How to hire a science department chairperson

How to hire a science department chairperson, step by step

Here's a step-by-step science department chairperson hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a science department chairperson job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new science department chairperson
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your science department chairperson job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a science department chairperson for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a science department chairperson to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a science department chairperson that fits the bill.

   This list presents science department chairperson salaries for various positions.

   Type of Science Department Chairperson	Description	Hourly rate
   Science Department Chairperson	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$16-46
   Biology Instructor	A Biology Instructor is a teacher responsible for educating students on biology either in middle school, high school, or at a college level. They are responsible for creating a learning curriculum that covers scientific investigations and lab experiments... Show more	$17-43
   Biology Faculty Member	A biology faculty member specializes in teaching biological science to students. Their responsibilities revolve around delivering effective classroom discussions, preparing lesson and coursework plans, creating learning materials such as presentations and handouts, conducting tests and examinations, organizing laboratory activities and practices, and assisting students in areas they find difficult... Show more	$19-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Science Curriculum
   • Chemistry
   • Anatomy
   • Instructional Strategies
   • Physiology
   • Curriculum Development
   • Colleges
   • Science Faculty
   • Student Performance
   • Physical Science
   • Environmental Science
   • Grade Science
   • Mathematics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create web-based pages including html5, php, css, bootstrap, github, and laravel.
   • Link webpages to databases such as mysql and php admin where data would be store and only access by administration.
   • Plan and develop curriculum for daily instruction using Microsoft PowerPoint to design and deliver lecture and facilitate classroom discussion.
   • Mentor research students through capstone projects.
   • Analyze surveys, retention, graduation rates and certification pass rates with AAMA.
   • Instruct and mentore pathophysiology, anatomy/physiology, and medical ethics students

   More science department chairperson duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your science department chairperson job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A science department chairperson can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, science department chairpeople' average salary in missouri is 58% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level science department chairpeople 65% less than senior-level science department chairpeople.
   • Certifications. A science department chairperson with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a science department chairperson's salary.

   Average science department chairperson salary

   $57,958yearly

   $27.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level science department chairperson salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

   Average science department chairperson salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$98,258	$47
   2	California	$90,137	$43
   3	Illinois	$79,150	$38
   4	Delaware	$76,183	$37
   5	Connecticut	$75,167	$36
   6	New Jersey	$71,832	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$68,523	$33
   8	Virginia	$68,413	$33
   9	Maryland	$65,295	$31
   10	Louisiana	$57,729	$28
   11	Texas	$54,424	$26
   12	Colorado	$52,195	$25
   13	Missouri	$40,710	$20

   Average science department chairperson salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	West Coast University	$99,255	$47.72	2
   2	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$97,303	$46.78
   3	University of Massachusetts Amherst	$88,070	$42.34
   4	UMass Lowell	$82,914	$39.86	4
   5	Stevens Institute of Technology	$77,800	$37.40
   6	New Jersey Institute of Technology	$76,692	$36.87	5
   7	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$72,764	$34.98
   8	University of Kentucky	$71,432	$34.34	17
   9	Central Washington University	$70,633	$33.96
   10	ArtCenter College of Design	$69,297	$33.32
   11	University of Colorado	$67,177	$32.30	17
   12	University of Delaware	$65,619	$31.55	11
   13	University of Virginia	$64,340	$30.93	25
   14	Rockhurst High School	$60,709	$29.19
   15	Cosmos Holdings	$49,655	$23.87
   16	Community College of Aurora	$46,654	$22.43
   17	Bristol Public School District	$46,504	$22.36
   18	UTMB HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS	$45,220	$21.74	3
   19	Newark Unified School District	$41,948	$20.17
   20	Needham Public Schools	$36,169	$17.39

4. Writing a science department chairperson job description

   A job description for a science department chairperson role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a science department chairperson job description:

   Science department chairperson job description example

   Working closely with the Executive Director, and collaboration with campus Deans, plans, organizes, leads, supervises, and coordinates the development and implementation of the academic programs of study for the Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, Microbiology, and other science course curriculums. Ensures laboratory manuals are within accreditation and regulatory standards appropriate to the education industry. Conducts classroom observations, and has supervisory oversight of the hiring, training, and evaluation of science faculty. Delivers classroom instruction according to an approved course syllabus using accepted and effective teaching methods; develops daily lesson plans; advises and tutors students; maintains current and accurate attendance and grade records; remains current in applicable program teaching field; participates in faculty meetings, instructional seminars, and in-service training sessions. Participates in university activities such as faculty meetings, student functions, graduation exercises, open houses, new student orientations, interprofessional meetings, persistence, and advisory board meetings.
   KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:
   
   Five years relevant experience with a minimum of two (2) years of teaching experience in the subject areas taught and two to three years increasingly responsible management and supervisory experience in one or more areas of academic instructional management preferred.
   
   Must be knowledgeable in course content, effective in directing and evaluating student learning and laboratory performance and be prepared in educational theory and techniques.
   
   Knowledge of academic, general education, instructional curriculum at both the course and program level, integrated instructional and student development programs and evaluation techniques and methods.
   
   Knowledge of state, federal and local laws/regulations relating to programs, governmental compliance and other regulatory standards such as Title IV, ACICS, WASC and other accreditation standards.
   
   Experience with MS Office.
   
   Knowledge of applicable databases and computer application systems to supply the most accurate information, reports and projections.
   
   qualifications/Skills:
   
   (Every effort has been made to identify the essential skills/qualifications of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only skills/qualifications you will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of skills/qualifications does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or is an essential skill/qualification of the position.)
   
   Experience with MS Office.
   
   Ability to manage projects and people, participate in and facilitate group meetings
   
   Ability to motivate teams to produce quality materials within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects.
   
   Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
   
   Ability to demonstrate strong professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
   
   Ability to self-direct, self-pace, multi-task and function well under pressure of deadlines and conflicting priorities.
   
   Ability to manage and work effectively in a highly ethnic and culturally diverse student and associate community.
   
   Ability to work with individuals at all levels of the organization.
   
   Willingness to work a flexible schedule.
   
   Ability to exercise good judgment.
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   Ph.D. or M.D. degree required with appropriate coursework and/or credits in the subject area(s) taught.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right science department chairperson for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with science department chairpeople they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit science department chairpeople who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your science department chairperson job on Zippia to find and attract quality science department chairperson candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with science department chairperson candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new science department chairperson

   Once you have selected a candidate for the science department chairperson position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new science department chairperson. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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