What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Chairperson, Natural Sciences position at Middlesex College?
Classification Title: Associate Chairperson, Natural Sciences
Salary: $79,243.00 Annually (12-month position)
Department: Natural Sciences
Pay Grade: CHC
Reports To: Chairperson, Natural Sciences
FLSA Status: Exempt
Unit: Administrative
Opening Date: 11/14/2025
Closing Date: 2/5/2026 11:59 p.m.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
The Associate Chair supports the Department Chair in leading high-quality, student-centered programs across the Natural Sciences. The ideal candidate brings a strong record of effective teaching and academic service in a community college setting; experience in curriculum and assessment; collaborative leadership; commitment to equity, access, and inclusion; and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. This is a 12-month position with a work schedule that may include limited evening/weekend obligations to meet program needs and support student services/events.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Functions:
- In collaboration with the Chair, recruits, hires, onboards, mentors, and evaluates adjunct faculty; coordinates adjunct assignments and professional development aligned to departmental needs and student outcomes.
- Supports supervision and workflow of department support staff, laboratory technicians, and student workers in coordination with the Chair and relevant offices.
- Co-leads term scheduling (lecture, lab, and remote/online modalities), ensuring efficient room/lab utilization, compliance with contact-hour policies, and student pathway progress.
- Supports curriculum management: new course/program proposals, revisions, modality changes, and alignment with transfer partners and workforce needs.
- Coordinates course and program assessment cycles (learning outcomes, common exams/rubrics, data review), and documents continuous-improvement actions consistent with institutional and accreditation standards.
- Provides student-facing services: academic advising within discipline pathways; reviews of substitutions and program changes; participation in orientation and recruitment events.
- Helps resolve student concerns, grade appeals, and student–faculty conflicts using fair, consistent, policy-aligned processes; escalate appropriately.
- Promotes engagement opportunities (tutoring, undergraduate research experiences, learning communities, internships, STEM clubs) and refers students to campus resources.
- In partnership with lab managers/technicians, oversees laboratory readiness, inventory, and procurement (supplies, chemicals, equipment); helps manage capital requests and replacement plans.
- Supports compliance with safety and regulatory standards (e.g., chemical hygiene, hazard communication, waste management, PPE training, and accessible learning materials/experiences).
- Coordinates lab-specific faculty development on pedagogy, safety, and technology.
- Assists the Chair with developing and monitoring operating and capital budgets; tracks expenditures and aligns resources to strategic priorities.
- Contributes to grant development and implementation (e.g., STEM success, equipment, undergraduate research, dual-enrollment support), including data collection and reporting.
- Strengthens external relationships (K–12 partners, 4-year transfer institutions, advisory boards, community organizations) to enhance recruitment, transfer, and workforce pathways.
- Represents the department on division/college committees (e.g., Division Council, curriculum, assessment, academic integrity, accessibility) and contribute to policy and process improvements.
- Supports departmental strategic planning, goal setting, and annual reporting with evidence-based metrics and perform other duties as assigned that advance departmental and college goals.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in a discipline within the Department
- Two (2) years’ teaching experience at the college level
- One (1) year of administrative or supervisory experience
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Skill in using small office equipment and computers
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Doctoral degree
- Three (3) years’ experience teaching at the college level
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
- Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
- Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
- Hearing 1: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
- Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
- Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
- Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
- Talking 1: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
- Visual Acuity 1: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
SCHEDULE: Monday - Friday, 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., may include limited evening/weekend obligations to meet program needs and support student services/events
RETIREMENT: Pension Eligible
NJ First Act
Any Middlesex College employee hired after September 1, 2011 will have to meet the New Jersey residency law requirement.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Middlesex College is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, marital status, familial status, religion, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for service in the armed forces of the United States, or disability.
Affirmative Action and Compliance Statement
Middlesex College is firmly committed to a policy of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. The College will implement this policy to assure that the educational programs, activities, services, benefits and employment opportunities offered by the College are available to all persons regardless of sex, race, creed, national origin, ancestry, nationality, color, marital status, civil union or domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap (and/or disability), service in the armed forces, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, refusal to submit to genetic tests, or refusal to make available results of genetic tests, in accordance with State and Federal laws. All employees and students are expected to accept these principles and to reflect their spirit in everyday relationships with fellow employees and students. Inquiries regarding compliance may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer, Middlesex College, Chambers Hall, 2600 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08818-3050.