Carnegie Mellon School of Design seeks an intellectually curious, collaborative, experienced, and dynamic leader to join the School of Design. Working collaboratively and strategically with faculty, staff, students, and alumni, the Head will lead the further development and enactment of a forward-thinking vision for the school. The Head serves as a critical leader within the College of Fine Arts, advocating for the School of Design, and reporting to the Dean of the College.

The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon is among the oldest and most respected programs worldwide. The School has a rich history and is one of the only design programs to offer degrees at the under- graduate, graduate, and doctoral levels within a top-ranked multidisciplinary research university.

The School enrolls approximately 240 undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of backgrounds, inspired by a wide range of motivations and career ambitions, and employs 20.5 full-time faculty, 3 special faculty, 8 adjuncts, 7 PhD teaching fellows, and 10 staff. Valuing collective strength and difference, its members strive to embrace other ways of knowing, doing, and being that benefit the School and the discipline.

Throughout its history the School of Design has led the evolution of design craft, pedagogy, research, practice, and ultimately the discipline. It aspires to continue its impact on the field of design moving forward.

Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is a global, research-intensive university with more than 14,000 students, more than 120,000 alumni, and approximately 5,000 faculty and staff. In its 2023-2024 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked CMU #24 among national universities, #4 in terms of Most Innovative Schools, and many of its programs are among the top-ranked in the world. CMU is home to the country’s #1 ranked programs in computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, among others.

Carnegie Mellon is a unique place where design, arts, sciences, and humanities converge. The School promotes an integrated design process that incorporates perspectives from each of these disciplines. To identify and address new problems as they emerge, the School builds on the humanistic, artistic, and scientific strengths of Carnegie Mellon as a leading research university. At the School there is a belief that design can enact positive change in the world—a world that values the quality of people’s lives in balance with a healthy and sustainable planet.

The Head of the School of Design will serve as a visionary and creative leader for faculty, staff, and students, fostering the realization of innovative design work in academia and practice. In this role, the Head will be an active member of a strong college-level leadership team and report directly to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts. The position also calls for the Head to carry administrative and fiduciary responsibilities, managing eight people who report directly to them and working collaboratively with the entire faculty and staff of the School. The Head will represent, and be an advocate for, the School of Design within the university and to the outside world—demonstrating an understanding of, and appreciation for, design research, practice, and teaching now and into the future.

We look for candidates to provide evidence of creative and effective management, successful visionary and collaborative leadership, fiduciary responsibility, and design excellence. Excellence in design may be demonstrated through the proven track record of an inspired practitioner, teacher, researcher, and/ or administrator. The candidate should hold the rank of full professor in design qualifications, which include being well-established in the field of design and a recognized leader who has made outstanding contributions to design education, research, practice, and/or related scholarly or artistic activities.

This is a full-time position that will be performed on-site in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Salary will be commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.