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Job Title:

Director Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture

Department:

Engineering | Office of the Dean

Director and Professor

Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture

College of Engineering

The Knowlton School of Architecture (knowlton.osu.edu) at The Ohio State University invites applications for the Director of the school starting at the rank of Professor with tenure.

Position Overview

We invite applications for the next Director of the Knowlton School to start as early as Autumn 2026. The Director is responsible for cultivating a cohesive and collaborative climate and culture across the school’s three sections: architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning. The Section Heads all report to the Director. The Director also represents the school at the college and university levels, leads all aspects of school administration, in a fiscally responsible manner, and fosters an environment where faculty, staff, and students can thrive. The future Director of the Knowlton School should be a bold, creative, and collaborative problem-solver that builds upon the school’s research, interdisciplinarity, and education profile to address the changing landscape as the professions evolve. The position is open to applicants who may require sponsorship for a visa or other work authorization.

Performance Objectives

The Director is the administrative head of the Knowlton School, representing the school in dealings with the dean and university administration. The Director will provide visionary leadership and strategic oversight across all facets of the school’s operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Lead the development and regular review of the school’s governance documents, including the Pattern of Administration and Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) procedures.
• Represent the school within the College of Engineering and broader university leadership.

Academic & Administrative Management

• Oversee day-to-day operations, including staff hiring, supervision, and service assignments.
• Collaborate with faculty and the Dean to plan and implement forward-looking academic programs.
• Ensure continuous improvement of instructional quality through course evaluations and faculty-led reviews.

Faculty Development & Evaluation

• Conduct annual performance reviews for faculty and support their professional growth.
• Make informed recommendations on faculty appointments, reappointments, promotions, and dismissals in alignment with university policies and the school’s APT document.
• Foster a collegial environment that supports scholarship, innovation, and academic excellence.

Operational Excellence

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date curriculum vitae for all instructional personnel.
• Promote equity in faculty responsibilities and privileges based on academic rank.
• Ensure effective onboarding, supervision, and development of faculty and staff.

Financial & Strategic Planning

• Lead the development of the school’s annual budget and financial forecasts in collaboration with the Cost Center Manager and Section Heads.
• Align financial planning with strategic priorities and academic goals.

External Engagement & Advancement

• Cultivate relationships with alumni, industry partners, and other stakeholders.
• Identify and pursue external funding opportunities in partnership with University Advancement and designated staff.

Academic Program Review

• Facilitate and participate in academic program reviews in coordination with the Dean and the Office of Academic Affairs.

The Director may delegate specific responsibilities to Associate Directors or Section Heads as appropriate, while maintaining overall accountability for the school’s success.

Qualifications

Required

• A terminal degree in architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, or strongly allied field of study.
• Must hold the rank of Full Professor or possess a record of scholarly achievement and academic leadership that meets the criteria for appointment at the rank of Full Professor within one of the academic sections of the Knowlton School (visit the school’s Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure guidelines)
• Demonstrated track record of academic leadership, personnel and budget management, and collaboration
• A commitment to teaching excellence and to health and well-being for undergraduate and graduate students
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a focus on working constructively, decisively, and collegially with external and internal colleagues
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring faculty and students within an academic setting
• Demonstrated impact of service to the academic enterprise
• Deep understanding of the academic research enterprise, with the ability to support, advocate for, and strategically guide the scholarly endeavors of faculty and researchers across the Knowlton disciplines.

Desired

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate, articulate, execute and/or steward a strategic vision.
• Familiarity working with campus administrators and leaders
• Interest in actively taking advantage of The Ohio State University as a comprehensive university
• A willingness to mentor a wide range of faculty from intellectually diverse backgrounds and lived experiences
• Experience with and/or curiosity for engagement across disciplinary boundaries
• A demonstrated record of, and strong commitment to, Ohio State’s shared values.
• An understanding of and appreciation for professional practice
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with alumni, campus leadership, and other external stakeholders to expand financial resources for student aid, faculty research, hiring, and capital improvements
• Familiarity with budget management and understanding resource allocations

How to Apply

Please be aware that you will not be able to edit your application after you submit it (this includes application materials). Please include all and only the following required application materials in the Application Documents section, found in the My Experience step (Step 2 of the application process):

• Attachment 1: Cover Letter: 1–2-page letter, which should include a brief summary of your academic background and why you are interested in this opportunity.
• Attachment 2: Leadership CV (do not include pictures in your CV): Detailed overview of your scholarly experience, including your research experience, teaching and mentoring experience, service, funding, and publications.
• Attachment 3: A vision for the role of the Knowlton School in preparing the next generation of leaders in their disciplines
• Attachment 4: Leadership Statement. A concise summary of your leadership philosophy, values, and approach.

Please do not include a list of references with your application. We will request this information when we need it.

For questions regarding this position, please contact Matt Gebhart at Gebhart.96@osu.edu.

Application review:

Review of applications will begin no later than August 25, 2025.

