuit of growth and innovation with responsible stewardship of the College's resources.
• Strengthens initiatives that improve student persistence, academic progression, retention, and timely graduation, particularly for students facing academic or financial barriers.
• Promotes and supports research and scholarly activities among the faculty and students, ensuring ethical conduct and integrity.
• Builds strong relationships with university leadership and colleagues to advance the College's interests and secure the resources and support needed for its success.

Key Competencies

• Strategic and Financial Acumen: Demonstrates strong strategic planning skills and financial management expertise.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Requires strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills to work effectively with faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders.
• Vision: Has a forward-looking vision that aligns with the College of Engineering's vision and mission, and the ability to articulate it clearly.

Minimum Qualifications

• Holds a terminal degree in a relevant field and has a distinguished record of academic accomplishment as a tenured professor or has a significant record of accomplishment in industry service.
• Possesses significant experience in academic leadership and administration or industry leadership and administration.
• Possesses significant experience building relationships with external partners, donors, industry leaders, boards, and community stakeholders, including nationally and internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Possesses significant experience in academic leadership and administration within a research university setting.
• Possesses significant experience leading faculty in an interdisciplinary environment and building relationships with alumni.
• Experience running a research lab.

Employment Details

FLSA Exempt

Full Time/Part Time Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week 40

Job FTE 1.0

Work Calendar Fiscal

Job Category Academic Administration

Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay DOE

Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required: Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to job duties)

Number of Vacancies 1

Open Dates

Open Date 11/3/2026

Open Until Filled Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover Letter

Contact Information for Candidates

Lisa Gundy,
Director, Human Resources
[e-mail]

Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University's campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at [e-mail].