Job Description

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, located in New London, Connecticut, invites applications for the position of Dean of the School of Engineering and Cyber Systems. The Academy seeks a visionary leader, an educator-scholar, and an accomplished administrator dedicated to the intellectual development of cadets (students) and to the Coast Guard mission. Candidates must bring a distinguished record of achievement and senior leadership experience. The successful applicant will have strong academic experience, an earned doctoral degree, and scholarship or professional experience sufficient to qualify for appointment at the level of full Professor. The Dean will serve as an essential partner to the Provost/Chief Academic Officer of the Coast Guard Academy in shaping and advancing the Academy’s strategic priorities and in directing day-to-day operations of an academic program at a military college. The Dean’s vision and leadership will define the direction of the School well into the 21st century. This individual will substantially contribute to strategic planning, assessment, management, operation, and development efforts of the Academic Division, including the ability to leverage the intellectual capital of its faculty and program resources to meet the mission execution needs of the Coast Guard and the Nation. The Dean will collaborate with other school deans, department heads, faculty, staff and cadets to identify and implement transformational initiatives that will further strengthen the School.

The United States Coast Guard Academy is a top military college granting Bachelor of Science degrees in one of ten engineering or professional majors. Ranked among the nation’s most prestigious and selective institutions of higher learning, the Coast Guard Academy is proud to educate future leaders of America’s multi-mission, maritime military force. Each year, approximately 250 graduates are commissioned as Ensigns in the U.S. Coast Guard to help ensure the safety, security, and stewardship of our nation’s waters.

The United States Coast Guard Academy’s academics are rigorous, our faculty esteemed and our programs renowned. The Academy is ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report in the “Top Public Schools” Regional Colleges North category and #12 in the “Best Undergraduate Engineering programs” category.

Deans are responsible for overseeing the academic functions of their respective School and for upholding academic standards necessary to accomplish the Academy’s mission to graduate fleet-ready Ensigns in the United States Coast Guard. The Dean’s primary concern is the totality of teaching and learning support in the School, including the effective operation of Academic Departments, execution of all Academic programs in the School, faculty development, and opportunities for the faculty and cadets to be involved in appropriate scholarly and co-curricular activities. Key responsibilities of the Dean of the School of Engineering and Cyber Systems include:

• Academic Leadership: Provide visionary leadership in curriculum development, program innovation, faculty development and program accreditation.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a strategic plan for the School, aligning with the Academy’s overall strategic goals and the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 initiative (https://www.uscg.mil/leadership/commandants-initiatives/forcedesign2028/).
• Resource Management: Manage the School’s budget, personnel, and facilities effectively and efficiently.
• Faculty Development: Recruit, mentor, and evaluate faculty, fostering a culture of excellence in teaching, research, and service.
• Accreditation & Assessment: Ensure the School maintains accreditation standards and implements effective assessment processes.
• External Relations: Cultivate relationships with industry, government, and academic partners to enhance the School’s research and educational programs.
• Recruiting and retaining an engineering and cyber workforce for the US Coast Guard: CGA develops the majority of engineering and cyber professionals for the USCG. The Dean is a key partner with Admissions and the greater USCG to ensure a technical workforce.
• Engineering and Cyber Advisory Council: Foster and maintain a close relationship with School-relevant CG stakeholder communities to ensure CGA meets the human capital needs of the USCG, annually review and update Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) as part of the ABET accreditation process, and prepare graduates to meet current and emerging technical challenges in Engineering and Cyber Security

Candidate Qualifications

The Dean of Engineering and Cyber Systems at the United States Coast Guard Academy is an innovative, strategic and collegial academic leader who understands the distinctive mission of the Academy and is committed to student success. The Academy seeks a Dean with the energy and enthusiasm to inspire the faculty to drive curricular innovation, ensuring the highest quality education for its students.

The ideal candidate will possess the following professional and personal qualities:

• Academic credentials: An earned doctorate or terminal degree in engineering, computer science or a closely related field from an accredited institution.• Professional Record: Distinguished academic record with evidence of effective leadership at an accredited higher education institution, with a successful record of progressive responsibility. A record of achievement in teaching, research and service that merits appointment as a tenured Full Professor in one of the School’s academic departments.
• Commitment to public service, undergraduate education and leadership development.
• Communication: Demonstrated ability to clearly and effectively communicate objectives, priorities, and challenges to faculty, students, and a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Leadership: Exceptional leadership skills demonstrated by proven ability to effectively steer meaningful enhancements to curriculum, organizational structure, culture, and utilization of physical space
• Values: Evidence of alignment to USCG Core Values of honor, respect and devotion to duty
• Supportive: Experience supporting faculty professional growth and scholarship
• Collaborative: A record of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration
• Management: Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, personnel, and facilities effectively.
• Engagement: Documented history of successful stakeholder engagement/support
• Experience with Accreditation: Understanding of ABET accreditation processes and assessment methodologies.
• Adaptive: A demonstrated ability to adapt to unique educational environments such as exists at a small service academy
• Forward-leaning: Experience adapting curriculum and research to advance emerging technologies within the maritime, aerospace, shore-based facility and cyber security domains
• Leading organizational change: Ability to lead organizational changes/major academic initiatives