School Information

The Knowlton School is positioned for leadership in one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan regions, and situated within one of the nation’s largest state, research-intensive universities. The Knowlton School is housed within the College of Engineering and physically located in the award-winning Knowlton Hall designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects with four integral gardens designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates. The Knowlton School enjoys the benefits of a large research institution, including significant access to resources, international reach, and collaborative relationships with departments in engineering, design, fine arts, public health, ecology, history, law, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. The school fosters a singular environment for innovative design research and critical inquiry within its three sections: architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning. Each section offers undergraduate and graduate programs of study to a combined student population of nearly 800 students. The head of each section reports to the Director of the School. The mission of the school is to educate future architects, landscape architects, and planners; achieve and maintain internationally recognized excellence in education, scholarship, and creative activity; shape and serve the professions of architecture, landscape architecture, and city and regional planning; contribute to the intellectual and creative purposes of the college and university; and promote the improvement of environmental quality and design, locally and globally.

The College of Engineering

Faculty Development: The Ohio State University and the College of Engineering are committed to support and develop faculty as well as the work-life balance of its faculty. These resources include The Engineering Faculty Mentoring Program, the Better Research through Better Mentoring program, and institutional memberships to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, and the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. To learn more visit: https://engineering.osu.edu/faculty-development.

Learn more about the College of Engineering, the university and Columbus here.

The University

Founded in 1870 as a land-grant university, The Ohio State University is one of the nation’s top-20 public institutions and a leader in higher education, with annual research expenditures exceeding $1 billion. Located in Columbus, Ohio—the nation’s 14th most populous and fastest-growing city—Ohio State serves over 67,700 students across its main campus and regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark, as well as the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus, which houses Ohio State ATI.

Ohio State's impact is felt not only regionally but also nationally and globally. The university boasts 600,000 living alumni worldwide and an endowment of over $7.0 billion. Committed to being the model 21st-century land-grant university, Ohio State enables individuals to achieve extraordinary success.

The institution's vast intellectual range is supported by 15 academic colleges, all located on the Columbus campus, fostering opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The university offers eligible employees comprehensive benefits packages, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, tuition assistance for themselves and their dependents, and competitive retirement options. The institution is also dedicated to enhancing work-life balance through a suite of institutionalized policies.

Grounded in Ohio State University’s Shared Values, our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration and courageous thinking, and upholds freedom of expression.

Ohio State is a dynamic community where opportunity thrives, and individuals transform themselves and their world. Positions are available in countless fields and specialties. Become a Buckeye and contribute to an incredible legacy that serves to guide our future and shape a better tomorrow.

The Ohio State University is committed to enhancing academic excellence. Recruiting, supporting, and retaining faculty of the highest caliber is a core component of this commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) has established central resources to focus on offering support to new and prospective faculty and their loved ones. Service offerings include dual career partner consultation, potential employer and/or employment opportunity identification, consultation and resources related to relocation, as well as identifying opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. While employment opportunities are not guaranteed, resources and consultation are available. More information about dual career and faculty recruitment can be found here.

In addition to being responsive to dual-career opportunities, we strongly promote work-life balance to support our community members through a suite of institutionalized policies. Ohio State is a member of the Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania & West Virginia HERC.

View more information on the Dual Career Office by clicking here.

Ohio State’s Columbus campus is near the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area with a population of over 1.5 million. The city offers affordable housing, numerous cultural and recreational opportunities, excellent schools, and a robust economy driven by government, service, transportation, and technology industries. This rapidly growing city is not only a hub for high-tech companies but also a center for education, healthcare, and the arts.

Despite its size, Ohio State excels in scaling innovation in teaching and learning, driven by strategic planning efforts focused on achieving institutional success through multidisciplinary and cross-university collaboration. The university’s ambition is matched by its commitment to inclusive excellence, exposing students to a vast array of ideas, experiences, and cultures. At Ohio State, individuals are empowered to transform themselves and their world, contributing to a legacy that shapes a better tomorrow.

As required by Ohio Revised Code section 3345.0216, Ohio State will: educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; equip students with the opportunity to develop intellectual skills to reach their own, informed conclusions; not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly; create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth and tolerates differences in opinion; treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, hold them to equal standards and provide equality of opportunity with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Additional Information:

Location:

Knowlton Hall (0017)

Position Type:

Regular

Scheduled Hours:

40

Shift:

First Shift

The Ohio State University believes in diversity in people and ideas. What Ohio State does matters. And how we do it matters. When we are at our best, we make a real difference to people. Our size, breadth, geography, history and standard of excellence position us to drive the future of higher education. We believe that the university should be a place where people can work and learn together in a safe environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. As such, finalists for any faculty position that carries tenure must sign an authorization and disclosure form, which will allow current or prior employer(s) to share information to the University regarding any findings of employment-related misconduct or disciplinary proceedings against a candidate and/or any pending investigations related to alleged misconduct. Such information shall include findings and pending investigations with respect to sexual harassment, violence, or harassment; research misconduct; financial fraud or misconduct; foreign influence violations, grant misuse or misconduct; and/or any other type of finding or pending investigation relating to a candidate’s employer’s policies and rules governing faculty conduct that may reasonably be expected to affect a candidate’s appointment. If the University becomes aware of any past finding of misconduct or pending investigations that were not disclosed, Ohio State will treat that as a serious omission and reserves the right to rescind an offer or terminate employment.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post offer process.

Thank you for your interest in positions at The Ohio State University and Wexner Medical Center. Once you have applied, the most updated information on the status of your application can be found by visiting the Candidate Home section of this site. Please view your submitted applications by logging in and reviewing your status. For answers to additional questions please review the frequently asked questions.

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