Professional Practice Assistant Professor or Lecturer

About the role

The School of Professional and Technical Education at Utah State University seeks candidates for a full-time, academic-year (9-month), non-tenure-track Professional Practice Assistant Professor or Lecturer in conjunction with the Extension’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program across the state. The appointment is 70% teaching and 30% service, with an expectation of assisting and overseeing the VITA program. The selected candidate is anticipated to start in January 2027 and will teach a variety of tax courses and community education for the Statewide and Online Education and Utah State University Extension Home and Community Department. As part of USU’s land‑grant mission, the position is physically located at the Brigham City Statewide Campus and requires managing and securing external grant funding to support the VITA program and community development activities. Faculty are expected to make their primary employment contributions at the Brigham City campus while supporting the broader statewide system, maintaining a consistent on‑campus presence through regional activities, student recruitment, office hours, and engagement with community partners to foster student learning and contribute to the educational and professional vitality of the Brigham City region.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in business and tax education through academic and community‑based programming.
• Teach undergraduate tax courses.
• Direct the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and lead statewide efforts in community‑based tax education.
• Develop and evaluate educational initiatives.
• Build partnerships to expand outreach.
• Improve and implement undergraduate tax education courses.
• Pursue internal and external funding to support programming.
• Document impacts through scholarly publications.
• Manage budgets, personnel, and volunteers.
• Collaborate with Extension faculty, university personnel, and community stakeholders.
• Commit to serving all audiences and supporting USU Extension’s civil rights mandate.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in accounting, taxation, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• At least three years of professional experience in taxation or a related field, primarily focused on tax preparation and compliance.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license or Enrolled Agent (EA) credential, or the ability to obtain one within one year of hire date.
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate tax courses, including individual income tax and related topics.
• Proven experience and ability to train and supervise student volunteers and staff in tax preparation following IRS guidelines.
• In‑depth understanding of tax law, IRS compliance standards, and ethical practices.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communication, interpersonal, organizational and team‑building skills.
• Ability to work non‑traditional hours and travel in‑state as program needs require.
• Doctorate in Accounting, Taxation, or a closely related field from an accredited institution (preferred).
• Five or more years of professional experience in taxation, public accounting, or corporate tax roles (preferred).
• Proven experience in securing and managing external funding, including grants, to support IRS VITA programs or comparable community‑based tax preparation initiatives (preferred).
• Demonstrated success in curriculum development for tax courses (preferred).
• Evidence of effective college‑level teaching (preferred).
• Established success in building partnerships with community organizations and agencies statewide (preferred).
• Demonstrated ability in reaching underserved or rural audiences (preferred).