Professor and Head, Department of Animal Science

Location: University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

About the role

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) seeks a dynamic and visionary leader for the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Animal Science. This is a 12-month, tenured position responsible for executing a department-developed strategic vision to support UTIA’s Land Grant mission of advancing agriculture and natural resources through research, education, and service.

About the Department

The Department of Animal Science is a diverse blend of applied and basic life sciences focused on enhancing the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of domestic animal industries. The department comprises 24 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 5 lecturers, and 21 professional support staff located on the Knoxville campus and at facilities across Tennessee. Several faculty hold joint appointments with the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Approximately 500 undergraduate students are enrolled in bachelor of science degree programs with concentrations in Animal Industries, Biosciences, Veterinary Science, and a BS-MS 4+1 program. Additionally, about 45 graduate students are enrolled in the department’s MS and PhD programs.

New construction includes the Center for Protein Innovation (meat processing facility) and the Broiler Innovation, Research and Demonstration (BIRD) facility, supporting the department’s land grant efforts. Faculty are active in five centers:

• UTIA Genomics Center for the Advancement of Agriculture (https://utiagenomics.tennessee.edu/)
• Precision Livestock Farming (https://plf.tennessee.edu/)
• University of Tennessee One Health Initiative (https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/)
• Center for Dairy Advancement and Sustainability (https://utdairy.tennessee.edu/)
• UT Beef and Forage Center (https://utbeef.tennessee.edu/)

Research, teaching, and Extension programs focus on animal health and well-being, nutrition, physiology, genomics, reproduction, immunology, environment, and precision livestock farming technology. Multidisciplinary programs emphasize infectious disease, obesity, metabolic complications, and regenerative medicine. Resources include ten UT AgResearch Research and Education Centers and the Veterinary Research and Education Center.

Departmental Extension personnel lead adult and youth programs in beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, horses, poultry, sheep, swine, and environmental management. Collaborations exist with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, commodity and industrial partners, and other university units.

Additional information about the department is available at https://animalscience.tennessee.edu/. More about the Knoxville area can be found at https://www.utk.edu/about/knoxville.

Responsibilities

The Department Head’s responsibilities include leadership of all departmental programs and administrative oversight of planning, fiscal management, human resources, and facilities. The Head reports to the Deans of AgResearch, UT Extension, and the Herbert College of Agriculture, and maintains a working relationship with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

• Strategic Leadership: Provide direction for teaching, research, and Extension missions, ensuring alignment with institute and university goals.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with faculty, staff, students, administration, alumni, industry partners, advisory groups, and external constituencies to establish priorities and guide departmental growth.
• Faculty and Staff Development: Recruit, support, and evaluate a diverse team; lead performance management, retention, and professional development. Implement a structured faculty mentoring program for tenure-track faculty.
• Student Success: Oversee student recruitment, advising, and support to enhance enrollment, retention, and achievement.
• Academic Program Quality: Ensure the health, accreditation, and continuous improvement of academic programs.
• Resource Management: Manage departmental budgets, human resources, and facilities; cultivate external funding and sponsored opportunities.
• Visibility and Advocacy: Promote faculty achievements and advocate for the department at the institute, university, state, and national levels.

Requirements

The successful candidate must meet the following qualifications:

• Qualify for the rank of Professor with an earned PhD in Animal, Dairy or Poultry Science or a closely related field and a distinguished record of scholarly achievement.
• Provide visionary leadership for Extension, research, and teaching programs.
• Demonstrated experience working within a land-grant university system and an understanding of the Land Grant philosophy.
• Skills in effective management of personnel and a desire to encourage productive teamwork.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Commitment to development of faculty, staff, and students and a proven ability to foster collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
• Administrative and leadership experience, including supervision of personnel, fiscal management, and strategic planning.
• Ability to articulate strategic vision and long-term goals for the Department.
• Experience in and willingness to engage in assessing priorities, strategic planning, and adaptability to change in a multidisciplinary environment.

Benefits

The University of Tennessee offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health and dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Multiple retirement plans

Additional information can be found at https://tennessee.edu/about/divisions/finance-admin/hr/payroll-benefits-retirement/.

About the University of Tennessee and the Institute of Agriculture

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System and is classified as a Carnegie R1 (Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity) institution. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) provides Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery, and outreach, committed to excellence in addressing agricultural, environmental, and natural resource challenges.