Assistant Professor of Practice, Educational Leadership and Policy (Career-Track)

Position Highlights

The Educational Leadership and Policy Unit in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice invites applications for a faculty position as an Assistant Professor of Practice.

We seek a collaborative colleague with substantial leadership experience in PK-12 schools and/or districts who is ready to teach, mentor, and advise graduate students in online and in-person spaces.

The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative and synergistic intellectual unit with an intentional focus on equity, anti-racism, social justice, and inclusion as these relate to education leadership and policy.

The position is scheduled to begin in August 2026.

This career-track appointment is not eligible for tenure.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

• Engage in leadership practice that is responsive to a range of educational contexts and grounded in social justice theory and research.
• Design and teach graduate-level courses, both in-person and online, focused on educational leadership based on current theory and practice.
• Teach, mentor, and advise graduate students using asset-based approaches that recognize the strengths and educational experiences students bring and the value of professional knowledge, while supporting leadership development and organizational improvement.
• Advise master's and doctoral students through programs of study, as well as through the design, development, and executing of capstone and dissertation research.
• Periodically represent the University at meetings and in partnerships with local and statewide districts, as well as with state and national organizations, to present relevant student, program, and department information and outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to engage in transformative leadership practice grounded in scholarship and PK-12 educational contexts.
• Ability to mentor and advise master's and doctoral students using asset-based approaches through respective programs of study.
• Ability to mentor and advise doctoral students through the design, development, and execution of doctoral dissertation research.
• Ability to represent the University and build collaborative relationships/partnerships with local and state-wide districts, and state and national organizations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Experience teaching courses in-person and/or online.
• Experience designing pedagogy and curriculum to meet the needs of adult learners with varied educational experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving as a principal in PK-12 schools.
• Holds a valid state administration certification in Arizona or is eligible to obtain certification in the state.
• Experience and background in cross-disciplinary education.
• Experience teaching master's and doctoral courses, in online, hybrid, and/or face-to-face formats.
• Experience chairing, advising, and/or serving on dissertation committees.
• Experience supporting in-person instruction, student mentoring, and partnerships with local school districts and/or state and national organizations; candidates located in or willing to establish residence in Tucson or the broader Arizona region are preferred.

Additional Details

Posting Number: req25556

Department: Educatnl Policy Studies Pract

Location: Tucson Campus, Tucson, AZ USA

Rank: Assistant Professor

Tenure Information: Career-Track (CT)

FLSA: Exempt

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40

Job FTE: 1.0

Work Calendar: Academic

Job Category: Faculty

Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay: DOE

Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies: 1

Open Until Filled: Yes

Contact Information for Candidates

Dr. Cynthia Mruczek
cmruczek@arizona.edu

Documents Needed to Apply

Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and One Additional Document

Special Instructions to Applicant

For your application to be considered complete, please submit the following three documents:

1. Cover Letter of Interest - Outlining your qualifications for this position.
2. Curriculum Vitae.
3. Name and contact information of THREE References (phone and email) in one PDF document (to be uploaded into the "Additional Document" slot).