AssistantAssociate Professor - Organizational Leadership

Western Kentucky University is seeking to fill the position of Assistant or Associate Professor, Organizational Leadership in the School of Leadership and Professional Studies | College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

This is a full-time, tenure-eligible, nine-month appointment beginning in the Fall of 2026.

The Opportunity

The School of Leadership and Professional Studies invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible faculty position in Organizational Leadership at the rank of assistant or associate professor. This is a chance to shape a growing program that prepares leaders across education, business, government, and the nonprofit sector to use data and evidence to guide decisions in their organizations.

Candidates who bring both scholarly rigor and real-world leadership experience will find a program built to use both.

Salary: Commensurate with rank, qualifications, and experience.

What You Will Do

Teaching and Advising

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in the program across multiple modalities, including online, hybrid, face-to-face, and on-demand formats
• Advise students and support their progress toward degree completion
• Teach sections of the university''s learning-strategies course in support of the school''s student success priorities

Scholarship

• Conduct and publish peer-reviewed research in leadership or a closely related discipline
• Present at professional conferences in areas connected to the program''s mission and to recruitment and retention efforts

Program and Faculty Support

• Support curriculum assessment, development, and design
• Mentor and support the professional development of part-time and adjunct faculty
• Serve on department, college, and university committees as assigned
• Maintain a consistent on-campus presence, including office hours aligned with department expectations

Candidates applying at the associate rank must demonstrate research and academic activity consistent with the department''s promotion and tenure policy. That policy is provided to finalists at the time on-campus interviews are scheduled.

About the School

SLPS is a growing academic unit focused on developing adaptive leaders who can collect, analyze, and apply data to make sound decisions in their organizations. WKU is a residential campus, and faculty engage directly with students and colleagues as part of that community.

Job Requirements:

• A PhD from a regionally accredited university in Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Leadership Studies, or a closely related field, with at least 18 hours of graduate coursework in the discipline. An EdD will be considered.
• Senior or executive-level leadership experience in an organizational setting. This may include higher education, business and industry, nonprofit organizations, public administration, or comparable settings.
• Graduate-level teaching experience (associate professor candidates).
• A record of, or clear capacity for, peer-reviewed publication in the discipline.
• Experience with curriculum assessment, development, and design.

Additional Information:

Kentucky state law requires all public institutions of postsecondary education to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks to determine suitability for employment.

Western Kentucky University (WKU) is committed to a policy and practice of providing equal employment and educational opportunities to all individuals. In accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, no form of discrimination or harassment will be tolerated at WKU on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, age, uniformed services, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, or physical or mental disability in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices.

Persons with disabilities, who need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application and/or selection process, may contact the Office of Institutional Equity at 270-745-5121 for assistance. To report concerns related to WKU''s Discrimination and Harassment Policy, No. 0.2040 and/or WKU''s Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy, No. 0.2070, please complete the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Reporting Form. Additional information regarding Title IX, including contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and reporting options, is available on WKU''s Title IX website.

Information concerning educational programs offered by WKU are provided at: https://www.wku.edu/academics/

For information related to job postings, application status, or the hiring process, please email employment@wku.edu.