Assistant Dean

Position Function:

Nursing Service at the MSU School of Nursing is the intentional application of nursing expertise, professional service, leadership, and community engagement to improve health. Grounded in the Schools mission and the foundational tenet of service, it includes sustained partnerships with communities and health systems, professional service, practice based engagement, and advocacy that address health disparities and workforce needs. Nursing service directly supports student success by providing structured, real world experiences through which students integrate clinical judgment, leadership, and interprofessional competencies while developing a strong professional identity and sense of belonging. Aligned with MSUs Transforming MSU pillars, it advances student well being and career readiness while translating learning and discovery into measurable community and workforce impact.

The Assistant Dean of Service provides senior leadership for the development and operation of a newly established department within the School of Nursing. This position oversees scholarships and funding infrastructure, grants and award coordination, nursing pathways and outreach initiatives, alumni engagement, and selected faculty affairs functions. The Assistant Dean is responsible for building and scaling this department as programs grow, ensuring alignment with MSUs commitment to community engagement, experiential learning, and meeting statewide healthcare workforce needs.

The Assistant Dean works closely and collaboratively with academic leadership to ensure service, outreach, and engagement initiatives are fully integrated with and supportive of the schools academic programs.

Salary Grade : 17

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide strategic leadership for the planning, development, and scaling of service, outreach, and engagement functions aligned with the mission of the School of Nursing and Mississippi State University.
Establish and oversee frameworks for scholarships, funding, grants, and award administration, ensuring effective coordination, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Oversee scholarship and outreach programs aligned with workforce needs to improve affordability, persistence, and enrollment outcomes.
Lead the strategic design and oversight of nursing pathways and outreach engagement programs that support nursing workforce recruitment, access, retention, and completion.
Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness, using enrollment, yield, and pathway data to guide continuous improvement and scalable growth.
Build and maintain relationships with healthcare organizations, schools, foundations, and community partners to help attract students to nursing, support learning experiences, grow scholarships, and strengthen pathways into the nursing workforce.
Provide direction for alumni engagement strategies that support mentoring, pathways, scholarships, service initiatives, and ongoing connections to the School of Nursing.
Collaborate closely with the Associate Dean of Academics and the Department Head of Graduate Nursing Education to align service and outreach initiatives with academic programs.
Serve as a liaison with university departments and campus partners to coordinate efforts, share information, and advance shared university and School of Nursing goals.
Provide leadership for selected faculty affairs functions related to service, outreach, recognition, and engagement.
Support the Dean of Nursing with strategic planning, accreditation support, reporting, and special initiatives related to service and outreach.
Supervise and mentor assigned staff to ensure effective operations and achievement of departmental goals.
Recommend additional departmental staff as programs and services expand, establishing clear roles, workflows, and expectations.
Represent the School of Nursing on university committees, community initiatives, and external partnerships as assigned by the Dean.
Other duties as assigned by the Dean.

Minimum Qualifications:

Masters degree in business administration, education, nursing, healthcare administration, or a closely related field.
Five or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education or healthcare administration.
Demonstrated experience in operations, compliance, partnerships, and organizational development.

Preferred Qualifications:

Doctoral degree in education, policy, organizational leadership, or related field.
Certified Public Manager (CPM) or similar professional credentials.
Experience building or scaling programs, departments, or initiatives within a growing academic unit.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Key Knowledge
Higher education and healthcare systems
Program development, operations, and organizational growth
Scholarships, grants, and funding administration
Community engagement and partnership models
Strategic planning and organizational alignment
Key Skills
Strategic leadership
Program and operations management
Relationship building and external engagement
Cross-functional collaboration and coordination
Data analysis and continuous improvement
Staff supervision and team development
Key Abilities
Build and operationalize new departmental infrastructure
Integrate service, outreach, and academic outcomes
Lead through influence across stakeholders
Represent the organization in external and community settings

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Work is normally performed in a typical office work environment.
No or very limited exposure to physical risk.
No or very limited physical effort required.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:

All applicants must apply online at www.msujobs.msstate.edu and include a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, ....

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