Department Chair and Associate or Full Professor of Computer Science

Department Chair and Associate or Full Professor of Computer Science

The University of Lynchburg invites applications for an innovative, future-focused leader to serve as Department Chair and Tenure-Track Associate or Full Professor of Computer Science beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. As the tech sector undergoes a paradigm shift toward integrated intelligence, the era of the isolated syntax specialist is giving way to the age of system designers, AI architects, and ethical technology leaders. The University of Lynchburg seeks a visionary educator-scholar who will lead our Computer Science program away from language-centric coding and toward a human-centered, interdisciplinary model rooted in the liberal arts.

We seek an academic intrapreneur who recognizes that a midsize private university's competitive advantage lies in agility, cross-pollination, and high-touch mentorship. The successful candidate will articulate a clear ROI to students and families by positioning our Computer Science degree as AI-proof--emphasizing high-level logic, ethical judgment, domain expertise, and system architecture that technology cannot replace. The Chair will be expected to lead comprehensive curriculum reform, foster strategic enrollment growth, cultivate external community and business partnerships, and ensure the career readiness of our graduates.

The ideal candidate has a forward-thinking vision for the future of Computer Science education and will thrive in a teaching-focused liberal arts environment. They remain current in their field and have industry experience to back up their academic credentials. Leadership experience in academia or industry is essential, ideally experience leading change management initiatives and/or significant program creation or reform. We seek a collaborative builder with an innovative product manager mindset.

Specific Job Duties:

• Serve as the strategic architect of the Computer Science program, transforming traditional curriculum into a versatile, future-focused pathway that integrates human-led AI literacy across disciplines.
• Lead a comprehensive curricular update that shifts focus from syntax-focused programming to computational thinking, system architecture, machine learning operations, and cloud architecture. Integrate AI ethics and human-centered design into foundational coursework. Develop interdisciplinary degree pathways and minors in collaboration with disciplines across campus.
• Re-envision assessment practices to include team-based product sprints and client-facing projects that solve real-world problems for local businesses and non-profits. Help students bridge the entry-level hiring gap by creating opportunities for them to articulate their experience and skills.
• Cultivate local and regional corporate, civic, and non-profit connections to secure project pipelines, internship opportunities, and job prospects.
• Oversee departmental operations, budgets, course scheduling, program assessment, and faculty development.
• Drive marketing, recruiting, and retention efforts in the department, at campus events, and online.
• Maintain a reduced teaching load (commensurate with administrative duties as Chair) delivering core and advanced Computer Science courses.

Benefits:

• Generous sick time and family leave, comprehensive insurance (medical, dental, vision, etc.) and retirement plans, flexible spending account, tuition remission, life and long-term disability insurance, and more. Learn more about employment benefits at the University of Lynchburg.

Teaching Load:

The typical full-time faculty teaching load is 12 contact hours per semester, reduced for this role to accommodate departmental leadership and administrative responsibilities.

Salary:

90,000-$117,000. Salary and rank are commensurate with education and experience

Physical Demands:

• Prolonged periods standing or sitting at a desk