The School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics (SECM) at the College of Charleston invites applications for a tenure-track or tenured faculty position to serve as the founding Academic Program Director of Mechanical Engineering at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, with an anticipated start date of August 2027. Appointment rank, tenure status, and salary will be commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience. Teaching and research are mutually supportive activities at the College of Charleston. The successful applicant will have a plan for bringing a research program to the College. Relevant areas include heat transfer, thermal fluids, fluid mechanics, machine design, mechanics of materials, materials science, robotics, mechatronics, instrumentation and controls, combustion, or other relevant mechanical engineering topics.
The successful candidate will provide academic leadership in the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a new Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in Mechanical Engineering. This position presents a unique opportunity for an entrepreneurial educator and scholar to lead the creation of a distinctive mechanical engineering program at a rapidly growing public university located in one of the nation’s most vibrant manufacturing and technology corridors. This is an exciting time to join the University as it continues strong enrollment growth and is strategically investing to increase national prominence.
The Program Director will work collaboratively with engineering faculty, faculties across campus, administrators across the College, and external stakeholders to develop and launch the Mechanical Engineering program. The successful candidate will lead efforts to establish program educational objectives, student outcomes, curriculum, laboratories, assessment processes, industry partnerships, and an advisory board necessary to support future accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET.
Established in 2023 as part of this new School, the Department of Engineering currently offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Systems Engineering, Integrated Engineering and Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in General Engineering. The department is continuing its strategic expansion by the addition of both Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programs. The addition of Mechanical Engineering represents a major strategic initiative for the College and aligns with opportunities for expanding collaboration with the substantial manufacturing base in Charleston, regional engineering activities, and South Carolina’s growing automotive, aerospace, energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing industries.
SECM offers a friendly, dynamic, and collaborative environment, with ample opportunities for interdisciplinary partnerships across the university’s ten schools. The university is located a short drive from Boeing, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz Vans facilities, Joint Base Charleston, Naval Information Warfare Center (NWIC) Atlantic, and the defense ecosystem surrounding, and more, providing exceptional opportunities for collaboration in mechanical engineering research, innovation, and student experiential learning.
Appointment as Academic Program Director is expected upon hire and is accompanied by teaching load reassignment to support program leadership and administrative responsibilities. The Program Director appointment is a renewable administrative assignment reporting to the Department Chair of Engineering and is subject to College policies and procedures.
Major Responsibilities:
-Provide leadership in the establishment, growth, and continuous improvement of the Mechanical Engineering B.S. program.
-Lead curriculum development and implementation consistent with institutional and ABET accreditation requirements.
-Mentor and provide professional development for junior faculty in Mechanical Engineering.
-Develop and maintain program educational objectives, student outcomes, assessment processes, and continuous improvement plans.
-Lead and coordinate preparation for initial and continuing ABET accreditation.
-Coordinate course scheduling, enrollment planning, and instructional staffing for the Mechanical Engineering program.
-Recruit, advise, and mentor Mechanical Engineering students.
-Collaborate with Engineering Department leadership regarding faculty hiring needs, resource planning, and laboratory development.
-Develop partnerships with aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing industries, and other external stakeholders.
-Establish and maintain an effective Industrial Advisory Board.
-Prepare annual reports, strategic plans, and budget requests for the program.
-Promote student success through experiential learning, undergraduate research, internships, and industry engagement.
-Maintain an active program of scholarship and participate in service activities consistent with faculty rank and expectations.
-Teach undergraduate engineering courses.
