Dean of Engineering — Lead Innovation & Industry Impact

AFE; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Charlotte seeks a Dean for the William States Lee College of Engineering to guide strategy, growth, and external partnerships. The dean reports to academic leadership and oversees programs, research, and industry engagement on campus.

The role requires a doctorate, a distinguished scholarly record, and proven administrative leadership to advance education, research, and workforce development in Charlotte and the region.

Qualifications

• Doctorate or terminal degree in an engineering discipline.
• Distinguished academic record with qualifications for tenure and professorship.
• Demonstrated administrative leadership and institutional management.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and operational leadership for all college activities.
• Lead innovation and collaboration across disciplines and industry.
• Oversee academic programs, research, and workforce engagement.

Skills

Administrative leadership

Strategic vision

Communication skills

Industry engagement

Education

Doctorate or terminal degree in engineering

Job description

Dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or Charlotte) invites nominations and applications for the position of dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering. This role reports to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNC Charlotte, North Carolina’s urban research university.

North Carolina is known for its commitment to public higher education; the University of North Carolina at Charlotte exemplifies the state constitution’s mission of access. What began in 1946 as a night school to serve returning veterans has grown into one of the top 100 public universities in the nation. As North Carolina’s urban research university, UNC Charlotte is integral to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the Charlotte metropolitan area of three million people. UNC Charlotte delivers high-quality, affordable education and drives progress and innovation through top-tier research and creative discovery. There are more than 3,200 faculty and staff members and an enrollment of 33,045 students. All thrive on a 1,000-acre campus, 10 miles from the city center, and at the Dubois Center in uptown Charlotte. UNC Charlotte boasts more than 193,000 alumni and graduates, with more than 9,000 new alumni each year.

The William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte is a dynamic, growing engineering college with a strong reputation for industry-connected education, applied research, innovation, and student success. Serving more than 4,400 undergraduate and 450 graduate students across a broad portfolio of engineering disciplines, the college prepares graduates to address complex challenges in fields ranging from energy and infrastructure to advanced manufacturing, computer engineering, construction, and emerging technologies. The College of Engineering is in an exciting period of growth and opportunity, with new academic enterprises that position the college to respond to some of the most pressing infrastructure and workforce needs facing the region and nation. The launch of the Albert School of Construction represents a significant expansion of the college’s capabilities, and the newly established School of Energy builds on UNC Charlotte’s growing national leadership in grid technology, energy research, and workforce development.

Reporting to the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, the dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the William States Lee College of Engineering, responsible for providing strategic vision and operational leadership for all aspects of the college’s portfolio of academic programs, research, and industry engagement. The ideal candidate will hold a doctorate or terminal degree in an appropriate academic discipline and will have a distinguished academic record with qualifications and experience that warrant tenure and appointment at the rank of professor in a William States Lee College of Engineering department or school. The individual will bring significant administrative experience, experience leading innovation, a track record of collaboration across disciplines, outstanding communication skills, authenticity, self-confidence balanced with humility, integrity of the highest order, a positive solutions-based approach to problem-solving, and a clear understanding of the challenges facing colleges of engineering.

The search committee will begin accepting and reviewing applications immediately and until December 4^th, 2026. Requested application materials include a letter of interest addressing the leadership agenda and a curriculum vitae/resumé. Although applications will be accepted until a dean is selected, for best consideration, all candidates should submit their materials as soon as possible. All materials will be received in confidence.

For more information, please visit the search website: https://provost.charlotte.edu/dean-the-william-states-lee-college-of-engineering/ and College website: https://engineering.charlotte.edu/

For a full leadership profile, please visit here: https://dsgco.com/search/
23277-unc-charlotte-dean-of-engineering

Please submit materials via DSG- Storbeck online portal: https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23277

Client is assisted in the search by DSG Storbeck. For additional information, please contact:

Tom Fitch, Managing Director
Amanda Bennett, Managing Associate
Email: [e-mail]

This is a full-time position that will be based on-site in Charlotte, North Carolina. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.

DSG | Storbeck
DSG Storbeck is the Education Practice of DSG Global, bringing together top-tier search professionals with decades of experience in the education sector. Formed through the merger of the education teams from Storbeck Search, Koya Partners, and Diversified Search, DSG Storbeck provides unparalleled expertise in executive search for colleges, universities, K-12 institutions, and education-focused organizations.

This leadership profile is not exhaustive and may be subject to change. While every effort has been made to confirm information at the date of publication, the accuracy or completeness of the information provided herein cannot be guaranteed.