SCHOOL DIRECTOR & PROFESSOR, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

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About The Position

The University of Florida’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering seeks a Professor and Director of the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment (ESSIE). Reporting to the Dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the Director will provide strategic, intellectual, and administrative leadership for an internationally visible research and education enterprise. The Director will join the Dean’s leadership team and advance the School, the College, and university priorities while engaging with state, national, and professional communities.

ESSIE brings together the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering and the Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. It includes approximately 65 faculty and 966 students, with approximately $19 million in annual research expenditures and $22.6 million in research awards. Its multidisciplinary research and educational work connects built and natural environments and spans civil, coastal, environmental, sustainability, and resilience-related engineering and science. The School also manages a network of research centers and core facilities that support collaboration, partnerships, technology development, and high-impact research.

The Director will shape ESSIE’s future, strengthen a culture of collaboration and excellence, elevate its national and international visibility, and position it to address major civil, coastal, and environmental challenges. The role calls for a compelling strategic vision translated into priorities, investments, goals, and measurable outcomes; strengthened research collaboration and external funding; effective recruitment and development of faculty and staff; educational innovation and student success; and engagement with alumni, industry, government, communities, donors, and other partners.

The anticipated start date is August 16, 2027. Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled, with priority consideration for applications received by December 1, 2026. The search committee requests a cover letter, curriculum vitae, contact information for five professional references, and a leadership vision statement of no more than three pages.

Requirements

• Earned doctorate in civil, coastal, environmental, or oceanographic engineering, or a closely related field.
• Distinguished record of scholarship, education, mentoring, and professional contribution meriting appointment as a tenured full professor at the University of Florida.
• Evidence of successful leadership in a research-intensive university or comparably complex organization, including building collaborative, high-performing cultures and developing faculty, staff, and emerging leaders.
• Ability to develop and articulate a compelling strategic vision and translate it into clear priorities, strategic investments, and measurable outcomes that advance the department’s reputation and ranking.
• Skill in developing and expanding sponsored research programs, fostering collaborative research, and advancing high-impact programs.
• Excellent communication, judgment, integrity, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to student success and to a scholarly and working environment where people with varied backgrounds and perspectives can contribute and thrive.
• Experience with external engagement and development, such as industry partnerships, alumni outreach, and fundraising.

Nice To Haves

• Experience recruiting, mentoring, evaluating, and retaining faculty and staff across career stages and appointment types.
• Experience developing multidisciplinary initiatives, major collaborative proposals, centers, institutes, or other large-scale research activities.
• Experience building productive industry partnerships, including sponsored research, consortia, or public-private collaborations.
• Experience using industry engagement to strengthen education, experiential learning, workforce preparation, and research opportunities.
• Ability to identify emerging funding opportunities and organize faculty and external partners around them.
• Experience working with College and University leadership and across academic units.
• Experience in advancement, philanthropy, alumni engagement, or development of external resources.
• Professional leadership and service in civil, coastal, environmental, oceanographic engineering, or a closely related field or discipline.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, intellectual, and administrative leadership for ESSIE and contribute to the leadership of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
• Develop and communicate a forward-looking vision for ESSIE, translating it into clear priorities, measurable goals, strategic investments, and sustained execution.
• Strengthen interdisciplinary research and collaboration across ESSIE departments, centers, facilities, UF units, and external partners.
• Help faculty pursue large and complex sponsored research programs, strengthen external funding, and develop partnerships with agencies, industry, communities, and universities.
• Recruit, develop, and retain outstanding faculty and staff; foster mentoring, professional development, recognition, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Identify opportunities for strategic faculty growth that support ESSIE’s research and educational mission.
• Lead undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; support continuous improvement and accreditation, curricular innovation, experiential and research-centered learning, graduate education, and student mentoring.
• Serve as an ambassador for ESSIE and cultivate relationships with alumni, industry, government agencies, professional organizations, communities, donors, and other partners.
• Work with College leadership and advancement professionals to expand philanthropic support and develop partnerships aligned with the School’s strategic goals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree