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Professor and Head, Department of Animal Science

Posted on August 4, 2026

Position Overview

POSITION SUMMARY The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) seeks applications and nominations for the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Animal Science. This is a 12-month, tenured position. We seek a dynamic and visionary leader who will foster excellence in teaching, research, and Extension programs. The department head is responsible for executing a department-developed strategic vision for the department 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 and fascinating blend of applied and basic life sciences focused on enhancing the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of domestic animal industries. The department’s activities are accomplished by its 24 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 5 lecturers, and 21 professional support staff who are located on the Knoxville campus and at facilities across Tennessee. Several faculty have joint appointments with the College of Veterinary Medicine. Approximately 500 undergraduate students are enrolled in the department’s bachelor of science degree programs with academic concentrations in Animal Industries, Biosciences, Veterinary Science, and BS-MS 4+1. In addition, there are approximately 45 graduate students enrolled in the department’s MS and PhD programs. New construction on the Center for Protein Innovation (meat processing facility) and the Broiler Innovation, Research and Demonstration (BIRD) facility should be completed next year and will support the department’s land grant effort in these areas. Faculty are also active in five recently developed centers including the UTIA Genomics Center for the Advancement of Agriculture (https://utiagenomics.tennessee.edu/), Precision Livestock Farming (https://plf.tennessee.edu/), the University of Tennessee One Health Initiative (https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/), Center for Dairy Advancement and Sustainability (https://utdairy.tennessee.edu/), and UT Beef and Forage Center (https://utbeef.tennessee.edu/). Research, teaching, and Extension programs in the department serve the areas of animal health and well-being, nutrition, physiology, genomics, reproduction, immunology, environment, and precision livestock farming technology. In addition to applied animal production work, multidisciplinary and multifunctional dual biomedical and agricultural purpose (animal and human health) programs are conducted with an emphasis on infectious disease, obesity, metabolic complications, and regenerative medicine. Extensive field and animal resources are available at ten UT AgResearch Research and Education Centers across Tennessee 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. Opportunities abound to continue to form new collaborative and interdisciplinary activities with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, commodity and industrial partners, other university units and regional industries. Additional information about the department is available at https://animalscience.tennessee.edu/, and more information on the Knoxville area can be found at https://www.utk.edu/about/knoxville.

Responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION The Department Head’s responsibilities include leadership of all departmental programs and administrative responsibility for planning, fiscal management, human resources, and facilities. The Department Head reports to the Deans of AgResearch, UT Extension, and the Herbert College of Agriculture, working with their offices to accomplish departmental goals and objectives. The Head also maintains a working relationship with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Head guides the Department in its mission to deliver nationally and internationally recognized programs in teaching, research, and Extension. The Head helps articulate and promote the Department’s vision to provide high quality, relevant education and training for undergraduate and graduate students that encompasses the vision of the University of Tennessee - a world enriched by our ideas, improved through action, and inspired by the Volunteer spirit of service and leadership - thus positioning students to take their places as academic and industry leaders in the state of Tennessee and the world. The Department Head will serve as the chief executive officer of the department and will be responsible for providing dynamic, visionary leadership in the following key areas:

• Strategic Leadership: Recognize the importance of all three facets of the land grant mission as well as 4H and youth livestock programs. Provide direction for the department’s 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 of faculty and staff; lead efforts in performance management, retention, and professional development. Implement and oversee a structured faculty mentoring program for tenure-track faculty, ensuring long-term support for successful advancement.
• Student Success: Oversee student recruitment, advising, and support efforts to enhance enrollment, retention, and student achievement within the department’s disciplines.
• Academic Program Quality: Ensure the health, accreditation, and continuous improvement of academic programs, maintaining high standards for teaching and learning outcomes.
• Resource Management: Effectively manage departmental budgets, human resources, and facilities; identify and cultivate external funding and sponsored opportunities to support program growth.
• Visibility and Advocacy: Enhance the visibility of departmental programs through the promotion of faculty achievements and advocacy efforts at the institute, university, state, and national levels.
• Faculty Mentorship: Implement and oversee a structured faculty mentoring program for tenure-track faculty, ensuring long-term support for successful advancement.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate must:

• Qualify for the rank of Professor in the Department of Animal Science with an earned PhD in Animal, Dairy or Poultry Science or a closely related field and a distinguished record of scholarly achievement.
• Be able to provide visionary leadership for Extension, research, and teaching programs.
• Have demonstrated experience working within a land-grant university system, while also having an understanding and interest in the Land Grant philosophy.
• Skills in effective management of personnel and a desire to encourage productive teamwork.
• Possess strong interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Have a strong commitment to development of faculty, staff, and students and a proven ability to foster collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
• Demonstrate administrative and leadership experience, including supervision of personnel, fiscal management, and strategic planning.
• Articulate strategic vision and long-term goals for the Department.
• Experience in and a willingness to engage in assessing priorities, strategic planning and implementation, and adaptability to change in a multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred Level of Education

PhD

Benefits Offered

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. UTIA is committed to excellence in developing solutions to agricultural, environmental, and natural resource challenges across Tennessee and beyond. UTIA is located in Knoxville, a vibrant city surrounded by beautiful natural areas including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and offers an excellent quality of life.

Compensation/Salary

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Compensation is competitive and will be based on experience and qualifications. The University of Tennessee offers a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, including health and dental insurance, life insurance and multiple retirement plans. Additional information can be found at https://tennessee.edu/about/divisions/finance-admin/hr/payroll-benefits-retirement/.