Job Description

Executive Director of the Jones Center for Leadership and Service

The University of Tennessee Knoxville, a premier public research institution in Knoxville, Tennessee, invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for its executive director of the Jones Center for Leadership and Service. This is an on-site leadership role.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is the flagship land-grant university, dedicated to community investment, academic excellence, and groundbreaking research. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees. The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world.

Reporting to the assistant vice chancellor for leadership and campus engagement, the executive director of the Clay and Debbie Jones Center for Leadership and Service (JCLS) will provide strategic leadership and vision for the center while cultivating a culture of leadership development and service across the UT Knoxville campus. They will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and community partners to enhance the university’s leadership ecosystem and create meaningful and sustainable opportunities for leadership development across campus. The next JCLS executive director will be a strategic thinker, overseeing a multi-million dollar endowment and leading a forward-thinking team of 11 professional staff and over 70 student leaders are key responsibilities of the executive director.

The salary for this position is $110,000.

Qualifications
A master’s degree in college student personnel or other fields related to the delivery of services to student populations and five years of full-time experience working with leaders and leadership development, talent management, and/or higher education administration are required. Experience implementing leadership and service initiatives, supervising and coaching staff members, and managing budgets and assessments is also required.

A doctorate in college student personnel or other fields related to the delivery of services to student populations and seven years of professional experience in the area of leadership and service, as well as administrative experience at the college level, are preferred. Other preferred documented qualifications include: experience in development, fundraising, and stewardship initiatives; classroom instruction; coaching and leadership assessment certifications; and direct coordination and oversight of leadership development and service programming.

In addition to the qualifications stated above, key stakeholders identified the following capabilities and attributes of a successful candidate:

• A professional with demonstrated success in advancing a leadership and service department to a high level of excellence within a higher education setting.

• A confident, people-centered leader who builds trust and cohesion across teams, connects existing efforts without duplication, and can align initiatives with divisional and institutional priorities.

• Scholar-practitioner with the ability to articulate and implement frameworks that advance both leadership opportunities and individual leader development across the university.

• Administrator skilled in communicating with diverse audiences and building strong working relationships across the university and within community (town-gown) partnerships.

• Focused leader capable of evaluating curricular and co-curricular programs, balancing diverse opportunities, and effectively managing multiple stakeholders.

• Leader with experience in CliftonStrengths who leverages its philosophy to build high-performing teams, strengthen departmental effectiveness, and foster a culture of leadership across campus.

• Advanced communicator with the ability to convey priorities and vision with executive presence and gravitas to a broad and engaged community.

Application and Nomination
The University of Tennessee Knoxville has selected Spelman Johnson, a leading executive search firm, to assist with leading this search. Review of applications will begin April 17, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Submit a resume and cover letter via https://apptrkr.com/7032000

• Contact Julie Leos at [email protected] for confidential inquiries.

• Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895 or email [email protected].

Visit the The University of Tennessee Knoxville website at https://www.utk.edu/

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteranstatus.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), ADEA (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the equal employment opportunity (EEO) office.