Executive Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Job Summary

The Executive Associate Dean is a senior academic leader and strategic advisor to the dean and a key member of the college's executive leadership team. Bringing the perspective and judgment of an accomplished faculty member and academic administrator, the Executive Associate Dean maintains a broad, integrated view of the college's academic programs, people, operations, partnerships, resources and priorities; identifies connections, opportunities and emerging issues across those areas; and provides strategic counsel to the dean on matters affecting the college and its long-term success.

Working closely with the dean, associate and assistant deans, department heads, center directors and other college leaders, the Executive Associate Dean helps translate college priorities into coordinated action and ensures that executive decision-making is informed by academic context, institutional knowledge and the perspectives of faculty and academic leaders. The position serves as a trusted advisor and sounding board to the dean, provides leadership on complex issues that span organizational and disciplinary boundaries, and represents and acts on behalf of the dean as appropriate.

In addition to this collegewide leadership role, the Executive Associate Dean provides executive oversight of academic operations, agricultural and commercial operations, facilities and land-use planning, and other designated areas of college operations.

Department Summary

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) at Cal Poly is one of the nation’s premier colleges of agriculture and natural resources – and the fifth-largest of its kind in the U.S. With more than 4,200 undergraduates, 16 majors, five graduate programs, and 192 dedicated faculty and staff, CAFES is a powerhouse of innovation, impact and hands-on learning. Our signature Learn by Doing philosophy comes alive across 10,000 acres of cropland, pastures, orchards, vineyards, and forests, as well as in specialized teaching and research facilities. From the Animal Health Center and Equine Center to the Center for Wine and Viticulture, Ag Tech Center and Plant Sciences Complex at the San Luis Obispo campus and Marine Transportation facilities at the Solano campus, students and faculty work side by side – tackling real-world challenges and shaping the future of food, agriculture and the environment. Discover more at cafes.calpoly.edu.

Key Qualifications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with academic, administrative, industry and community audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and institutionally across academic disciplines, programs and administrative functions.
• Excellent leadership and management skills, including the ability to build alignment, develop others and lead through influence as well as formal authority.
• A leadership style characterized by integrity, openness, flexibility, inclusiveness, transparency and kindness.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex and sometimes competing information and perspectives and translate them into sound recommendations for executive decision-making.
• Demonstrated capacity to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, including the judgment and confidence to offer candid counsel, constructive challenge and alternative perspectives.
• Ability to move effectively between strategic and operational perspectives and recognize when an operational issue has broader academic, organizational, financial or reputational implications.
• Record of successfully addressing complex issues that cross organizational, disciplinary or functional boundaries.
• Demonstrated use of tact and diplomacy to effectively handle a broad range of high level and sensitive interpersonal situations with diverse personalities and to respond appropriately to conflicts and problems.
• Ability to work well under pressure and maintain composure.

Education and Experience

• PhD or terminal degree
• Credentials appropriate for a tenured appointment at the rank of full professor within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
• At least five years of relevant higher education administrative experience with evidence of increasing responsibility. Examples include service as an associate dean, department head or chair, program director or coordinator, center director, or leader of a sufficiently complex research or academic program.
• Distinguished record of academic achievement and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching, research and service
• Record of successful leadership of people, programs and complex initiatives
• Demonstrated experience working across academic disciplines, programs or organizational units to advance shared priorities
• Demonstrated understanding of faculty roles, academic culture, shared governance and the opportunities and challenges of leadership in a complex university environment
• Commitment to collegial, collaborative and constructive interactions across the college and university

Licenses, Certificates, Credentials:

• Possession of a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain by date of hire

Salary and Benefits

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $210,000 - $230,000. Note that the offer is calculated based on the background and relevant years of experience of the individual selected.

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information. 

About Cal Poly

Known for its Learn by Doing philosophy, Cal Poly is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the nation. Each year, more than 23,000 top-tier students come to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Maritime Academy in Solano County to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities, maritime and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit www.calpoly.edu.

Working Within the California State University System

As part of the California State University, the nation's largest public four-year university system, Cal Poly employees contribute to a broader mission of advancing knowledge, creating opportunity and serving the people of California.

• Watch: California State University Careers | Jobs, Benefits & Purpose

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

This position may be "Designated" under California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. This would require the filing of a Statement of Economic Interest on an annual basis and the completion of training within 6 months of assuming office and every 2 years thereafter.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.