Associate Professor (tenure-track) and Graduate Programs Director, Children’s Literature

Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons University has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons was founded for equality 125 years ago as one of the first higher education institutions dedicated to helping women become leaders. Today, our university continues to grow and evolve and now offers Boston’s only women’s undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all.

You’re joining our community at an especially exciting time as we continue to innovate for the future. Simmons recently launched a six-school academic structure that leverages our expert faculty and longstanding expertise in professions that make our communities stronger. In addition, we continue to highlight our high-value education proposition that is delivering greater ROI to students and putting them on the fast track to career growth and success. You’ll find that people who work here truly believe in our mission of preparing students to become social justice-oriented leaders who excel in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.

As a university that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.

Funded by a New Endowment

Building on a new endowment, this position is sponsored by the Children’s Literature Alumni Fund for Faculty and seeks an established scholar and educator with academic, creative, or relevant professional experience who will support implementation of the Children’s Literature graduate curriculum across multiple degree programs. Further, the Associate Professor position will provide leadership as the Graduate Programs Director and as the Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. The successful candidate will bring energy and vision to a signature program at the University.

Position Description

The Simmons University graduate programs in Children’s Literature invites applications for tenure-track Associate Professor to begin in the Fall 2027, the beginning of the programs’ 51st year. The graduate programs welcome applications from scholars and professionals in the domain of children’s literature with a deep knowledge of (primarily Anglophone) historical and contemporary literature for children and young adults, a grounding in literary or critical theoretical approaches to works of literature for young people, and a strong commitment to teaching and pedagogical work with a diverse body of graduate students.

The first of its kind to attend solely to works published for young people, the program has grown to embrace dual degree programs that combine humanities and liberal arts inquiry with specific professional credentials. Consequently, applicants may approach children’s and young adult literature from a variety of scholarly or professional standpoints. The successful candidate will bring strong teaching, scholarship, and knowledge of and experience with the children’s and young adult trade publishing industry. The successful candidate will trailblaze the future of the programs, the Center, and the University’s partnerships and alliances in literature for young people.

Primary Responsibilities

The Associate Professor will teach, research, and assume administrative and leadership duties as the Children’s Literature Graduate Programs’ Director and the Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, including oversight of the Summer Institutes in Children’s Literature.

Candidates will have a demonstrated record of teaching excellence, strong scholarship, and leadership experience. Those with the capacity to teach in one or more of the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Literary theory and critical approaches to children’s and young adult literature
• Genre and form
• History, historicity
• Intersections of critical and professional practices

We seek a colleague who will teach a range of courses in a variety of formats, including graduate seminars, undergraduate general education courses, and courses within the candidate’s area of specialization to enable students to meet the programs’ learning outcomes. The primary teaching location for this position is the Boston campus; however, teaching in Amherst at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book may be a possibility. The faculty member is expected to advise graduate students in the children’s literature programs and may be called upon to advise in the undergraduate literature and writing programs.

They will actively engage in service to the Simmons community, in part through their leadership roles in Children’s Literature. As a graduate program director, the position is responsible for curriculum development and oversight, academic quality, faculty supervision and excellence, student recruitment and retention, working with the graduate student advisory group, overseeing the BookNook, and supervising the Graduate Fellow and Teaching Assistants.

Required Qualifications

• MA or MFA considered, PhD in Children’s Literature or a related discipline preferred
• Evidence of excellent teaching at the college level and a commitment to providing high-quality education;
• A strong record scholarship;
• Administrative experience;
• Potential for and/or demonstrated ability to teach students with diverse backgrounds at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
• Demonstrated commitment to collegiality when interacting with others within the university community.

Application Materials and Instructions

Interested candidates should submit the following electronically through Simmons Workday with their application:

• a letter of application addressing teaching experiences,
• teaching philosophy and course or content interests; a curriculum vitae;
• teaching dossier that documents excellence in teaching; and
• published scholarship sample

References will be requested at a later stage.

Review of applications begins December 15, 2026.

Children’s Literature at Simmons University

Simmons University pioneered the first graduate studies in literature for young people. Since 1977, we have welcomed students from a wide range of backgrounds who are united by a deep and unapologetic passion to read, write, discuss, and better understand the artistic power, boundary-breaking qualities, and across genre innovation in literature for young people. In exploring the social, cultural, scholarly, and professional perspectives that shape children’s and young adult literature, students gain critical acumen and professional experience as they pursue a variety of degrees, including the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature, the Master of FIne Arts in Writing for Children, the combined MAMFA, and a dual degree that unifies the MA with the MS in Library and Information Sciences.

In the Gwen Ifill School of Humanities, Media, and Social Sciences

The Graduate Programs in Children’s Literature are located in the Literature & Writing Department of The Ifill School. As a pioneering Black woman journalist, Gwen Ifill '77 '93HD broke through barriers of prejudice and stands as a model of professional excellence and a purposeful life. The Ifill School aims to carry on that legacy for the next generations. To that end, we are a community of educators and learners guided by intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and generosity of spirit. We derive strength from our differences and pursue civic engagement through humanistic inquiry that values language, lived experience, artistic expression, and imagination. We give voice to our stories, past and present, individual and global, told and untold, to influence a future whose questions have yet to be asked. Our students view society through the multi-faceted lenses of language, narrative, art, music, film and contemporary media.

Salary range: $84,000 - $88,000

In accordance with applicable pay transparency laws effective October 29, 2025, Simmons University is committed to pay equity, transparency and clear communication throughout the hiring process.

This is a benefits-eligible position.

Actual compensation will be based on factors such as experience, education, skills, equity, and external market benchmarks that help guide compensation decisions. Our compensation philosophy is centered around a comprehensive package that includes pay, health benefits, and retirement savings offerings that can be seen here, as well as work-life balance initiatives such as flexible hours and remote work opportunities. We are committed to offering a package that empowers individuals to thrive in their roles, contribute meaningfully, and lead with confidence.

Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual’s community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.