Opportunities

The Leadership Opportunity. The Dean of Engineering and Cyber Systems is a senior academic leader of the United States Coast Guard Academy, reporting directly to the Provost and serving at the nexus of engineering education, cyber capability, and national service. This role offers a distinctive opportunity to shape an academic enterprise whose graduates move immediately from classroom to operational leadership in complex, high-consequence environments.

Lead Engineering and Cyber Education at the Core of National Service. The Coast Guard is actively adapting to a rapidly evolving maritime operational landscape marked by technological acceleration, cyber risk, and increased mission complexity. As the Academy’s hub for engineering and cyber systems, SECS plays a central role in preparing officers who will operate immediately upon graduation. The Dean will guide academic programs that balance disciplinary rigor with operational relevance, ensuring graduates are prepared to lead, adapt, and make consequential decisions from the outset of their careers.

Shape and Grow an Evolving Academic Portfolio. SECS is in a period of purposeful growth. The Dean will oversee the continued development of new academic offerings—including a recently launched interdisciplinary engineering major—and assess future opportunities for curricular expansion and refinement. The Dean will shepherd emerging minors and program innovations and continuously assess the School’s portfolio to ensure alignment with Coast Guard mission needs, workforce demands, and future operational concepts. This work requires both strategic vision and academic judgment: strengthening established programs while thoughtfully building new pathways aligned with mission needs and emerging technologies.

Drive Innovation in Teaching, Learning, and Infrastructure. With significant investment planned in STEM facilities and instructional resources, the Dean will help define how physical space, educational technology, and pedagogy combine to support modern engineering and cyber education. The Academy seeks a Dean who will champion forward-looking approaches to engineering and cyber education—leveraging advances in simulation, immersive technologies, data-enabled learning, and experiential pedagogy in ways that translate innovation into practice—enhancing learning outcomes while preserving the rigor and coherence expected of an accredited engineering enterprise.

Lead and Sustain a High-Performing Faculty Community. SECS faculty and staff operate in a uniquely demanding environment, balancing teaching excellence, scholarship, accreditation requirements, and the Academy’s 24/7 residential and military context. The Dean will recruit, develop, and retain exceptional faculty, foster a collaborative and mission-driven culture, and ensure that academic talent is supported, valued, and positioned to thrive over time.

Exercise Strategic Leadership with Institutional Visibility and Service Impact. This role offers unusual visibility and influence within both the Academy and the broader Coast Guard. The Dean will work closely with Academy leadership and Coast Guard stakeholders to align academic priorities with long-term organizational strategy. For a leader motivated by impact, this position provides the opportunity to see academic decisions translate directly into operational capability and public service.

In sum, the Dean of Engineering and Cyber Systems will join the Coast Guard Academy at a moment of opportunity and responsibility—leading a school whose work has immediate and enduring consequences for the Service and the nation. For candidates seeking a senior academic role defined by purpose, influence, and the chance to build something that matters, this position offers a distinctive and compelling leadership challenge.

Procedure for Candidacy

Applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Interested candidates should include, as separate documents, a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest explaining how they meet the qualifications above and will bring them to bear to lead the School.

Applications should be sent to CGAEngineeringDean@uscga.edu.

Buffkin/Baker, an executive search firm, is assisting the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the search. Inquiries and nominations can be sent to Buffkin/ Baker at:

Mr. Ken Carrick, Partner – 980-296-5401

Ms. Janny DeLoache, Associate Partner – 704-377-7828

USCGADeanSECS@buffkinbaker.com

While applications and nominations will be accepted until a successful candidate has been appointed, interested individuals are encouraged to submit their materials by April 1, 2026 for full consideration. Review of submitted materials will begin immediately. Finalists for the position will be required to provide proof of their educational qualifications, such as unofficial transcripts. Applicants may submit this information with their application. If tentatively selected for this position, the selectee must submit official transcripts to the Human Resources office prior to receiving a firm offer of employment. Finalists will also be required to provide contact information for five professional references.