Engineering Department Chair

The Department of Engineering is a unit of the College of Engineering and Technology ( CET) at East
Carolina University. The department offers three degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering ( ABET accredited), a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. As of Fall 2024, the department consists of 25 full-time faculty members and two staff members, plus an enrollment of 427 undergraduate and 11 graduate students.

INTERNAL POSTING: Open only to applicants currently employed by East Carolina University.

The College of Engineering and Technology ( CET) will conduct an ECU-internal search to fill the position of chair at the rank of Professor, with anticipated start date on or before January 1, 2025. This is a 12-month, leave-earning position. The Chair of the Department of Engineering serves as the department's chief administrative officer and reports to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. The chair works closely with the college's leadership team to develop and advance the culture, mission, and strategic plans of the college and department to create a student centered environment that delivers a relationship-rich education to every student in the department's academic programs.

The chair provides direction, support, and leadership of the department's faculty and staff to foster excellence in academic programs, student engagement in experiential learning and co-curricular activities, and interdisciplinary collaboration in scholarship and research. The chair must build and sustain relationships with the department's advisory board, working with the dean to cultivate the engagement and support of the board and the industry/community partners they represent.

The primary responsibilities of this position include administration and leadership of the department; developing and implementing the department's annual plans in accord with the college's strategic plan; promoting quality, integrity, and growth in the department's academic programs; supporting and mentoring faculty to achieve excellence in their teaching, research, and service; upholding departmental, college, and university policies and standards; fostering collegial and productive relationships among all stakeholders; and effectively representing the department to internal and external constituents. The CET College Code gives the full list of duties of its department chairs. In particular, the chair has primary responsibility for administering faculty searches and making hiring recommendations; conducting faculty annual planning and performance evaluations; evaluating progress towards tenure and participating in reappointment, tenure, and promotion decision-making; developing course schedules and assigning instructors; and allocating resources equitably and optimally in support of faculty teaching, research, and service activities. The chair is expected to spend at least 50% of their time on administration and leadership duties, with the remaining time (at least 40%) devoted to teaching, research, and/or
professional service.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to promoting the success of every
student. The chair will lead collaborative efforts for continuous improvement of undergraduate and graduate programs to sustain excellence, deliver value to students, and maintain ABET accreditation. The chair will coordinate faculty involvement in initiatives focused on marketing, outreach, and recruiting, as well as student success programming to foster a department culture prioritizing student inclusion, belonging, retention, and timely graduation. The chair will lead collaborative efforts to advance the department's academic reputation and student engagement in internships, research, and other experiential learning opportunities. The chair will promote and advance faculty engagement in interdisciplinary scholarship through collaboration-building and coaching to address emerging opportunities at the regional, state, national, and international levels. The chair will lead future hiring efforts to sustain and expand key competencies for teaching and research in Engineering and related areas. The chair will promote the workplace success, professional development, and well-being of every faculty member through coaching and mentoring, utilizing support resources such as the Office of Faculty Excellence.

The successful candidate will already hold a tenured faculty position at ECU with a nine-month annual contract period. This administrative appointment will expand the annual contract period to twelve months and include an additional administrative stipend for service as chair. As a full-time 12-month employee, the chair will earn and track vacation and sick leave. The anticipated start date for this position will be on or before January 1, 2025. The department is located on ECU's main campus in Greenville, NC; on-site presence is required, with flexible work arrangements possible as governed by ECU and CET policies. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Candidates must have the following qualifications:
* Current employment by East Carolina University as a tenured faculty member
* An earned terminal degree in engineering or a closely related discipline

N/A

* A sustained record of excellence in teaching and student advising
* A sustained record of excellence in research and scholarship including (preferably) evidence of
student engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and external partnerships
* A sustained record of service at ECU (department, college, university) and/or to the engineering
profession
* A record of success in submitting proposals and securing externally-funded research awards,
including (preferably) some awards as principal investigator
* A demonstrated record of success in collaborative activities (teaching, research) and/or
facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration
* Administrative experience or evidence of management skills, including experience managing
projects or organizations/units requiring financial oversight and supervisory responsibility
* Familiarity with assessment-driven continuous improvement and accreditation processes and
(preferably) experience with ABET- EAC accreditation

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, a list of three references, including contact information, online, Additional Documents #1: Scholarship statement describing the candidate's interests and plans for teaching research, and student engagement, and Additional Document #2: Leadership statement that describes the candidate's administrative/leadership philosophy, vision for the department, and thoughts related to the goals and priorities described earlier.

3 original letters of reference are required for employment. Please be aware that if selected as a candidate of choice, an automatic e-mail will be sent to the individuals entered by the applicant in the References section the People Admin applicant tracking system. Letters of reference submitted via the People Admin applicant tracking system will be verified and considered towards meeting this requirement. For letters of reference not submitted via the People Admin applicant tracking system, please have the original signed letters mailed to Turrochelle McEachern ECU College of Engineering and Technology, 1000 E. 5th Street, Mail stop 507, Greenville, NC 27858. The candidate of choice will also be required to provide an original transcript.

Evaluation of applicants will begin immediately, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Questions regarding this position should be directed to Dr. Qin Ding (dingq@ecu.edu), Search Committee Chair.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a fulltime basis.

East Carolina University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer who is committed to workforce success and cultivating a culture of care, belonging and opportunity for our faculty, staff and learners and all stakeholders. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, or veteran status.

Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act ( ADAAA) should contact the ADA Coordinator at (252) 737-1018 (Voice/ TTY) or ADA-Coordinator@ecu.edu.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. If highest degree earned is from an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, final candidates are required to have their degree validated as equivalent to the degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity at (252) 328-9847 or toll free at 1-866-489-1740 or send an email to employment@ecu.edu. Our office is available to provide assistance Monday-Friday from 8:00-5:00 EST.