Skip to content
CV Rocket
Get started
How it worksThe enginePricingBlogContactSign in

Open nowPosted yesterday

Department Head- Biology

Pennsylvania State University1,464 open roles

Where
Penn State University Park
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Your applicationOpen nowDepartment Head- BiologyPennsylvania State University · Penn State University Park

  1. YouYes, apply to this one.

  2. CV RocketCV written for this posting.

  3. 25 readersRecruiter, hiring manager, skeptic. Round after round.

  4. CV RocketApplied on Pennsylvania State University's own form.

The reply lands in your private mailbox

3×more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

13.4% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market. Pennsylvania State University postings stay open a median of 48 days.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 2.2%1 day
  2. 4.6%3 days
  3. 13.4%7 days
  4. 21.6%14 days
  5. 36.2%30 days
  6. 59.0%60 days
This job: posted yesterday

Pennsylvania State University median: 48 days open

The posting

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

  • CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  • CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
  • If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Biology within the Eberly College of Science at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, invites applications for a dynamic, collaborative, and visionary leader for the position of Department Head. Candidates should have demonstrated strong leadership skills qualifying them to play a key role in the continued advancement of the department, along with a distinguished record of research, teaching, and mentorship.

The Department of Biology is a broad and intellectually diverse community recognized for excellence in research, education, and outreach. Its faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and students pursue discovery across scales of biological organization and a wide range of research areas. The Department takes particular pride in its collegial and collaborative culture, respect for diverse areas of scholarship, strong partnerships within and beyond the College, and commitment to integrating excellence in research and teaching. The Penn State Department of Biology is a vibrant academic community comprising 70 faculty members, 33 postdoctoral researchers, 90 graduate students, and 20 staff members. Its undergraduate programs include majors in Biology and Neurobiology and minors in Biology and Marine Science, with 1,526 students enrolled across these programs. The department is recognized on both a national and international level for its teaching and research.

Biology serves as an important hub for the life sciences at Penn State, with strong connections across the Eberly College of Science and the University. The Department of Biology works closely with several Penn State Institutes, including the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences which creates opportunity to collaborate with other colleges including Engineering, Medicine, and Agricultural Sciences. The Department has a tradition of developing leaders, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and embracing innovation in research and education. Looking forward, the Department seeks to build on existing areas of excellence while advancing emerging opportunities, strengthening connections between research and teaching, expanding experiential learning and undergraduate research, and ensuring that undergraduate and graduate education remain responsive to a changing scientific landscape.

Position Responsibilities:

Reporting directly to the Dean of the Eberly College of Science, the Department Head serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the Department and provides leadership for all aspects of its mission.

The successful candidate will:

  • Articulate and advance a compelling vision for the Department's future while building alignment around strategic priorities.
  • Sustain and strengthen a collegial, collaborative culture that values the Department's breadth of research, teaching, outreach, and service.
  • Support faculty and staff success through effective mentoring, professional development, recognition of talent, and strategic resource allocation.
  • Strengthen areas of established research excellence while identifying and supporting emerging opportunities that enhance the Department's impact.
  • Champion excellence and innovation in undergraduate and graduate education, including opportunities to strengthen connections between research and teaching and expand experiential learning and undergraduate research.
  • Foster interdisciplinary collaborations within the College, across Penn State, and with external partners, strengthening Biology's role as a hub for the life sciences at Penn State.
  • Serve as a visible and effective advocate for the Department, promoting its priorities with College and University leadership, alumni, donors, and external stakeholders.
  • Develop and manage budgets strategically while effectively administering personnel, facilities, and academic programs.
  • Promote transparent communication, shared governance, and thoughtful decision-making informed by departmental expertise.
  • Foster a welcoming and supportive environment in which faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and students can thrive and contribute to the Department's success.

The Department Head is expected to maintain an active and visible research program and continue contributing to the advancement of the discipline through scholarship, mentorship, and professional service.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will possess:

  • Credentials sufficient for appointment as a tenured Professor in the Department of Biology.
  • An earned doctorate in biology or a closely related field.
  • A distinguished record of research, scholarship, teaching, and mentorship.
  • Demonstrated academic leadership and administrative experience, with the ability to recognize challenges and opportunities and translate strategic priorities into action.
  • Proven ability to strategically manage budgets, personnel, and organizational resources and balance diverse priorities and resource needs.
  • Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to listen thoughtfully, communicate transparently, build trust, and engage effectively with diverse audiences.
  • Effectiveness in advocating for research, education, people, facilities, and institutional priorities.
  • Sound judgment and the ability to address difficult issues constructively, make thoughtful and timely decisions, and lead effectively through change.
  • An appreciation for the distinct and complementary contributions of research, teaching, mentoring, outreach, and service to the Department's mission.

Application Materials:

Applications should be submitted on the Penn State site and include a single PDF including all of the following:

  • A two-page letter describing the applicant's interest in the position, qualifications, leadership experience, administrative accomplishments, and vision for the future of the Department of Biology.
  • Statement describing the candidate’s research program.
  • A statement of leadership and management philosophy, including examples of effective leadership, team building, faculty and staff development, mentoring, and strategic decision-making.
  • A curriculum vitae.

Review of Applications:

Screening of applications will begin December 7, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2027.

Questions about the position should be directed to the Chair of the Search Committee, Mauricio Terrones ([email protected]).

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. Due to the financial and fiduciary responsibilities of this position, successful completion of a credit history check will be required in addition to standard background checks.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission.

Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster

PA State Labor Law Poster

Penn State Policies

Copyright Information

Hotlines

From $25, paid onceGet the CV for this job

What happens when you press

One press. We do the rest.

  1. A CV for this posting

    Written against Pennsylvania State University's own wording, from every piece of relevant proof in your profile.

  2. 25 readers review it

    Recruiter, hiring manager, skeptic and more read every draft, round after round. You get the best round.

    The review screen in CV Rocket: how each CV was read, round by round.

  3. We apply on Pennsylvania State University's form

    Our application engine gets through the hardest forms there are. Where a question needs you, AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

    An application in CV Rocket: every answer filled in on the employer's form.

  4. Every reply, sorted

    Pennsylvania State University's answer lands in your private mailbox, and we classify it on arrival: interview, question, rejection.

    The CV Rocket inbox: each employer reply classified as an interview, an action or a rejection.

  5. Reply with AI

    AI helps you write the email, checks it and sends it. We show you whether the recruiter read it.

  6. The interview in your calendar

    Full integration with your calendar. The invitation goes straight in.

    An interview invitation in the CV Rocket inbox, added to the candidate's calendar.
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Why it works

3×

more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

ChatGPT writes a CV and never learns what happened to it. We see every reply. For each CV we know:

  • How it was written, and how the review scored it
  • When we applied, and how long after the posting went up
  • Which posting, which company, which city
  • Who got the interview, and who heard nothing

That is how we know which CVs get called.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

The numbers game

More applications. More interviews.

Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting and paid once. Send enough of them and the law of large numbers finds you the job.

Get the CV for this job
By hand5–10
With CV Rocket100
applications a day

Nearby

Live postings like this one

Same employer first, then the same role elsewhere.

Before you press

Straight answers

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

What if my background isn't good enough?

We make the most of the background you have. The CV uses every piece of relevant proof your profile holds, and one of the 25 readers reads your whole profile and flags what the CV left out.

Do you really apply for me?

Yes, on the employer's own form, the hardest ones included. Where a question needs you, you answer it right there and AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

Is it a subscription?

No. You pay once per CV, from $25. Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting.

One job. One CV.
Paid once.

Pick the posting you want. We write for it, apply for you and catch the reply.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.