"Associate or Full Professor (T/TT) and Chair of the Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery"

Hiring Department

Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery

Job Description

Position Overview:

The College of Veterinary Medicine at MU is on a mission to educate and train outstanding clinicians and scientists, generate new knowledge, engage stakeholders, and foster economic growth, all of which promote and protect the health and welfare of animals and people. Our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine professional program boasts a unique curricular structure, which provides nearly two years of hands-on training in the college’s general and specialty clinics. Additionally, the College is a leader in the training of Undergraduate, Masters, and PhD students in the areas of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Pathobiology. Simply put, our mission is to Teach, Heal, Discover, and Serve.

The Chair for the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is responsible for the academic, administrative, and strategic leadership of the department. This role is pivotal in ensuring the delivery of exceptional education, research, and clinical services.

This position will have a great impact on the mission of the College of Veterinary Medicine:

• Teach: Enhances clinical education by providing a robust, well-managed environment for student learning and faculty instruction.
• Heal: Ensures the delivery of high-quality veterinary care that improves animal health and well-being.
• Discover: Supports research by facilitating clinical trials, data collection, and collaboration with academic departments.
• Serve: Elevates the standard of care for animal patients and strengthens community trust through compassionate service.

About the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery:

The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is a large department, with ~320 employees, split evenly between academic and staff appointments. The chair ensures that this department aligns with the college and campus strategic plans through close collaboration with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and other peer positions.

The Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery is the academic home of the Veterinary Health Center, and strives to develop and disseminate knowledge to improve the health and well-being of animals and people through instruction, innovative research, service and leadership. Faculty from the department provides training in all four years of the professional curriculum from basic science instruction to guiding and supervising DVM candidates in diagnosing, preventing and treating disease in animals. The department also offers advanced specialty training to interns and residents as well as graduate training leading to the Master of Science degree. Faculty members are involved in providing continuing education opportunities for veterinary professionals and livestock producers.

The department advances scientific knowledge through dynamic and varied research programs that include comparative orthopedics, internal medicine, neurology, nutrition, oncology, physiology, pharmacology, cell and molecular biology, imaging and nuclear medicine, ophthalmology, rehabilitation, tissue engineering, food animal, equine, and small animal medicine and surgery, and others. Research projects are supported by federal grants, foundation awards and grants, corporate grants and contracts, and intramural funds.

The faculty also serves the profession through dynamic leadership in scientific and professional societies.

Position Responsibilities:

The Department Chair fosters a collegial and inclusive environment, supports faculty and staff development, and ensures excellence across all departmental functions. The successful candidate will be a dynamic leader with a strong background in all aspects of academic life, and will support teaching, research, service, and outreach work through the scope of assigned duties. They will participate in planning and delivery for both didactic and clinical education through collaborations with the Associate Dean for Academic & Student Affairs and other chairs. They will strengthen clinical innovations through enhanced research opportunities for faculty.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement departmental goals aligned with college and university priorities. Build cross departmental connections for education and research.
• Faculty Oversight: Recruit, mentor, and evaluate faculty (TT and NTT); oversee promotion and appointment processes.
• Academic Programs: Ensure quality delivery of DVM, graduate, and continuing education programs; support curriculum development.
• Research Support: Promote scholarly activity and facilitate research collaborations and funding opportunities.
• Fiscal Management: Oversee departmental budget, resources, and staffing; working in close collaboration with the Director of the Veterinary Health Center to ensure all missions are successfully met.
• Communication & Representation: Serve as liaison to college leadership; foster transparent internal communication.

Based on incumbent interest, continued engagement with their medical specialty through research, DVM and graduate student instruction, involvement in house officer training, and / or clinic service is possible.

This position will report directly to the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. This position works in close collaboration with the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Director of the Veterinary Health Center regarding VHC operations. The VMS Chair will also collaborate with the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs, The Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, the Chair of the Department of Pathobiology and Integrated Biomedical Sciences, the Director of the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, the CVM Business Officer, the Assistant Director of Human Resources, as well as others across the college and university.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree (such as VMD, BVSc).

Candidates will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• Residency training and Diplomate status in a veterinary specialty recognized by the American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) or the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS)
• A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree is highly desired; an additional degree such as an MS or MPH would be considered in combination with relevant experience or other advanced training
• Experience building and maintaining a robust research portfolio with a demonstrated history of publications and scholarly activity
• Prior experience in academic leadership and administration
• Experience in strategic visioning, planning, and implementation
• Ability to be an effective collaborator and successfully work with other leaders to accomplish goals and objectives
• Strong communication skills and ability to engage a variety of stakeholder and constituent groups
• Eligibility for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in Missouri

Application Materials

Interested candidates should be prepared to attach:

• Letter stating professional interests and career goals
• Curriculum Vitae

Please contact Noah Hartsfield, HR Recruiter, at hartsfieldn@missouri.edu or 573-882-3761 with questions or to learn more.