Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development

Reports to: Dean, School of Medicine. Hiring Department: School of Medicine Dean's Office.

About the role

The University of Missouri School of Medicine invites applications for a visionary, faculty-credentialed leader to serve as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development. The School is at a pivotal moment, marked by leadership transition, a redesign of faculty affairs, expansion of the four-year Springfield Campus, and deeper integration across the academic health enterprise. With nearly 800 faculty across clinical, research, teaching, and professional practice tracks on two campuses, MU SOM is building a faculty-centered model for the next era of academic medicine in Missouri. The Senior Associate Dean will define that model, shaping the systems, expectations, mentoring structures, promotion pathways, and culture that allow faculty to thrive at every career stage. The goal is a model that draws on best practices from leading academic medical centers while honoring the distinctive strengths and aspirations of MU School of Medicine.

For a faculty leader who wants to shape an institution, not just serve in one, this role is a rare opportunity. The Senior Associate Dean will work in direct partnership with the Dean and senior leadership team, with visibility across departments, campuses, and mission areas, and the chance to leave a durable institutional legacy. The School is backing this work with real investment: dedicated Faculty Affairs operations, established staff and governance partners, access to institutional data and systems, and engagement with campus and national partners. The successful candidate will not simply maintain current processes; they will design a faculty affairs office that is transparent, unbiased, data-informed, and nationally competitive.

As the School's principal faculty-facing leader, the Senior Associate Dean brings academic judgment, peer credibility, and strategic perspective to the full faculty lifecycle. The portfolio includes the new Center for Faculty Development, faculty governance; appointment, tenure, and promotion; faculty development and mentoring; awards and recognition; bylaws and committee coordination; and School-level policy stewardship. This is a leadership role, not an administrative one. The Senior Associate Dean's distinctive contribution is academic: cultivating a promotion and tenure culture grounded in excellence and transparency, building mentoring and development programs that accelerate faculty growth, championing governance that gives faculty a meaningful voice, and serving as trusted counsel and a bridge between faculty and institutional leadership on high-impact matters.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Institutional Impact
  • Provide strategic leadership and vision for the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development and the Center for Faculty Development shaping priorities that advance the School's mission, strategic plan, and culture of academic excellence
  • Serve as the Dean's principal advisor on faculty career development, promotion culture, governance, retention, and well-being, bringing faculty perspective and academic judgment to the leadership table
  • Represent the School of Medicine at the campus, UM System, and national levels on faculty affairs and development, including active engagement with AAMC and peer academic health center networks
  • Champion innovation in Faculty Affairs operations, leveraging data, technology, and transparent processes to enhance accountability, accessibility, and the faculty experience
• Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure
  • Provide academic oversight of all faculty appointment