Dean of Fine Arts

Northern; Aberdeen (SD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern State University seeks a collaborative, strategic Dean of the School of Fine Arts in Aberdeen to guide academic, artistic, and community-facing programs. The role leads opera, music and art education initiatives, along with partnerships and outreach for regional engagement.

The Dean will manage curricula, budgets, and staffing while advancing student-centered excellence, artistic growth, and community impact across the university and regional arts sector.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in a fine arts discipline (art or music) or education/administration or closely related field.
• Significant leadership experience in higher education, fine arts administration, or performing arts operations.
• Strong public speaking, written communication, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision and leadership for the School of Fine Arts and its programs.
• Support curriculum development, student learning, and artistic activity.
• Lead fundraising and external relations through donor cultivation and community engagement.
• Coordinate enrollment growth, scholarships, and partnerships with K-12 and regional arts communities.
• Oversee budgets, scheduling, and resource allocation within the School.

Job description

Dean of Fine Arts

Northern State University

Physical Location of Position (City): Aberdeen

Northern State University seeks a collaborative, strategic, andstudent-centered leader to serve as Dean of the School of FineArts. This full-time administrative appointment provides academic,artistic, administrative, and external leadership for a vibrantregional center for the arts, including programs and opportunitiesin music, art, opera theatre, performance, art and music education,and community engagement.

Qualifications

Thesuccessful candidate will possess a terminal degree in a fine artsdiscipline (art or music), education, educational leadership orschool administration, or a closely related field; significantleadership experience in education, higher education, fine artsadministration, music education, or professional performing artsoperations; and demonstrated success leading people, programs,budgets, schedules, events, and complex priorities. The successfulcandidate will have strong public speaking, written communication,presentation, advocacy, and relationship-building skills, as wellas experience working collaboratively with faculty, staff,students, administrators, governing boards, artists, musicians,educators, donors, and community stakeholders. The ideal candidatewill be a proven and innovative leader who can bridge K-12 musiceducation, higher education instruction, executive administration,and professional performing arts operations. The successfulcandidate will be committed to student-centered leadership,academic excellence, artistic growth, community engagement, and thevalue of the fine arts in public life.

Preferred qualifications include

• Administrative leadership experience at the dean,director, chair, superintendent, or comparable executive level;
• Experience with artistic operations, concert production, seasonplanning, rehearsal and performance logistics, guest artists, venuecoordination, or public arts programming;
• Demonstrated success infundraising, advancement, stewardship, donor cultivation, alumniengagement, and external relations.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision, leadership, and direction for the School ofFine Arts and its academic, artistic, performance-based, andcommunity-centered programs.
• Support faculty and staff in advancing curriculum, studentlearning, creative activity, performance opportunities,accreditation-related goals, and overall program quality.
• Support faculty in their professional growth and development,including advancing exceptional teaching, across all facultyranks.
• Advance fundraising and external relations through donorcultivation, alumni engagement, stewardship, arts advocacy,community networking, and mission-focused communication.
• Lead strategic planning, scheduling, resource allocation,personnel coordination, budget-conscious decision making, andoperational follow-through for the School.
• Strengthen a collaborative culture focused on student success,faculty engagement, artistic excellence, accountability,innovation, and service to the University and region.
• Represent the School of Fine Arts to University leadership, theSouth Dakota Board of Regents system, alumni, donors, patrons,civic leaders, school partners, and regional artsorganizations.
• Provide leadership for enrollment and program growth throughrecruitment, scholarships, retention, strategic partnerships,public performances, exhibitions, outreach events, and otheropportunities to connect prospective students with the School ofFine Arts.
• Use enrollment, student success, program, financial, and otherrelevant data to identify opportunities, assess effectiveness,inform decisions, and guide the continued development of theSchool's academic programs.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with K-12 schools, artseducators, alumni, foundations, donors, patrons, boards, civicorganizations, and regional arts communities.
• Coordinate effectively across academic departments, productionteams, guest artists, venues, musicians, educators, students, andcommunity stakeholders.
• Support artistic operations and public-facing arts experiences,including performances, exhibitions, events, and otheropportunities that enhance student learning and communityengagement.
• Lead individuals and teams in responding to student,University, and community needs, fostering a culture ofcollaboration, innovation, shared responsibility, andproblem-solving across the University.
• Steward budgets and resources responsibly, advancing the needsand priorities of the School of Fine Arts within the context ofNorthern's broader priorities and the needs of students across theUniversity.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the University's academicleadership team, working with fellow deans and the Provost toidentify challenges, develop solutions, share resources andexpertise, and provide thoughtful counsel to inform the Provost'sdecisions on behalf of Northern as a whole; take sharedresponsibility for implementing and communicating decisions oncemade.
• Advance policies, practices, partnerships, and initiatives thatsupport Northern State University's mission and strategic directionwhile strengthening the contributions, visibility, and impact ofthe School of Fine Arts.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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