Chair and Professor-Industrial and Management Systems Engineering

The Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering (IMSE) at the University of South Florida (USF) invites applications for the position of Department Chair. This position offers a leadership opportunity in one of the nations rapidly rising industrial engineering departments at a top-50 public research university. We seek an accomplished scholar and dynamic leader who will guide a highly productive faculty respect and strengthen the departments collaborative culture address faculty and students needs and foster continued excellence in research teaching and service. The successful candidate is expected to provide strategic vision and day-to-day management for the IMSE Department while advancing its role in achieving the Colleges strategic mission. Responsibilities include: providing strategic leadership and effective management of departmental operations; promoting a strong research culture aligned with the Colleges reputation for scholarly impact; advancing excellence in teaching across all programs; recruiting mentoring and retaining talented faculty and staff; managing resources and budgets effectively; strengthening relationships with industry partners alumni and donors; and collaborating with other department chairs and college leadership.

The IMSE Department currently has 16 full-time faculty members and offers BSIE MSIE and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering together with an M.S. degree in Engineering Management (MSEM) and an M.S. degree in Data Intelligence (MSDI) and is highly engaged in distance learning. The department currently hosts 266 undergraduates 125 masters and 27 full-time doctoral students. IMSE faculty have strong collaborations with other departments within the College of Engineering the Colleges of AI Cybersecurity and Computing Medicine Nursing Public Health Business and Arts & Sciences. The department has strong ties with various centers and institutes such as the Institute of Applied Engineering Center for Urban Transportation Research the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Byrd Alzheimers Institute USF Sleep Research Center and with organizations outside of USF such as City of Tampa Tampa Electric Company Tampa General Hospital and James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.

Established in 1964 and currently led by Dean Levi Thompson the College of Engineering at the University of South Florida is ranked #56 among public institutions (#89 overall) by U.S. News & World Reports 2025 Engineering & Specialties Rankings. The college serves more than 3700 students offering nine bachelors programs as well as 12 masters and eight doctoral degrees. The college is actively engaged in local and global research activities with $46 million in research expenditure for the fiscal year 2023-2024. The college has 12 major research centers and institutes and is actively engaged in local and global research activities focused on sustainability biomedical engineering computing technology and transportation.

The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past ten years no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Reports national university rankings than USF. Further USF joined the American Association of Universities (AAU) in 2023. Serving more than 50000 students on campuses in Tampa St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee the Florida Board of Governors designated USF as a Preeminent State Research University placing it in the most elite category among the states 12 public universities. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at.

Minimum qualifications include: (1) eligibility for appointment as at least a tenured associate professor with a clear path to promotion to full professor soon after appointment in an Industrial Engineering department at a Carnegie R1 institution; (2) a doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering or a closely related field from an accredited research institution; (3) demonstrated understanding of the industrial engineering discipline and community; (4) proven leadership experience in higher education administration; and (5) commitment to high-quality pedagogy and student development. Preferred qualifications include: (1) eligibility for appointment as a tenured full professor at a Carnegie R1 Industrial Engineering department; (2) a proven commitment to fostering a collegial and supportive departmental culture; (3) demonstrated availability responsiveness punctuality and excellent communication skills; (4) a proven ability to develop and sustain enduring relationships with industry academic partners alumni donors and sponsors; (5) a strong record of leadership in securing competitive and significant research funding from various sources; (6) a strong record of scholarship with publications in top-tier journals and conferences in industrial engineering research areas aligned with the departments strengths in intelligent decision-making through among others optimization data science and AI; (7) longstanding engagement in mentoring faculty students and staff to promote their professional development and long-termsuccess; (8) proven leadership in recruiting program development team building and staff supervision; and (9) effective budget management practices in consultation with faculty and staff.

Applicants should submit a cover letter outlining their interest and qualifications for the position with respect to the above job description a detailed curriculum vitae and contact information for at least four professional references who can speak to scholarly achievements leadership abilities and administrative experience. The application must also include a statement of leadership philosophy interests and strategic vision as well as a statement describing current research and future research plans. The cover letter should be addressed to Dr. Manjriker Gunaratne Search Committee Chair University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Ave ENG 030 Tampa Florida 33620. Review of applications will begin on December 5 2025 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants must electronically submit the application packet as one PDF fileto this advertisement.