Department Head, Systems and Industrial Engineering

The Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering (SIE) at the University of Arizona is seeking nominations and applications for a Department Head with excellent leadership skills, commitment to and enthusiasm for world class research, equity-oriented practices, innovative teaching and mentoring, and strong industry/government/community collaborations.  The SIE Department Head, who reports to the College of Engineering Dean, should be a visionary who can lead a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students; oversee modern educational and research laboratories and facilities; and, most importantly, spearhead the continuing transformation of SIE for the challenges of the 21^st century.

The SIE Department at the University of Arizona is the nation’s first Systems Engineering academic department, and has a strong local, national and international reputation for undergraduate and graduate education and research.  The department has 16 tenured or tenure track faculty, and 10 career track and adjunct faculty that support teaching, research, and service missions.  The department has more than 325 undergraduate students, and nearly 220 graduate students, including more than 45 Ph.D. students enrolled, and offers degrees in Systems Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Software Engineering, and Engineering Management on main campus as well as through on-line programs and three micro-campus locations in Indonesia, Jordan, and Peru.

Successful candidates are expected have a distinguished record of achievement in scholarship, research, and/or professional practice commensurate with an appointment at the rank of Full Professor with tenure; scholarly achievement, including a record of technical papers published in internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journals; a track record of collaboratively building a vision and the skills to follow through to make the vision a reality; and a history of successful funding from industry, non-profit and /or governmental agencies.

Demonstrated experience with visioning and building collaborative efforts that create new, or expand existing, academic and/or professional opportunities is preferred.  Additional experience that may be considered beneficial include:  administrative experience as head or associate head, center director, or equivalent leadership position; membership on boards of academic journals and/or professional associations; experience with online programs; successful establishment of an internationally renowned research program with high impact output; working with stakeholders, either through direct employment or through cooperative research and development activities; demonstrated record of engagement with diversity and equity issues, diverse students, women in engineering, and other diversity related faculty, staff, and student communities; and experience in fundraising.

The University of Arizona, a Research I, Land-grant, and Hispanic Serving institution, ranks in the top 4% of all US Institutions, with more than $761 million in annual research expenditures, according to data from the National Science Foundation.  The annual research expenditures for the department exceed $2.2 million.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please see talent.arizona.edu.

Duties and Responsibilities:  The successful candidate is expected to: 

• Make equity-informed decisions on faculty recruitment, diversity, development, performance, retention, and promotion;
• Lead the department in achieving student and faculty recruitment and retention goals;
• Keep the department focused on educating SIE graduates that are equipped to be productive in modern industrial settings and graduate school;
• Maintain existing and develop new micro-campus programs;
• Identify and promote research opportunities and actively facilitate and participate in interdisciplinary research;
• Maintain existing and create new relationships with alumni and the systems and industrial engineering industry and research communities;
• Leverage relationships with the systems and industrial engineering industry and research communities to connect students with applicable employment opportunities including internships and full-time positions;
• Increase the departments research expenditure and national ranking;
• Drive research excellence and cross-disciplinary collaborations;
• Maintain an inclusive, positive workplace environment;
• Work with College and UArizona leadership on opportunities to expand the program, including satellite campuses;
• Strengthen existing ties and build new relationships with stakeholders such as alumni, industry, and leading graduate programs;
• Oversee the department’s operations including budgets, resources, fiscal management, academic program review, and ABET accreditation;
• Foster a sense of community for students, alumni, staff, and faculty;
• Assist the College of Engineering in fund raising activities;
• Be a key participant of the College of Engineering leadership team;
• Collaboratively develop and annually review a departmental strategic plan that supports the University of Arizona’s and the College of Engineering’s strategic goals and aligns with related programs at the university; and
• Implement a plan to keep internal and external stakeholders informed on progress and changes.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: The successful candidate should be able to:

• Demonstrate effective managerial leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to shared governance, community engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Demonstrate high ethical standards and be expected to operate in a transparent and collegial way
• Respond in a timely manner to the needs of faculty, staff, and students in the department
• Have the skills necessary to perform as an effective communicator to internal and external constituents
• Commit to a participatory decision-making process
• Have proven leadership skills with multi-disciplinary teams Inspire and recruit great students as well as exceptional faculty and staff
• Commit to an inclusive departmental and college culture

Qualifications:  A Ph.D. degree in Earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in Systems Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline and must provide education credentials during the offer discussions.  Eight years of experience beyond the Ph.D. is required for appointment at the Full Professor rank.

Proposed Start Date:  August 15, 2023, or as negotiated.

To Apply:  Please submit a cover letter; a curriculum vita; a leadership statement that includes a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (2 page maximum); a statement of research (3 page maximum); a statement of teaching and mentoring philosophy (3 page maximum); and a document containing contact information (phone and e-mail) for a minimum of three professional references. 

For full consideration, candidates are encouraged to submit all application material electronically to the University of Arizona’s on-line application system at http://talent.arizona.edu (posting #: req12799). Review of applications will begin on January 17, 2023, however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. 

For questions about the position, please contact the Search Chair Dr. Dominic Boccelli, Professor and Department Head, Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics (dboccelli@arizona.edu).

EEO/AA: At the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As an Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.