02/10/2026
By Julie Nash
The ADVANCE Office for Faculty Equity & Resilience (OFER) invites applications for the position of Faculty Director to begin Sept. 1, 2026. The position will run for a two-year term with the possibility of renewal.
The Faculty Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership to guide OFER’s multi-layered mission – mentoring, personnel practices, workplace norms, and institutional policies and practices, working closely with the OFER full-time Program Director, the OFER faculty Leadership Team, and other campus stakeholders to build an equitable, inclusive, and empowering faculty environment.
This faculty-led initiative collaborates with and reports administratively to the senior vice provost for academic affairs, while its mission, vision, and decision-making remain firmly rooted in its “by faculty, for faculty” identity.
In practice, the Faculty Director will help set priorities and guide work in areas such as:
- Faculty mentoring and support structures (including onboarding and mid-career support)
- Equitable personnel practices and workplace norms (such as service equity, transparent expectations, climate and belonging)
- Practices that shape faculty experience (in collaboration with appropriate governance and administrative partners)
- Programming and events that advance OFER’s mission (in partnership with the Program Director and Leadership Team)
- Cross-campus collaboration with units and committees engaged in faculty success, equity, and workplace culture (Research Office, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), Human Resources, etc.)
Role structure and support
The Faculty Director provides faculty-facing strategic leadership and serves as the primary convener and representative of OFER’s faculty-led vision. The Faculty Director will:
- Set and communicate strategic priorities in partnership with the Leadership Team
- Convene and facilitate the OFER faculty Leadership Team and key stakeholder conversations
- Help advance recommendations and proposals related to OFER priorities
- Represent OFER in campus-level conversations as appropriate
The OFER full-time Program Director will provide operational leadership and continuity, including coordination, logistics, communications, event planning support, and follow-through on implementation.
Compensation and time commitment
The Faculty Director position is compensated at $10,000 and one course release per academic year. The expectation is an average of 10 hours per week committed to meetings, follow-up, planning, and events in OFER. (As with many roles tied to the academic calendar, some weeks will be lighter and others heavier around key initiatives and events)
Why this role matters
This is an opportunity for a respected faculty leader to shape institutional culture and advance concrete improvements in faculty experience while working within a faculty-led model and in close partnership with campus colleagues who share this commitment. The Faculty Director will have the chance to lead work with visible campus impact over a defined two-year term.
Eligibility and preferred rank
We welcome applications from any full-time UMass Lowell faculty member, with a preference for applicants who are well established at UML and are at the level of associate or full professor (teaching, clinical or tenure-stream).
Qualifications also include:
- Excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with varied campus constituencies
- Demonstrated leadership skills, including experience motivating a team and promoting collaborative working relationships
- Experience and/or demonstrated commitment to leading efforts to create equitable, inclusive, and supportive work or learning environments
- An understanding of the dynamics of systemic organizational change, including the ability to promote change at multiple levels
Application materials
Please submit:
- A brief statement of interest (1–2 pages) describing your interest in the role and your approach to faculty leadership and institutional change
- A current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
References will be requested for finalists.