Department Head, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (Professor, T/TE)

University of Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Benefits

Job summary

University of Arizona's Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences seeks a tenured or tenure-eligible Full Professor to assume Department Head responsibilities. This nine-month position begins in August 2027 with salary commensurate with experience and additional compensation for the Department Head role coordinated with the Dean.

The department emphasizes research, teaching, and service, with extensive collaboration across the university and local healthcare systems.

Qualifications

• PhD in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences or a related field.
• Record of scholarly work with high-impact research and extramural funding per Full Professor rank.

Responsibilities

• Administrative leadership of the department, liaising with college and university administration.
• Lead budgeting, space and equipment planning, and appointment of committees.
• Mentor faculty and supervise curriculum development, promotion and tenure processes.
• Oversee teaching and scholarly activities, research programs, and community partnerships.

Education

PhD in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Job description

Department Head, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (Professor, T/TE)

Position Highlights

The University of Arizona's Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences invites applications for a tenured or tenure-eligible faculty position at the rank of Full Professor in communication sciences and disorders. The successful candidate will contribute to the department's research, teaching, and service missions while also serving as Department Head. This is a nine-month academic-year position beginning in August 2027, with salary commensurate with experience. Additional compensation associated with the Department Head role, including summer salary, will be arranged with the Dean of the College of Science. Responsibilities include departmental administration as well as research, teaching, and service. The Department seeks a faculty member with research expertise in any area of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences who is committed to leading the department in a manner that supports faculty, staff, students, and the broader local community.

The Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences is renowned for its highly engaged undergraduate students, top-ranked clinical training programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, an active research doctoral program, and cutting-edge research. The department includes 30 tenure-track and career-track faculty members, 104 graduate students across its M.S., Au.D., and Ph.D. programs, and 189 undergraduate students.

Faculty in the department benefit from rich opportunities for collaboration across the University of Arizona and the Tucson community. Housed within the College of Science and connected with the School of Mind, Brain, and Behavior, the department benefits from a broad network of scientists across multiple disciplines. Ongoing collaborations include faculty in Neuroscience, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Education, Biomedical Engineering, Music, and other fields. The department has collaborative relationships with local healthcare leaders, including Banner Medical Center, Tucson Medical Center, and the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

The University of Arizona is a research intensive (R1) land-grant institution that has received a federal designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O'odham and the Yaqui. The university strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; 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

The proposed workload for this position:

• 50% Administrative
• 20% Scholarly Activity/Research
• 20% Service
• 10% Teaching

Administrative duties for this position include:

• Serving as the liaison between the department, the college, and the university's central administration
• Representing the department at departmental, college, and university events
• Leading and directing the department, with input from the departmental community, in the following areas:
  • Departmental and teaching budgets
  • Funding opportunities
  • Space and equipment allocation
  • Teaching assignments
  • Formation and appointment of departmental committees
  • National accreditation and academic program review processes
  • Curriculum development and student advising
  • Promotion and tenure processes
  • Recommendations to the Dean regarding salary increases
  • Hiring, termination, and evaluation of faculty and staff
  • Communication with faculty in accordance with departmental bylaws
  • Coordination and collaboration with Associate Department Heads, the Advisory Committee, and Clinical Program Directors/Coordinators

Research and scholarship activities include but are not limited to:

• Establishing and maintaining a successful research program in the field of Speech, Language, and/or Hearing Sciences
• Maintaining a consistent record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations
• Engaging in community-based research partnerships
• Pursuing extramural funding
• Connecting departmental faculty with potential research collaborators within and outside the university
• Mentoring students in research, from undergraduate students through postdoctoral fellows

Teaching activities may include:

• Teaching classroom-based courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Providing effective, evidence-based instruction that fosters critical thinking and motivates independent learning

Service activities include, but are not limited to:

• Participating effectively on departmental, college, and university committees
• Holding meaningful appointments or serving in local, state, national, or international scientific, professional, government, or community organizations related to communication disorders and the research or service needs of individuals with communication disorders

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences or a related field
• Demonstrated expertise in an area relevant to Communication Sciences and Disorders, as evidenced by a record of scholarly work, including peer-reviewed publications and presentations, as well as a record of high-impact research and extramural funding commensurate with appointment at the rank of Full Professor

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications and Leadership Characteristics include:

• Demonstrated leadership experience and a commitment to effective leadership practices
• Clinical certification (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology preferred
• Demonstrated experience mentoring faculty, commensurate with the level of appointment
• Ability and commitment to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams of researchers and clinicians across career levels
• Experience teaching at the college or university level

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Academic

Job Category

Faculty

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 title or department)

Number of Vacancies

1

Target Hire Date

8/16/2027

Open Date

10/16/2026

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Four Additional Documents

Contact Information for Candidates

Julie E. Miller, PhD

Associate Professor

Depts. of Neuroscience and Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences

Chair, Faculty Search Committee

[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].

Additional materials may be requested from applicants selected for the on-campus interview.