Associate Dean - Culinary Specializations

The Culinary Institute of America•Hyde Park, NY

35d•$120,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The Associate Dean for Specializations in the School of Culinary Arts provides strategic and operational leadership to advance the school's mission and vision. This pivotal role is accountable for implementing initiatives that elevate academic standards, enhance program quality, and strengthen the institution's reputation as a leader in culinary education. By aligning daily responsibilities with long-term goals, the Associate Dean ensures programs remain competitive and responsive to evolving student and industry needs. Success in this position is measured by improvements in student satisfaction, increased curriculum and pedagogical rigor, broader faculty professional development opportunities, and strengthened student career outcomes. Collaboration is central to this role, requiring close partnerships with the School Dean, Faculty Council, school committees, School faculty, administrative staff, students, alumni, industry partners, and academic leaders across campus. Through these relationships, the Associate Dean advances shared priorities and drives continuous improvement in support of the school's strategic objectives.

Requirements

Earned Culinary AOS, Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience in a culinary and/or academic setting.
A minimum of three to five (3-5) years of successful administrative experience or demonstrated leadership experience related to culinary arts and specialization, including and expertise in at least one of the areas of specialization under their purview.
Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills required. Must have demonstrated ability in organizational, time management, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
Ability to provide leadership for the use of technology in the classroom and for office and management tasks, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.), Moodle and related applications.
Skilled in relevant curriculum development and ability to lead the design and revision of curricula to maintain relevancy and meet changing needs.
Ability to provide leadership for assessment of faculty performance and student academic achievement.
Knowledge of the concepts and practices of shared governance, including faculty involvement and individual accountability.
Knowledge of concepts and practices promoting effective teaching and learning.
Broad business savvy, with a solid grasp of financial and operating goals. Must have a track record of achieving measurable success for meeting objectives, managing costs and achieving change.
Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills required, including the ability to form and mobilize intra-organizational teams to accomplish educational goals.
Must have a history of developing programs to support strategic vision, partnering with stakeholder groups, and effective problem solving and negotiation.
Ability to use sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive faculty and student issues with confidentiality and discretion.
Must be adaptable, dependable, with the ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
Must have a proven, consistent track record showing the ability to work with all levels within an organization.
Display a high level of energy and self-motivation.
Strong administrative experience with exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to organize the work of others.
Ability to travel periodically to other CIA locations due to business needs.
Must be available to work nights and weekends as required due to business needs.
Regular work requires a great deal of sitting and standing for extended periods.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree, Pro Chef, C.M.C.

Responsibilities

Manage and supervise full-time Culinary Specialization faculty, ensuring daily operations align with the school's mission and vision.
Measure faculty engagement and performance through annual evaluations and developmental goal attainment.
Ensure departmental compliance with the faculty collective bargaining agreement, the Employee and Faculty Handbooks, and CIA policies and procedures. Actively work to resolve faculty concerns to ensure a supportive and compliant work environment.
Coordinate faculty and course scheduling in partnership with the Director of Faculty Staffing and Scheduling, optimizing resource use and class availability; monitor schedule efficiency and course fill rates.
Lead strategic initiatives in cross-cultural and cuisine areas vital for institutional growth and expansion; evaluate success through student participation data and feedback from industry partners.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance program quality, instructional effectiveness, and student outcomes; assess impact via student satisfaction surveys, graduate employment statistics, and external program review results.
Foster a culture of academic excellence by supporting faculty development and innovative teaching, measure progress through faculty training participation rates and improvements in teaching evaluations.
Oversee regular curriculum review to ensure relevance and rigor in response to industry trends, track curriculum updates and feedback from accreditation bodies.
Promote the school's reputation through active engagement with professional organizations, accreditation bodies, and community outreach; quantify outreach activities and recognition received.
Facilitate transparent faculty selection and recommendation processes with the Faculty Council and school search committees; monitor efficiency and equity of hiring practices, and candidate success rates.
Strengthen cross-campus collaboration by establishing effective communication channels, supporting interdisciplinary projects, and sharing best practices; measure collaborative outcomes and participation in joint initiatives.
Any and all other duties as assigned.