Academic Unit Head, Department of Engineering

Working Title

Academic Unit Head, Department of Engineering

N/A

Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Full-Time

Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime

College of Integrated Science and Engineering

100590 - Department of Engineering

N/A

Commensurate with Experience

No

No

No

10/22/2026

Mission:
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision:
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are:

Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

James Madison University (JMU) invites applications for the position of Department Head and Endowed Faculty Chair of Engineering. This is a tenured, 12-month appointment at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor. A recent commitment establishing the endowed chair will provide significant resources and flexibility for the Department Head to pursue a broad range of initiatives aligned with the Department’s needs, opportunities, and the successful candidate’s interests.

The Department Head reports to the Dean of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering and is supported by an Assistant Department Head, Program Director, Academic Advisor, Fiscal Technician, Office Manager, and Laboratory Manager.

The Department of Engineering consists of 18 instructional faculty and 6 staff members serving approximately 750 students, with about 120 graduates each year. The Department offers an ABET-accredited B.S. in Engineering, and students may choose to pursue concentrations in Electro-Mechanical Systems, Geo-Environmental Systems, or Civil & Environmental Systems. As an undergraduate-focused engineering program within a large public university, we combine the close faculty-student interaction and small class sizes often associated with smaller programs with substantial facilities, staffing, and resources.

Our project-based curriculum gives students significant responsibility for their own work in courses, laboratories, research, and design projects, creating a highly hands-on learning environment.

Students have access to a fully staffed machine shop, fabrication laboratory, digital prototyping facilities, and dedicated capstone and project work spaces. Research, project, and instructional infrastructure includes more than $2 million in tools, instrumentation, and equipment located in over 30,000 square feet of dedicated engineering laboratory, fabrication, research and project space.

• Manage and steward the Department’s academic programs, personnel, facilities, and resources within the evolving landscape of…