Department Head (Academic Administrator)
: Job Details :

Department Head (Academic Administrator)

Pennsylvania State University

Posting Date: October 10, 2024

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), located in the College of Health and Human Development (HHD), at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) University Park invites applications for the position of Department Head.

Primary Job Responsibilities:Reporting to the Dean of the College, the Head of Human Development and Family Studies is responsible for visioning, strategic planning, overseeing academic and research programs, managing operations, finances, faculty and staff affairs, sustaining and building external relations, and fundraising in support of the department's aspirations. This includes further integrating, shaping, and building a truly excellent and cohesive multidisciplinary department that leverages strengths across all programs; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; nurturing and developing interdisciplinary collaboration; recruiting, developing, and retaining a faculty and staff of excellence; and advocating for the department and enhancing its visibility and reputation.As a key academic leader, and in keeping with the strategic initiatives of the University and the College, the Department Head is expected to stimulate and facilitate research productivity and teaching excellence, encourage interdisciplinary research, and promote and assist faculty with securing external funds.The successful candidate will have administrative responsibility for all operational, fiscal, and procedural actions associated with the department, including conducting fundraising activities. The candidate also will be encouraged to continue a focused line of research and supervise graduate student research. The Department Head must also expand the faculty's current strengths by identifying and facilitating new opportunities in undergraduate, graduate, and online education. The new Head will support and nurture an environment where creativity and innovation thrive and foster a positive climate, inspiring confidence and trust among students, staff, and faculty by bringing strong interpersonal skills and a compassionate, collaborative, and community-oriented leadership style.

Qualifications:A doctoral degree in the discipline (e.g., HDFS, psychology, sociology, education, anthropology, gerontology, demography) or a closely related discipline.Candidates should possess the vision and energy to lead and grow this nationally and internationally acclaimed department, promoting excellence in the full range of missions that are embodied at a comprehensive, land-grant, and research-intensive university such as Penn State. In achieving these objectives, the next Head must be a collaborative, transparent, and inclusive leader with strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, and an innovative spirit to advance the department's vision and goals.Successful candidates must demonstrate:

Successful administrative abilities in an academic setting, which can include academic program management, research program management, other budget management, and/or outreach activities.

Productive scholarship in an aspect of human development consistent with the interdisciplinary range of scientific expertise in the department.

Willingness, informed by experience, to engage in progressive and innovative thinking about the identity and future trajectory of the department.

Effectiveness in contributing to, shaping, and growing the department's educational mission at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Demonstrated commitment to fostering a positive organizational culture with an emphasis on inclusivity and transparency among all constituents (e.g. students, staff, faculty).

The ability to build support across a wide variety of stakeholders, including the capacity to position the department positively to create, maintain and build upon relations with alumni, partners, and the research community.

Experience raising funds through philanthropy is desirable.

The new Head must also possess the scholarly record required to merit a tenured appointment as an associate or full professor in the college.

Organization Summary:About the DepartmentThe HDFS department's mission is to promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the integration of research, teaching, and outreach. Consistently ranked a top HDFS program in North America, the Department is internationally renowned for its long history of interdisciplinary scholarship that has applied rigorous empirical methods to explore important developmental and social issues. HDFS faculty are at the forefront of their respective fields in lifespan developmental science, family science, prevention/intervention science, quantitative developmental methods, and compassion and flourishing studies. This makes the department central to the College's mission and positions it well to continue to play an important role in advancing human health.HDFS's 39 faculty and 8 staff oversee an in-residence undergraduate degree at University Park, as well as online through World Campus, with more than 350 undergraduate majors, as well as a thriving in-residence graduate program with approximately 60 doctoral students, and are preparing to offer a professional Master of Social Work (MSW) degree through the World Campus.

About the CollegeHDFS is one of eight academic units in the college, which focuses on providing interdisciplinary programs sharing a common goal of enriching the lives of others. We continually examine contemporary issues facing people in today's changing times and develop cutting-edge solutions for addressing them. Our impact extends from our classrooms across communities and industries and around the globe.

To learn more about Penn State University's commitment to diversity and inclusion see the University's statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As an institution, we embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engages all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission and we strongly encourage applicants who would enrich the diversity of our academic community to apply for this opportunity.

Please direct nominations and inquiries to the Search Committee Chair, Chris Hollenbeak, via e-mail at ...@psu.edu. To receive full consideration, candidates should submit the following by October 31, 2024:

A cover letter detailing the applicant's interest in the position, highlighting relevant experiences in leadership positions (including experiences in budget management if available).

Curriculum vitae.

After initial review by the search committee, candidates selected for further consideration will be asked to submit:

A one-to-two page research statement.

A two-to-three-page statement of leadership vision and excellence, which includes a description of personal leadership style and values, vision for teaching and scholarship, vision for areas of future growth, and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Names and contact information for 5 individuals willing to serve as references (to be contacted only prior to invitations for on-campus interviews).

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