Department Head and Tenured Professor - Food Science & Technology

Job Details

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University invites applications for the full-time, tenured position of Professor who will serve as Head of the Department of Food Science & Technology. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2027. This is a 9-month tenured position, with a research appointment (negotiable from 25%-50%), and an administrative stipend equivalent to two months of summer salary. Competitive university benefits accompany the position. Additional support in the form of a post-doctoral scientist is available upon the establishment of a Hatch project. The administrative stipend and post-doctoral support will be in effect while the individual holds the position of Department Head. This position will also provide oversight for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension programming within the department.

The Professor and Head will serve as the Department's chief administrative officer and as an advocate for Food Science and the allied disciplines it represents. The position provides leadership and support for numerous faculty initiatives that include enhancing and expanding undergraduate and graduate education, increasing contributions to knowledge and science through extramurally funded research, fostering collegiality and interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, conducting extension and outreach programs, securing additional resources, strengthening relationships with stakeholder groups, and promoting communication of science-based findings to inform public policy and private decision-makers. As a tenured Professor, the successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active teaching program and contribute to the Department’s instructional mission through excellence in teaching and student mentorship.

The Department of Food Science & Technology is a nationally approved program by the Institute of Food Technologists’ Higher Education Review Board, with an ambitious vision for continued excellence. With integrated teaching, research, and extension programs, the Department has four areas of excellence: Global Food Safety & Quality, Functional Food Systems for Healthy Texas and Beyond, Innovative Technologies, and Global Sensory & Consumer Science. External research grants and contract funding acquired by faculty annually are approximately $3-7 million. The department has 11 core faculty members and an additional 12 affiliate graduate faculty in four academic departments throughout the College. There are 86 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. The Department offers a BS in Food Sciences & Technology with two options, the Food Industry option and the Food Science option, and two undergraduate certificates. The department also offers MS and PhD degrees in Food Science & Technology.

Qualifications

Candidates must have an earned doctorate in Food Science & Technology or a closely related field, with a record of distinction in research, teaching, and service that would qualify them for tenure at a tier 1 research institution. Demonstrated experience in academic administration is preferred, as is experience in a land grant institution.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit the following documents via Interfolio: 1) a cover letter; 2) a detailed Curriculum Vita; 3) a personal statement to include philosophy and plans for research, teaching, and service, as applicable 4) Department Head vision statement that addresses their vision for the Department for Food Science & Technology, education and the profession, leadership philosophy, and administrative experience. 5) contact information for five references.

Review of the applicant pool will begin August 2026 and will continue until the position is filled.