Associate Professor & Director of NCBG Herbarium

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

The North Carolina Botanical Garden ( NCBG) has been a leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education in the southeastern United States for almost 60 years. As part of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we further the University's tripartite teaching, research, and public service mission through our own mission to cultivate connections between plants, people, and place through science, engagement, and conservation. Through its Plant Biodiversity Research Program, the Garden manages the UNC-CH Herbarium, the largest collection of southeastern plant specimens in the United States (approximately 800,000 specimens dating back into the early 1800s). This collection is a primary resource for Southeastern U.S. plant and fungi systematics, description, identification, geographic distribution, and conservation, as well as an important worldwide resource on plant fossils and marine red algae. Collection of data and plant information tools such as floras, field guides, apps, websites are developed and serve researchers, government agencies, conservation organizations, educators, and the public. The North Carolina Botanical Garden ( NCBG) and Department of Biology ( BIOL) have a long history of collaboration going back to the Garden's origin in 1966 within the Department and continuing into the present day.

The Department of Biology at UNC-Chapel Hill is dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of new and existing knowledge in the broad discipline of Biology by maintaining a high-quality faculty who integrate cutting-edge research and student-focused teaching. We are one of the largest academic departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. We have over 3,450 majors and we enroll undergraduate students in over 7,870 seats in our classes each semester. Each fall or spring semester, we offer 52 classes (70 sections) and 13 lab courses (93 sections). Our average total annual expenditure exceeds $24 million, with nearly half of that coming from grant sponsored research. Our department has nearly $70 million in active grants to support our twin missions of research and teaching. Our large research base spans many areas of biology and supports several outstanding graduate programs. We consist of 50 tenure/tenure-track faculty, 13 teaching faculty, 5 research faculty, and numerous active adjunct and emeritus faculty who are engaged in basic and interdisciplinary research and teaching, both within the department and between other departments and schools at UNC. We currently have 50 graduate students and 30 post-docs and employ approximately 85 additional graduate and undergraduate students from across the university to assist in our teaching and research missions. Further, we are supported by an administrative staff of 20, with an additional 20 staff directly supporting research.

This is a research, teaching, and public service position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving jointly as Herbarium Director at the North Carolina Botanical Garden ( NCBG) and as Associate Professor within the Department of Biology ( BIOL). As such, the position will seamlessly integrate between NCBG and BIOL and further the purpose and mission of both entities.

As Herbarium Director, we seek a dynamic leader responsible for the overall management and leadership of the Herbarium. Duties to the Herbarium and NCBG include authenticating and approving plant material added to the collection; supervising staff, graduate students, undergraduates, and volunteers; developing and implementing program plans and budgets; and providing strategic vision for NCBG, including contributing to the Garden's Plant Biodiversity Research Program. The Herbarium Director should have administrative experience and skill, success in obtaining and administering outside funds, experience and skill in working with public outreach, and demonstrated knowledge, experience, and potential in terms of research on the flora of the Southeast US. This position has budget authority for the Herbarium and is expected to serve as a member of the Garden's executive leadership team and participate in garden-wide events and activities that advance the mission of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. As Associate Professor in Biology, we seek a dynamic scholar studying plants with a commitment to the application of research to the conservation of the flora and ecosystems of the Southeastern United States. Research topics may include plant taxonomy, ecology, evolution or organismal biology, systematics, conservation, or biogeography, and can employ diverse methods from field-based to molecular to computational/quantitative to landscape analysis. The successful candidate will contribute to the department's mission of advancing research, education, and public engagement and will be committed to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching, mentoring, and service. The Associate Professor will teach at least one full undergraduate course per year in botany, systematics, ecology, conservation, or related topics and is responsible for building and maintaining an active research portfolio and securing funding from various external sponsors. They will actively participate in the scientific community (internal and external) at UNC-CH and engage in service activities that advance the institution's work and role in supporting North Carolina.

All candidates must have earned a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Botany, Conservation, Ecology, Plant Systematics or related field, must be committed to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and must be capable of building an active research group, secure competitive external funding, and participate actively in the scientific community at UNC-CH.

Preference will be given to candidates whose work demonstrates expertise on flora of the Southeastern US and its conservation and complements UNC-CH's strengths in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. In addition to creativity and excellence in research, successful candidates should demonstrate a desire to teach undergraduate and graduate students, a commitment to public engagement, as well as a commitment to academic excellence and upholding the shared missions of the NCBG, Biology Department, College, and the University.

Physical requirements often include standing or walking for prolonged periods, extended periods of sitting, ability to safely lift or move up to 25 lbs., ability to work in adverse conditions (extreme temperatures, insect exposure) out of doors for extended periods and sufficient mobility to navigate classroom and office environments and the manual dexterity for computer work. Occasional night and weekend work required.

The position also requires creativity and original thinking, pedagogical adaptability, organizational skills, resilience, perseverance, patience, and communication skills.

Applicants will need to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a research statement (less than or equal to 3 pages), teaching and mentoring statement (less than or equal to 1 page uploaded as 'Teaching Philosophy/evaluations"), and three (3) representative publications (uploaded as "Writing/research Sample", "Other Document", and "Other Document 2"). In addition, please provide the names and contact information for four references in the cover letter. The online application will prompt applicants for referee names and email addresses. If added to the application, referees may receive automated emails with instructions for submitting letters of recommendation to the recruitment system at a future phase in the selection process. Please submit your application by 12/15/2025. The position will be effective on or after January 1, 2027. For further details contact biolsearch@unc.edu.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost office at (919)-962-1091 or send an email to facultyrecruitment@unc.edu.

Please note: The Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost office will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

If you have any questions about the job requirements or the hiring department notify the Department Contact.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.