Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies

Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies

Location Hattiesburg
118 College Drive
Hattiesburg, Mississippi,
United States

Division School of Music

Position Type Faculty

Employment Status Full Time

Grant Funded No

Pay Grade

Generic Grade

Posting Close Date December 1, 2026

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for visa sponsorship. The University will not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B).

The School of Music at the University of Southern Mississippi invites applications for the position of Director of Jazz Studies
.
This nine-month, tenure-track position will begin in August 2027.
The Southern Miss School of Music enjoys a longstanding national and international reputation for musical excellence. Its accredited programs provide opportunities for musical and professional growth at the undergraduate through the doctoral levels. Our diverse student body works with distinguished faculty members who perform on world-class stages and bring their rich experiences to our Hattiesburg campus every day. Ensembles include the Southern Chorale, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, Southern Opera and Musical Theatre, Jazz Lab Bands, and numerous outstanding studio ensembles.

Students regularly perform at regional, national, and international events, attend master classes with internationally known guest artists, and become award-winning teachers, performers, and creators around the globe.
The Jazz Studies program has been in existence for over 50 years. Its ensembles include two big bands and several diverse combos, including the award-winning Southern Miss Jazztet. It has hosted many outstanding artists including Gregory Tardy, Joel Frahm, The KC Chamber Jazz Quintet, and the Amina Figarova Jazz Sextet. Notable guest artists who have performed with Jazz Lab Band 1 include Ellis Marsalis, Jeff Coffin, Jovino Santos Neto, John Fedchock, Carl Allen, and Mike Clark.
We seek a dynamic musician, educator, and program builder with a forward-looking vision for jazz education and a demonstrated commitment to preparing students for an evolving professional music landscape.
The successful candidate will provide artistic, curricular, and administrative leadership for the Jazz Studies program and will play a central role in its continued growth and development. The Director of Jazz Studies will lead an active and visible program that honors the traditions and history of jazz while embracing contemporary practices, emerging technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the diverse ways musicians build sustainable careers in the twenty-first century.
Recruitment and program growth will be a significant priority of this position. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain an active recruitment strategy; cultivate relationships with prospective students, school music programs, community colleges, professional musicians, alumni, and other partners; and establish a strong regional and national presence for the Jazz Studies program.
The program includes large and small ensembles as well as courses in performance, improvisation, theory, arranging, and history. Jazz ensembles and most core jazz courses are open to all majors, so the director works with students from both the School of Music and broader university.
Professionally, the Director of Jazz Studies will maintain an active record of creative activity as a performer, composer, arranger, or some combination of these. That record should reach regional, national, and international audiences, consistent with the tenure and promotion expectations of a comprehensive school of music at a Carnegie R1 research institution. This full-time, nine-month, tenure-track appointment comes at the rank of Assistant Professor.
For full consideration, applications must be submitted by November 16, 2026
.
Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Joseph

E. Jones (joseph.e.jones).

• Provide artistic and administrative leadership for the Jazz Studies program, including developing a clear vision for its continued growth and distinction
• Direct jazz ensembles and jazz combos as assigned, maintaining a high standard of performance
• Create meaningful performance opportunities on and off campus for students and increase the regional and…