Department chair civil environmental engineering

Job No: 25268

Department: Civil, Environ & Geospatial Engrg

Work Type: Staff - Full Time

Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Categories: Engineering, Academic Administrator, Environmental

Summary

The College of Engineering at Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech) invites applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) to begin July 1, 2026.

The CEGE department includes 32 faculty, seven professional staff, more than 125 graduate students, and over 600 undergraduate students, with robust research and teaching programs spanning infrastructure resilience, intelligent and reconfigurable structures, advanced and automated construction, environmental and public health, sustainable water infrastructure and environmental systems, transportation and mobility, geospatial analytics, and climate adaptation. CEGE faculty actively collaborate with several research centers and institutes, including the Great Lakes Research Center, Michigan Tech Research Institute, and Michigan Tech Transportation Institute.

The department seeks an accomplished individual with a record of leadership and scholarly, professional, and administrative achievement to advance our mission of excellence in research, education, and service, while fostering a safe and collaborative environment. The successful candidate will lead efforts to enhance the department's national and international prominence, grow externally funded research, strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations, further our strong tradition of hands-on experiential education, and expand our undergraduate, MS, and PhD programs.

The Chair serves as the chief administrative officer of the department and is responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, hiring, resource management, and fundraising in support of department goals, as well as fostering faculty, staff, and student success. The Chair serves as the primary liaison between the department and the rest of the university, and external constituents, and is expected to foster collaborations both internal and external to the university that advance the department's mission.

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 learning environment based on respect for all and academic excellence are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

• Provide leadership to the department that respects shared governance and supports excellence for department faculty, staff, and students.
• Serve as the chief administrative officer of the department with responsibility for strategic planning, budgeting, resource allocation, personnel management, and departmental operations.
• Develop a vision and practices to support continued growth and excellence in hands-on experiential education and undergraduate and graduate enrollments.
• Support and expand externally funded research, encourage collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives, and strengthen the department's national and international visibility.
• Manage and evaluate faculty and staff, including recommendations for hiring, reappointment, tenure, promotion, and salary raise.
• Facilitate professional development of faculty, staff, and students through mentoring, guidance, and recognition of achievement.
• Ensure compliance and excellence in ABET and university assessment activities, and lead continuous improvement of undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Strengthen relationships with alumni, industry, government, and professional organizations to support education, research, and outreach initiatives.
• Lead fundraising efforts and cultivate relationships with alumni and donors to advance the department's strategic priorities in collaboration with the dean and the university's Office of Advancement.
• Provide leadership to foster a culture of safety; promote safety through actions, communication, and training.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

PhD in Civil, Environmental, or Geospatial Engineering, or a closely related field.

Required Experience

• Demonstrated leadership and administrative accomplishments in an academic, government, or industrial setting, including experience with budgeting and resource allocation.
• Experience commensurate with a tenured professor in civil, environmental, or geospatial engineering.
• Proven success in securing and managing external research funding and maintaining a national or international reputation in a relevant field.
• Experience mentoring and advising graduate students toward degree completion.
• Experience teaching at the university level.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

• Scholarly record of excellence appropriate for a tenured appointment at the rank of associate or full professor in civil, environmental, or geospatial engineering.
• Evidence of building or leading large interdisciplinary collaborations or multi-institutional projects (e.g., centers, institutes, large research teams, applied partnerships).
• Experience teaching core courses in civil, environmental, or geospatial engineering at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.
• Prior engagement with department and university strategic plans and visions.
• Experience working with ABET-accredited engineering programs, continuous improvement processes, or curricular innovation.
• Experience in mentoring and promoting faculty, staff, and students, with evidence of fostering their professional and academic success.
• Licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) or eligibility for licensure.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Experience with fundraising and advancement activities.
• Experience in partnership development with industry, government, or alumni.
• Experience with administrative responsibilities.
• Knowledge of and engagement with best practices in teaching and mentoring methods.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Ability to lead strategically, motivate personnel, and align departmental goals with college and university priorities.
• Skill in collaboration, consensus-building, and conflict resolution, fostering a productive and respectful departmental climate.
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills with all department constituents.
• Commitment to health and safety, continuous improvement, and strong leadership in research, teaching, and operations.

Language, Mathematics and/or Reasoning Skills

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 four required pieces of training; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview
• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Training
• Annual Data Security Training
• Annual Title IX Training

Department Training:
The CEGE Department requires anyone engaged in laboratory research activities and instructing laboratory courses to complete a number of core safety training modules offered through university Environmental Health and Safety, with periodic refreshers.

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.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) % (1=100%)
1

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

11 months

Shift

Pay Rate/Salary

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience

Title of Position Supervisor

College Dean

Posting Type
Internal & External

Dependent on Funding
No

Special Instructions to Applicants (if applicable)

Full consideration will be given to applicants who apply on or before December 1, 2025

The following documents are required for upload. Please note that each document (excluding your CV) has a two-page maximum length.

• Cover letter describing interest in the position and relevant experience and qualifications (2-page maximum)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Statement on vision, leadership/management, and the future of Civil, Environmental, or Geospatial Engineering research and education (2-page maximum)
• Statement of research (2-page maximum)
• Statement of teaching (2-page maximum)
• Names of at least three professional references, (references will only be contacted if the candidate is invited for an on-site interview)

Additional Information

Michigan Tech is one of four Carnegie-classified R1 institutions in Michigan. The university provides its graduates with an extremely high return on investment through its academic rigor and focus on experiential learning. Located in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula's Anishinaabe/Ojibwe lands in Houghton, MI on the south shore of Lake Superior, the university also provides a high standard of living. The community offers a small-town environment with outstanding four-season recreational opportunities.

Among the nation's public colleges and universities, Michigan Tech was named No 2 on the list of Best Schools for Internships, No 9 for Best Career Placement and No 18 for Best Schools for Financial Aid. In the Best Value Colleges category, solely based on return on investment, or ROI, Michigan Tech was ranked No 33.

Engineering at Michigan Tech is thriving. We are the largest college at Tech, with nine departments offering 49 degree programs and have programs across engineering fields-biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical, environmental, geological, manufacturing, materials, and mechanical-as well as several new programs created in response to the accelerating pace of technology including aerospace engineering, robotics, and manufacturing engineering. Demand for our programs is strong and growing, with more than 4,200 students currently enrolled in our college. We are committed to training engineers to have the highly cooperative and imaginative mindsets needed to work together to advance power generation and grid management, design clean energy materials, develop autonomous mobility (road, rail, water, & air), sustainably manage natural resources, and improve human health.

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 .

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer, that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other Conditions of Employment:
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of your appointment, and maintain eligibility without sponsorship throughout your appointment.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or accommodations during Michigan Tech's hiring process please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or [email protected] .

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures* (minimum requirements)