How to hire a vice chancellor

How to hire a vice chancellor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step vice chancellor hiring guide:

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

What does a vice chancellor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a vice chancellor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect vice chancellor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of vice chancellor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Vice Chancellor	Description	Hourly rate
   Vice Chancellor	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$31-88
   Director Of Student Affairs	A director of student affairs will oversee student clubs, manage student activities and budgetary information, and work with students to provide referrals for counseling and community services. Your duties typically include planning and arranging recreational, cultural, and social activities of different student groups, evaluating programs and providing recommendations for improvements, and scheduling events... Show more	$21-60
   Director Of Admissions	The admissions director is responsible for evaluating admission applications in an educational institution setting. Admissions directors monitor the admission process, develop admission procedures and reasonable criteria, and recruit potential students by determining their eligibility and educational objectives... Show more	$21-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Human Resources
   • Professional Development
   • Strategic Plan
   • Academic Affairs
   • Student Affairs
   • AVC
   • Enrollment Management
   • Student Services
   • Financial Aid
   • Executive Leadership
   • Economic Development
   • Payroll
   • Student Life

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage students by establishing an appropriate climate and earning respect through effective leadership techniques.
   • Key responsibilities include full operational oversight, business development strategy and implementation, and campus compliance with reporting and accreditation requirements.
   • Direct all homecoming and alumni appreciation activities.
   • Create all freshman first-semester schedules and register students as necessary.

   More vice chancellor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your vice chancellor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A vice chancellor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, vice chancellors' average salary in hawaii is 62% less than in arizona.
   • Seniority. Entry-level vice chancellors earn 65% less than senior-level vice chancellors.
   • Certifications. A vice chancellor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a vice chancellor's salary.

   Average vice chancellor salary

   $110,441yearly

   $53.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level vice chancellor salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average vice chancellor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$157,337	$76
   2	District of Columbia	$140,283	$67
   3	North Carolina	$138,309	$66
   4	Indiana	$136,311	$66
   5	Louisiana	$135,581	$65
   6	Massachusetts	$129,079	$62
   7	Missouri	$121,122	$58
   8	South Carolina	$120,960	$58
   9	New Jersey	$117,786	$57
   10	Texas	$116,428	$56
   11	Colorado	$112,300	$54
   12	Arkansas	$107,533	$52
   13	Washington	$107,431	$52
   14	Nebraska	$105,926	$51
   15	Kansas	$102,769	$49
   16	Florida	$85,226	$41
   17	Puerto Rico	$52,166	$25

   Average vice chancellor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The University of Kansas Health System	$154,966	$74.50	1
   2	University of Massachusetts Medical School	$148,327	$71.31	2
   3	Rutgers University	$126,204	$60.67	6
   4	Kern Community College District	$126,026	$60.59
   5	University of California	$120,554	$57.96	2
   6	AGB	$106,467	$51.19	1
   7	Everglades University	$98,673	$47.44	1
   8	University of Washington	$97,210	$46.74	13
   9	University of North Carolina	$95,170	$45.75	6
   10	WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA	$89,955	$43.25	2
   11	UC Merced	$89,222	$42.90
   12	Northeastern University	$87,122	$41.89
   13	Ivy Tech Community College	$86,376	$41.53	2
   14	UC Santa Barbara	$85,666	$41.19
   15	University of Colorado Boulder	$85,255	$40.99	1
   16	University of Colorado Denver	$85,169	$40.95
   17	Brandman University	$84,648	$40.70
   18	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$81,872	$39.36
   19	University of California-Berkeley	$77,076	$37.06
   20	Washington State University	$68,281	$32.83	2

4. Writing a vice chancellor job description

   A good vice chancellor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a vice chancellor job description:

   Vice chancellor job description example

   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is seeking an Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs in Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Office of Faculty Affairs.
   
   The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs is an integral member of the RBHS Office of Faculty Affairs (RBHS FA) who reports to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA). The position will handle a wide range of matters of institutional importance and exercise confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive matters.
   Among the key duties of this position are the following:
   
   * Provide assistance, advice and support to RBHS School and Unit Leaders on individual faculty matters including, but not limited, performance management and improvement, counseling notices, and adherence to policy and procedure.
   * When appropriate, engage the Office of University Labor Relations and Office of General Counsel on disciplinary matters.
   * Provide support and training to RBHS School and Unit Leaders on policy, procedure, and practices.
   * Provide support and training for newly appointed leadership within the schools/units on policy, procedure and collective negotiation requirements.
   * Provide guidance to school faculty affairs offices and leadership to assure consistency in the application of and compliance with Rutgers and RBHS policies, practices, and collective negotiation agreements.
   * Create and maintain documents for RBHS schools and units to effectuate faculty actions. Identify best practices and make process improvement suggestions as appropriate.
   * Participate in the planning, preparation, and meetings for collective negotiations.
   * In collaboration with the VCAA, lead the implementation of collective negotiation agreements for faculty within RBHS.
   * Works closely with RBHS stakeholders to improve processes and troubleshoot on matters including, but not limited to, benefits, personnel process, new employee orientation, office space, relocation, etc.
   * Gather and analyze qualitative data on recruitment and retention and create action plans to address deficiencies.
   * Participate in the offer letter review process as the designee of the VCAA.
   * Supervise the Coordinator for Faculty Personnel Administration and the Management Assistant
   * Provide backup for the management of faculty transaction oversight in the absence of the Coordinator for Personnel Administration.
   * Represent the office in standing or ad hoc committees or meetings and stand-in for the VCAA when required.
   * Search for best practices, solutions and develop process improvements as needed.
   * Responsible for staying abreast of requirements and updating onboarding process accordingly.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right vice chancellor 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 vice chancellors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit vice chancellors 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.

   To find vice chancellor candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with vice chancellor 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 vice chancellor

   Once you've found the vice chancellor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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