Department Head and Associate or Full Professor of Biology and Microbiology

South Dakota State University (SDState) seeks an innovative and collaborative leader to serve as Department Head of the Department of Biology and Microbiology within the College of Natural Sciences. This is a 12-month, full-time, tenure-track, benefits-eligible appointment with the academic rank of either Associate or Full Professor, located in Brookings, SD. The Department Head serves as the executive officer of the department and reports directly to the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences.

SDState is the state’s largest, most comprehensive university with over $94 million annual research expenditures, more than 200 academic programs, and an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students. The university is part of a dynamic community offering an abundance of attractions and activities.

The Department of Biology and Microbiology offers undergraduate degree programs in Human Biology, Microbiology, and Biotechnology, training over 500 undergraduates for careers in healthcare, graduate school, industry, and other paths. The department is a key driver of SDState’s R1 Our Way mission, with active research and graduate programs in mammalian physiology and cell biology, microbial biology, plant physiology and molecular biology, and bioprocessing biotechnology. Department members lead or contribute to large research programs, including federally-funded research centers, and engage in STEM outreach and workforce development.

Responsibilities

• Guide the department with vision, communication skills, and administrative capacity.
• Establish collaborative relationships and foster an engaged environment for faculty and stakeholders.
• Lead the development and maintenance of strong academic programs, supporting student recruitment and success across undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Ensure curricula remain rigorous, current, and responsive to workforce needs.
• Provide leadership for the department’s research enterprise, including supporting faculty grant development, managing research infrastructure, mentoring early-career faculty, and promoting collaboration.
• Cultivate a culture of high-quality, externally funded research.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a closely related field by the application date.
• Meets the standards for tenure and rank within the department.
• Evidence of effective leadership and administrative skills, including management of academic and research programs, budgets, fiscal matters, and/or personnel within an academic setting.
• Effective interpersonal relations, consensus-building, professionalism, and motivational skills.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Understanding of the land-grant mission.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in academic administration, including development, evaluation, and oversight of undergraduate academic programs, curricula, and/or instructional operations.
• Ability to support and advance research program success, strategic planning, and departmental initiatives.
• Familiarity with student success best practices.
• Familiarity with recruitment and retention best practices for students, faculty, and staff.
• Experience with collaboration across disciplines and/or with multiple stakeholders.
• Leadership professional development experience.
• Evidence of cultivating entrepreneurial opportunities.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and flexible benefits.
• Retirement plans with 6% matching.
• 10 hours of annual leave and 9.34 hours of sick leave each month.
• Eleven paid holidays.
• Access to internal and state-sponsored training.
• Reduced tuition for state-supported courses at all State of South Dakota academic institutions.
• Relocation benefits available per university guidelines.

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available for this position.