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Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science

Position overview

Salary range: The salary range for this position is $550,000-$750,000. This position includes membership in the Health Sciences Compensation Plan.

Application Window

Open date: December 11, 2023

Most recent review date: Thursday, Feb 22, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

This is a unique opportunity to lead a vibrant and collaborative clinical department which opened a brand-new transformational center for ophthalmic research and patient care, the Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute building, in December 2022. The four-story, 78,500 sq. ft. building located on the UC Davis Health Sacramento Campus is anticipated to significantly expand the Department’s capacity to both care for patients as well as to conduct clinical research. The Department is growing with plans to recruit additional specialists and physician-scientists.

The Department of Ophthalmology has a strong collaborative relationship with the School of Veterinary Medicine with cross-department faculty appointments and a significant presence in the California National Primate Research Center. The department also partners with the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, which has a strong vision science research group and where several faculty have their research labs. With the recruitment of the former director of the National Eye Institute to the faculty, the Department of Ophthalmology has established the Center for Ocular Regenerative Therapy (CORT) for the diagnosis of and gene therapy for retinal diseases. UC Davis is also one of only two institutions in the US with advanced, cellular-level ocular imaging technologies under investigation.

Reporting to the Dean, the Department Chair provides leadership in strategic vision and collaborative implementation to ensure the future growth of the Department. The Chair will work closely with the UC Davis Health System and UC Davis School of Medicine leadership, faculty, and staff and is responsible for the Department's overall clinical, research, academic and administrative activities. Additional duties and faculty rank will be influenced by candidate qualifications and interests, departmental needs, and clinical practice requirements, as applicable.

The successful candidate should possess academic credentials that qualify for appointment as Associate or Full Professor, have a national reputation of successful research and/or research leadership, and demonstrate the ability to lead at strategic, tactical, and administrative levels, including experience managing space and financial resources. The Chair must be a compelling leader whose passion for the clinical, educational, and research missions energize the faculty, learners, and staff, focusing their efforts on a strategic vision of excellence in all missions. The leader must also reflect the values of diversity, equity and inclusion which are strong principles at UC Davis.

To see the full position description and to apply visit https://ucrecruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06186.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a reference check on all first-choice candidates for Academic Senate Assistant Professor, Steps 4, 5, or 6 through Professor. The reference check involves contacting the administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for these faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for these faculty positions will be subject to reference checks.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• MD or MD/PhD, or equivalent terminal degree in a related area, including but not limited to Ophthalmology. For MD applicants, additional requirements include board-certification and fellowship training as applicable to specialty, and subspecialty if trained, and applicants must possess or be eligible for a California Medical License.
• Academic credentials that qualify for appointment as Associate or Full Professor.
• A national reputation of successful research and research leadership – for example, through leading an interdisciplinary research program, division, or department – knowledge of national research trends, and a significant record of peer-reviewed scientific publications and success in securing extramural research funding.
• Demonstrated prior success at leading interprofessional teams, working across campus units.
• Ability to lead at both the strategic, tactical, and administrative levels, including experience managing space and financial resources.
• Demonstrated leadership in diversity and inclusive excellence efforts.
• Demonstrated teaching ability and commitment to university and public service.
• A strong history of written and verbal communication with a track record of working in a matrix organization, and interpersonal skills that demonstrate the capacity to work collaboratively and effectively with others.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire colleagues and staff to achieve excellent results.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
Reference requirements
  • 5 required (contact information only)

References will only be contacted regarding those candidates who advance to final consideration for the position and will not be reviewed unless needed. Candidates will be notified prior to the university initiating reference contact.

Apply link: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF06186

Help contact: essantizo@ucdavis.edu

About UC Davis

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.

The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Diversity 2023 Forbes Award: Best Employers for Women

Job location

Sacramento, CA