Job Description

The Moody College of Communication’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication and Leadership (CLD) seeks applications a full-time, professional-track assistant professor of instruction faculty position to begin Spring 2027.

The Communication and Leadership Degree is housed within the Moody College of Communication, which is ranked #1 in Communication and Media Studies in the United States and #3 in the QS World University Rankings. Moody College includes programs in Advertising and Public Relations, Communication Studies, Journalism and Media, Radio-Television-Film, and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. The faculty appointment may be in any of the College’s schools or departments, depending on the candidate’s expertise and experience.

The Communication and Leadership Degree is a flexible, customizable interdisciplinary program that seeks to educate and inspire future leaders to lead positive change in our complicated world. The degree program admitted its first students in Fall of 2016, and in Fall 2026, it anticipates having approximately 400 students.

The Communication and Leadership Degree’s interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with the following:

• Knowledge of frameworks, concepts, and theories related to leadership, communication, and ethics and experience applying them in real-world contexts
• Awareness of their own strengths and weakness as leaders and followers and an understanding of how to play to their strengths and collaborate with others who will compensate for their weaknesses
• Communication skills and expertise
• Interdisciplinary understanding of social challenges and innovative communication and leadership strategies
• Understanding of how to lead positive social change and experience doing so

The candidate should be focused on the intersection of communication and leadership with a focus on the skills necessary to be an effective leader.

The ideal candidate will be able to teach across the five core Communication and Leadership courses as needed: CLD 301 (Introduction to Communication and Leadership), CLD 303 (Leadership Presence and Presentation), CLD 321 (Seminar on Communication and Leadership), CLD 351 (Internship), and CLD 371 (Capstone in Communication and Leadership). The ideal candidate should be able to create courses that combine communication and leadership with applicable, real-world and interdisciplinary skills and capabilities desired by our students.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. at the time of the appointment. The applicant's Ph.D. must be in communication or a related field.
• Have a teaching or research focus on the intersection of communication and leadership within strategic communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional experience working in leadership roles within the communication industries.
• Have knowledge of frameworks, concepts, and theories related to leadership, communication, and ethics
• Experience collaborating across disciplines, especially in areas where communication intersects with other fields like business, psychology, sociology, or technology.
• Ability to work closely with the professional community to provide students both theoretical and practical exposure to strategic communication or other areas relevant to Communication and Leadership Degree students.
• Ability to teach across the five core Communication and Leadership courses: CLD 301 (Introduction to Communication and Leadership), CLD 303 (Leadership Presence and Presentation), CLD 321 (Seminar on Communication and Leadership), CLD 351 (Internship), and CLD 371 (Capstone in Communication and Leadership)
• Ability to create courses that combine communication and leadership with applicable, real-world and interdisciplinary skills and capabilities desired by our students.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, statement on teaching (no more than 500 words) and the names and contact information for three references. Letters of recommendation will be requested of finalists.

Screening of applicants will begin from the date the position is posted and will continue until the position is filled.

Applications must be made via Interfolio. If you do not have a Dossier account with Interfolio, you will be prompted to create one prior to applying for the position. If you have questions about using Interfolio, please email help@interfolio.com or call (877) 997-8807.

Questions can be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. Natalie Tindall, at natalie.tindall@austin.utexas.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.