Career Center

Position Overview
The Self Engineering Leadership Fellows (SELF) Program in the School of Engineering at The University of Kansas (KU) is seeking an outstanding candidate for Assistant, Associate or Full Professors of Practice in the areas of engineering leadership, management, business, and/or entrepreneurship. The target starting date is December 1, 2025. These positions will be Academic Year appointments (August 18 through May 15/16) with 8 weeks of summer salary possible based upon the needs of the department/program. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the start date of the position.

Appointment level will be based on an applicant's scholarly and teaching record and practical experience. All Professor of Practice positions, regardless of rank, are non-tenured positions appointed for a three-year limited term period with the possibility of renewal based upon a comprehensive review at the end of the term. However, the School of Engineering and its five academic departments have a strong tradition of employing non-tenured faculty long-term. Due to the percentage of effort focused upon instructional duties, all applicants must possess outstanding teaching and mentoring skills. The full-time position will include facilitating and teaching two of the weekly SELF seminar courses (1 credit hour each) each semester and one or two regularly scheduled classes per semester in the School of Engineering. The regularly scheduled courses may be within the Professor of Practice's academic engineering department or broadly for the School of Engineering on topics of engineering leadership, management, business, and/or entrepreneurship. The precise teaching load may vary from term to term as dictated by the needs of the School.

Established in 2007, the Madison A. and Lila Self Engineering Leadership Fellows (SELF) Program is a co-curricular fellowship for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. The mission of the SELF Program is to develop passionate engineering and computer science graduates who are strongly goal-oriented and who bring the business skills and vision needed to guide the technology-based corporations of tomorrow. The SELF Program will recruit, select and financially support students at the University of Kansas and administer to them an ongoing four-year personal development program that leads to a continuing supply of exceptional graduates at the Bachelor of Science level. By active participation in the program, the students will expand and refine their leadership, managerial, business, interpersonal, entrepreneurial, communication and engineering skills through mentoring, coursework, seminars and leadership opportunities. Graduates from the SELF Program will possess the personal attributes needed to become effective leaders who are motivated to make a real difference during their careers. The SELF Program (https://engr.ku.edu/self-engineering-leadership-fellows-program) currently supports 140 fellows with over 330 alumni. The program is supported by the Program Director, Program Coordinator, and the two sought Professors of the Practice.

The University of Kansas School of Engineering (http://engr.ku.edu/) has undergone a significant expansion while taking explicit care to maintain and improve the high-quality student programs the university is known for. The effort involved a multi-faceted approach aimed at growing our facilities, faculty, leadership, research and, most important, supporting students, as it helps industry partners find the new talent, designs and techniques they need to fuel economic growth and business success.
Job Description
About the University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a Carnegie doctoral/research-extensive university with a $1.4 billion endowment and a faculty of 3,525. Current enrollment is 29,792 (22,085 undergraduates), with students drawn from 116 nations and all 50 states, 26.1% of KU students are members of minority groups. The 1,000-acre main campus is in Lawrence, a community of 95,459 in hilly northeast Kansas that lies about 35 miles west of Kansas City. Lawrence has a lively downtown and a thriving arts and music scene, and its local government has enacted ordinances supporting equality for all members of its population. Lawrence also offers numerous sports and recreational opportunities, local shops, and a wide range of good restaurants.

KU's excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and support each other's success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

KU's vision is to be an exceptional learning community that lifts each other and advances society. Our institutional priorities are to educate leaders, build healthy communities, and make discoveries that change the world. Additional information is available at https://jayhawksrising.ku.edu/.

Job Duties:
50% SELF Program Teaching and Instructional Activities:

• Develop an experiential and applied curriculum, facilitate the inclusion of program-external guests in seminar, and facilitate leadership, business, and entrepreneurial skills development seminar courses for the assigned cohorts. Currently, cohorts meet at 7:00 am once per week throughout the fall and spring semesters. This position will meet with two cohorts each week. Details of the meeting times and structure may change in the future.
• Develop co-curricular opportunities, including project-based learning, rooted in fundamental engineering project management principles incorporating entrepreneurship and business as well as additional leadership skills of Fellows.
• Engage SELF Fellows and Vann Scholars one-on-one to provide mentoring. Official academic advising is not within the scope of this position.
• Develop and implement opportunities for students across the School of Engineering to engage in leadership, business, management and entrepreneurship skill development, including through offering lectures, scheduling guest speakers, and designing and offering skill development workshops.

30% Departmental Teaching:

• Teach 1 to 2 courses each semester in the School of Engineering. Specific course assignments will be determined via consultation between the successful candidate, the SELF Program Director, and the Chair of the home Academic Engineering Department.
• Teaching responsibilities may also include enhancing and improving curriculum.

20% Program Administration and Service:

• Seek out opportunities to identify and incorporate current and future trends in entrepreneurship, business and leadership education and practice into the SELF Program, especially as pertains to technology-based corporations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date Fellow records through an internal tracking program.
• Work with SELF Staff to implement and evaluate the annual review processes for Fellows with specific focus on two cohorts.
• Collaborate with other units within the School of Engineering and across KU to deliver programming consistent with the focus of the SELF Program.
• Track participation in SELF program events and other offerings to engineering and computer science students.
• Assist as necessary with School of Engineering events, such as New Student Orientation, Scholar Day, and Open House, graduation plus major programs such as recruitment events, student trips, and student retreats etc., which are likely to require working some evenings and weekends.
• Other relevant duties, projects, and responsibilities as assigned by the SELF Program Director or Dean's Office.
• Some travel may be required.

Required Qualifications
Assistant Professor of the Practice:

1. A Bachelor's degree in any engineering discipline or closely related discipline.
2. A Master's degree in any engineering discipline, in engineering management, or Master of Business Administration (MBA), or a closely related discipline.
3. At least 10 years of practical experience in engineering leadership, management, business, and/or entrepreneurship.

Associate Professor of the Practice:

1. All the above for the Assistant level
2. At least 15 years of practical experience in engineering leadership, management, business, and/or entrepreneurship.

Professor of the Practice:

1. All the above for the Assistant level
2. At least 20 years of practical experience in engineering leadership, management, business, and/or entrepreneurship.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have the foundational knowledge and skill set required to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is based on accreditation requirements, institutional standards of academic and professional excellence, alignment with peer institution benchmarks, and contributes to the credibility and effectiveness of the role within the university community.
Contact Information to Applicants
Dr. Elaina Sutley
enjsutley@ku.edu
Additional Candidate Instruction
For complete information and to apply go to https://employment.ku.edu/academic/30311BR.

A complete application includes the following materials: 1) cover letter, 2) resume/CV, 3) state of teaching and mentoring experiences and interests; and 4) the names, email and contact information for three professional references.

The application review will begin March 5, 2026 and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants is obtained.
Advertised Salary Range
commensurate with experience
Application Review Begins
05-Mar-2026
Anticipated Start Date
18-Aug-2026
Primary Campus
University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
FTE
1.0
Reg/Temp
Regular
Employee Class
F-Faculty
Disclaimer
The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.