"Department Chair, Civil Engineering, Daytona Beach Campus"

Job Description

The Opportunity

The Civil Engineering Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, is accepting applications and nominations for the position of Department Chair. The University seeks a collaborative and student-oriented leader with a strong research background. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to foster teamwork, build consensus, and articulate a clear vision for departmental growth, including expanding both student and faculty numbers and developing a PhD program. The Department Chair will be responsible for upholding Embry-Riddle’s commitment to student achievement while advancing the department’s research profile.

As a tenured faculty member in the College of Engineering, the successful candidate will have demonstrated an exemplary research and scholarly record, leadership skills, project management, personnel development, strategic planning, and budget management. The position also requires working collaboratively with internal and external constituents as a department, college, and university team member. Additionally, candidates should have experience with a broad range of innovative instruction and assessment methods. The ideal candidate will have a clear vision for supporting the growth of the Civil Engineering Department.

About the College of Engineering

The College of Engineering comprises five departments: Aerospace, Civil, Engineering Fundamentals, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering & Computer Science. The Civil Engineering Department integrates aviation and aerospace into its curriculum and research, with 12 full-time faculty serving about 90 undergraduates, ten graduate students, and supporting the college’s 3,200 undergraduate population.

Embry-Riddle: A Global Leader in Aviation and Aerospace

With vibrant campuses in Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ, plus a Worldwide network across approximately 120 locations, Embry-Riddle stands as the world’s largest aviation and aerospace university. For over 95 years, we've been pioneering education in STEM fields, serving over 11,600 residential students and 19,200 globally in the 2023-24 academic year with cutting-edge programs in Applied Science, Aviation, Business, Technology, Engineering, Safety, Security, and Space.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, with more than 70 Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. programs in Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. The Daytona Beach Campus serves a diverse student body of approximately 8,500 students. The research focus areas at Embry-Riddle are strategic and continue to evolve as technology and the world around us change incrementally. Some of our civil engineering focus areas include climate impact from the aviation industry, climate change effects on substructures, structural health monitoring, assessing the resilience of natural and built environments, and resilient transportation systems. To further support aviation and aerospace convergent research, the University has established Centers of Excellence such as the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety (https://erau.edu/research/industry-collaboration/center-for-aviation-and-aerospace-safety) and the Center for Aerospace Resilience (https://erau.edu/research/industry-collaboration/center-for-aerospace-resilience).

Qualifications

Required Education and Qualifications:

Candidates must hold a doctoral degree in civil engineering or other related fields, have a successful record of scholarship and securing external funding from diverse agencies and industries, and be committed to teaching excellence. Successful candidates must have excellent leadership and communication skills in written and spoken English and the necessary qualifications at the time of employment to be appointed as a tenured full professor in the Civil Engineering Department.

Application process/requirements

Applicants are encouraged to apply by October 15, 2025, though applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The start date is negotiable, with Fall 2026 preferred.

To submit your application for this opportunity, please visit the Embry-Riddle Career Site and search for requisition number R310195. Please attach all relevant materials to your application when you apply online. Complete submissions include:

• Detailed cover letter discussing experience, academic and leadership qualifications, and background that strongly aligns with the Civil Engineering Department and the position
• Full CV
• Contact information for at least three professional references (please note that references may be contacted as part of the interview/screening process)

Questions can be directed to Dr. Sherif Ishak, Search Committee Chair, at Ishaks@erau.edu.