Instructor or Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Location: Banner Elk

Title:

Instructor or Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Term:
Full time (9 month) faculty appointment

Benefits

Lees-McRae College offers a robust benefits package tailored to support our faculty's health, financial well-being, and professional growth. Medical coverage is provided through Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO and EPO plans, with wellness incentives through Call to Health that reduce deductibles and offer gift cards. Dental and voluntary vision plans offer comprehensive coverage, including orthodontia for children and annual eye exams.

Faculty receive employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance, with optional voluntary life coverage. Flexible spending accounts are available for medical and dependent care expenses. Retirement benefits include a supplemental plan with up to 5% employer match after one year, with eligibility waivers for prior service. Tuition waiver benefits for undergraduate courses and participation in the Tuition Exchange Program support educational opportunities for faculty and their dependents.

All employees are paid via direct deposit.

School:
May School of Natural and Health Sciences

Lees-McRae is a small, four-year, liberal arts college serving Appalachia and the Southeastern United States. The College is located in the town of Banner Elk in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina. Banner Elk is nestled between two popular ski areas and is within a short drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian Trail. The area is popular to outdoor enthusiasts: skiing, cycling, hiking, climbing and fly fishing are among the many attractions.

The college also owns and maintains the Elk Valley Preserve and Field Station and the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Please visit our website .edu.

Summary/Objective

The May School of Natural and Health Sciences at Lees-McRae College invites applications for the position of Instructor or Assistant Professor of Chemistry. This is a full-time, main campus faculty appointment beginning August 2026. At the time of hire, the successful applicant must have completed a MS or higher degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a closely related field.

The successful candidate will be required to teach lectures and laboratory courses in the areas of General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. The faculty will work closely with our Chemistry faculty, laboratory coordinator, and adjunct faculty to prepare and develop the Chemistry curriculum, laboratories, and related equipment. As our Chemistry program grows, the faculty member will have the opportunity to develop additional courses towards the potential creation of a Chemistry minor.

The successful candidate will also teach PEAK intensive experiences on a rotating schedule during the PEAK Intensive academic calendar schedule, which will be paid as a separate contract.

Essential Functions

Teaching:

* The faculty member will be required to teach 24credit hours per academic year on regular contract. The faculty member will teach up to an additional 6 credit hours during the PEAK Intensive academic calendar on an every- other year basis.

* Teaching responsibilities include but are not limited to: classroom management, student assessment, and assessment of student learning.

* Maintain professional standards of practice in teaching in the classroom

* Meet LMC standards for course syllabi creation and submission, classroom management, use of technology, grade submission, and records management.

* The faculty member is expected to help mentor students in their senior research or capstone experiences as needed

Advising

* Support student success through mentoring, tutoring, and advising. Faculty serve as advisors to students after the first year with the College.

* Faculty maintain regular office hours to meet with students as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.

Scholarship and Professional Development

* The faculty member is expected to continue their professional development and maintain currency in their field through seminars, classes, and scholarship.

* Faculty promote and support undergraduate research opportunities.

Service

* Faculty members are expected to serve on committees of School, College, and Faculty Senate. Faculty are encouraged to participate in service to their community and field.

* Faculty attend and participate in scheduled faculty/administrative meetings

* Other duties as assigned by the Dean of the May School of Natural and Health Sciences.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Ability to stand for periods of time.

The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must frequently lift or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability…