Human Resources

Summary

The College of Engineering at Michigan Technological University invites applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering to begin July 1, 2025.

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University seeks an individual who has a demonstrated record of scholarly and administrative achievement and will lead the Chemical Engineering faculty and staff in our mission of excellence in education, research, and service while promoting our culture of safety and a welcoming, inclusive environment. We seek an individual with the vision and experience to elevate the prominence of the department in chemical engineering research, further, our strong tradition of hands-on experiential education, grow our M.S. and Ph.D. programs, and work with all stakeholders to align the department activities and goals with the strategic plans of the College and University.

The department chair serves as the chief administrative officer for the chemical engineering department and is responsible for administration, budgeting, hiring, and fundraising in support of department goals. The chair serves as the primary liaison between the department, the university, and external stakeholders and is expected to expand and develop department collaborations and networks within and outside the university.

The chemical engineering department has strong research programs focused on solving global issues related to health, sustainability, resilience, energy, advanced materials and technologies, sustainable recovery and use of natural resources (minerals, biomass, water, etc.), and waste recovery and recycling. We are particularly interested in a department chair who can complement and enhance our existing research strengths.

Michigan Tech attracts world-class faculty and staff who enrich the educational experience of smart, motivated, and adventurous students. Applicants who are committed to promoting a sense of belonging and contributing to an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all are strongly encouraged to apply (see Belonging).

Responsibilities 

● Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for department faculty, staff, and students.
● Encourage and maintain the role of the chemical engineering department as a leader on campus in promotion and cultivation of a safety mindset and safe work practices.
● Oversee and direct department administrative tasks including managing the department budget, approving financial documents, evaluating faculty and staff performance, making salary recommendations to the Dean, chairing department meetings, assigning faculty teaching and service responsibilities, promoting and facilitating faculty and staff development, assigning undergraduate and graduate teaching responsibilities, representing and advocating for the chemical engineering department to the college and university administration, and serving as the primary liaison to the department student and external advisory boards.
● Spearhead fundraising activities and networking with industry and alumni in support of department capital projects and activities.
● Teach undergraduate and/or graduate-level chemical engineering courses.
● Develop a vision and practices to support continued growth and excellence in externally-funded research, hands-on experiential education, undergraduate and graduate enrollment, alumni and industry engagement, and expansion of the reputation of the chemical engineering department within the academic community.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

A Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field is required.

Required Experience

● Experience commensurate to a tenured professor in chemical engineering.
● Experience with leadership, budgeting, and resource allocation in an academic, government or industrial setting.
● Experience securing external research funding, disseminating research findings, and building and sustaining a national reputation in a research field.
● Experience mentoring and advising graduate students toward degree completion.
● Experience teaching at the university level.
● Experience fostering a culture of safety in their work environment(s).
● Experience fostering a collegial work and learning environment, promoting diversity and a sense of belonging.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

● A PhD in chemical engineering with experience commensurate to a tenured, full professor in chemical engineering.
● Experience teaching core chemical engineering courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.
● Prior engagement with department and university strategic plans and visions.
● Demonstrated tangible support for professional development of staff, faculty and/or students.
● Prior experience leading or co-leading large multi-PI/co-PI research proposals and generating peer-reviewed publications.
● Prior engagement with continuous improvement activities related to university teaching.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

● Ability and willingness to engage in administrative responsibilities.
● Ability and willingness to engage in fundraising activities.
● Knowledge of and engagement with inclusive teaching and mentoring methods.
● Strong written and oral communication.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

● Ability to work collaboratively with others in a teaching/ research/administrative setting and foster camaraderie.
● Ability to serve in various service roles within a university or national/international organization.
● Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering a fair, objective, welcoming place to work for persons with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

The work environment is that of a typical office and/or classroom setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following 4 required trainings; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview

• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Training

• Annual Data Security Training 

• Annual Title IX Training

Background Check:

Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Other Conditions of Employment:

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. This is not an E-Verified Position.

1

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

11 months

Title of Position Supervisor

College Dean

Posting Type

Dependent on Funding

Special Instructions to Applicants (if applicable)

Applicants will need to upload the following documents:
● Cover letter describing interest in the position and relevant experience and qualifications
● Curriculum vitae
● Statement on vision, leadership/management, and the future of chemical engineering research and education
● Statement of research
● Statement of teaching philosophy
● Names of at least three professional references

We strongly encourage applicants to address the required and desired qualifications in their cover letter along with an explanation of how they will contribute to the Vision and Mission of Michigan Tech.

Additional Information

Michigan Technological University, one of the four major research universities in the State of Michigan, is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula adjacent to Lake Superior. The community offers a small-town environment with outstanding four-season recreational opportunities. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, MI on the south shore of Lake Superior.

The Department of Chemical Engineering currently has 17 full-time tenure/tenure-track, instructional track, and research faculty members, 6 administrative and technical staff, 295 undergraduate students, and 36 graduate students. Externally-funded research awards in FY24 are approximately $14.5M, and we are on a trajectory to double our graduate enrollment over the next five years. The main focus of the Department of Chemical Engineering is to educate engineers who are well-grounded in the applied science of chemical engineering and who are able to contribute immediately to their future employers. Experiential learning is a key strength of the department at the undergraduate and graduate levels, whether in our classrooms, world-class Unit Operations Laboratory and Process Control Center (https://www.mtu.edu/chemical/facilities/teaching/operations/), Enterprise programs, or undergraduate and graduate research. The department has strong research and educational programs related to critical global issues including health, sustainability and resilience, energy, advanced materials and technologies, sustainable recovery and use of natural resources (minerals, biomass, water, etc.), and waste recovery and recycling.

Michigan Tech is proud to be an ADVANCE Institution that has thrice received National Science Foundation support to increase diversity, inclusion, and the participation and advancement of women and underrepresented individuals in STEM.

Michigan Tech recognizes the importance of supporting faculty members’ partners; candidates selected for on-campus interviews will be invited to bring a guest. Additional details on our Partner Engagement Program can be found at https://www.mtu.edu/provost/programs/partner-engagement/.