Employer: Virginia Tech, Agriculture & Life Sciences

Location: Blacksburg, Virginia

Status: Full-time

Application deadline: April 26, 2026

Full position description and application instructions

The Department Head will provide visionary leadership in establishing priorities for the department in the context of the strategic initiatives and stakeholder needs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. They will maintain a commitment to shared governance and collaboration with on and off campus faculty; foster interdisciplinary and interagency cooperation; actively participate in student recruitment and education and in recruitment of new faculty and staff; encourage professional development, evaluation, and promotion of faculty and staff; prepare and manage departmental budgets; coordinate the deployment of new faculty and staff into modern laboratory facilities; foster and promote an environment conducive to faculty obtaining new grants, contracts and gifts. In addition, the Department Head will be responsible for building on a collegial culture of collaboration with other departments, colleges and university centers/institutes, governmental agencies, alumni, and commodity groups. It is strongly desired that the successful candidate participates in teaching, research, and/or extension activities.

Required Qualifications: 

• An earned doctorate in entomology, biology, ecology or related discipline (interdisciplinary training or experience desirable)
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage resources and a commitment to financial transparency
• Credentials sufficient for appointment as a tenured full professor, including an internationally recognized level of academic achievement, active research program and demonstrated record of successful grantsmanship
• Team building skills with evidence of effective group leadership at a departmental level, including strong record of graduate student training
• Demonstrated effectiveness in personnel management, interpersonal communication, and consensus building
• Demonstrated experience in assessing priorities and the implementation of strategic planning in a multidisciplinary environment
• And more…