School Director and Department Chair

CELA LLC; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Florida seeks a visionary leader and educator to serve as Director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning (SLA&P) and Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture. This twelve-month appointment is eligible for tenure-upon-hire and begins July 1, 2027.

UF hosts a collaborative environment across Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, with strong ties to design, sustainability, and engagement.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in landscape architecture or related field.
• Tenured record in teaching/research or creative scholarship.
• Administrative experience: budgets, personnel, and curriculum management.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for SLA&P and URP collaboration.
• Advance research, scholarship, teaching, and community engagement in landscape architecture and planning.

Skills

Administrative leadership

Budget management

Personnel management

Curriculum development

Education

Terminal degree in landscape architecture or related field

PhD or professional doctorate (e.g., DDes, MLA)

Job description

The University of Florida seeks a visionary leader and educator to serve as Director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning (SLA&P) and Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture.

Our mission is to prepare future practitioners and scholars committed to advancing the efficacy, impact, and knowledge of landscape architecture and planning, to engage in research and scholarship that enhances the understanding and practice of the professions while addressing societal challenges, and to provide service to the communities of our state, region and abroad.

We invite applications from candidates who align with our mission, are passionate about collaboratively leading students and faculty, are committed to research and creative scholarship, and who operate with the highest levels of ethical standards and integrity.

This twelve-month appointment is eligible for tenure-upon-hire and is available starting July 1st, 2027.

The School and Department The University of Florida (UF) is a top-tier public, comprehensive, land-grant research institution currently ranked amongst the leading U.S. public universities by U.S. News and World Report. The School of Landscape Architecture and Planning (the School) shares UF’s dedication to achieving and maintaining a culture of educational and research preeminence while building on our strong tradition of design and teaching excellence, external engagement, and student achievement. The School is a collaborative environment between the Departments of Landscape Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning (URP) with 40 faculty. The School is housed in UF’s College of Design, Construction and Planning (DCP), benefiting from association with other cognate disciplines in the College including Architecture, Construction Management, Historic Preservation, Interior Design, and Sustainability in the Built Environment. The College hosts the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience and multiple interdisciplinary research centers. This is a pivotal and exciting moment for the profession and the Department of Landscape Architecture at UF. Established in 1933, the Department houses one of the oldest landscape architecture programs in the Southeast USA and offers curriculum leading to a professionally accredited Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA), Masters of Landscape Architecture (MLA), and a PhD concentration in Landscape Architecture. The department is also home to the Center for Landscape Conservation Planning. In the past few years, the department has hired, tenured and/or promoted multiple faculty, significantly increased extramural and donor funding, revised the BLA and MLA curricula, and tripled our graduate enrollment.

Required Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in landscape architecture or some combination of professional qualification in landscape architecture (BLA, licensure, etc.) and terminal degree in a related field. Examples of relevant degrees may include Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Design (DDes), Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA).
• Distinguished record in teaching, research or creative scholarship, and service sufficient to merit tenure upon hire at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
• Administrative experience including management of budgets, personnel and curriculum at the undergraduate or graduate levels.

Demonstrated record of:

• advancing the knowledge of landscape architecture and its evolving role in society and effectively communicating its value within government, industry, and academic sectors;
• commitment to undergraduate and graduate education, engagement with students and promotion of student success;
• commitment to faculty development and mentoring;
• commitment to collaboratively working across disciplines.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or licensure in landscape architecture or a related field
• Evidence of collaborative leadership
• Experience with professional program accreditation at undergraduate or graduate levels
• Experience establishing and implementing a strategic plan with clear goals and outcomes
• Experience working with intercollegiate, interdisciplinary, and international partnerships
• Experience recruiting, mentoring, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff
• Experience with student recruitment and retention
• Experience in fundraising and cultivating donor relationships
• Experience working with advisory boards and maintaining relationships with alumni
• Experience with extramural funding for research or creative scholarship
• Experience leading and/or actively participating in the field’s professional and academic organizations

Application Requirements:

• 1. Letter of interest that details how the applicant’s experience meets the required and desired qualifications for this position;
• 2. Curriculum vitae, including relevant administrative experience;
• 3. Names and contact information for three (3) references. References will not be contacted until after consulting with candidates.

Applications will be reviewed beginning October 25, 2026, and the position will remain open until filled.

Inquiries: Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Ravi Srinivasan, Search Committee Chair ( [e-mail] ).

The University of Florida is an equal Opportunity Employer. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call (352) 392-2HRS or the Florida Relay System at [phone] (TDD). All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education. Further information is available at http://www.dcp.ufl.edu .

Additional Info

Organization/School : University of Florida