Description

The Opportunity    

The University of Virginia (UVA) seeks a visionary and strategically minded leader to serve as the next Dean of the School of Medicine (SOM). This is an exceptional opportunity to lead one of the nation’s premier academic medical institutions at a pivotal moment in the evolution of academic medicine, biomedical research, and health care delivery.

The Dean of the School of Medicine reports jointly to the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Virginia. As a vital leader within an integrated academic health system and world-class research university, the dean will collaborate closely with partners across the medical center, physician practice group, community health, and UVA’s 11 other schools. The dean will provide strategic and operational leadership for a large, complex organization dedicated to excellence in education, research, clinical care, and community engagement.

The next dean will join the SOM and UVA at an exciting and forward-looking moment, with a significant opportunity to build upon UVA’s many strengths and help shape its future direction and long-term strategic vision. The School of Medicine is distinguished by outstanding research programs, nationally recognized clinical care—including an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center—and a deeply collaborative culture characterized by talented faculty, dedicated staff, and strong collegial partnerships across disciplines. UVA’s Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, together with the rapidly emerging biotechnology ecosystem in Central Virginia, creates significant opportunities to advance innovation and translational science. In addition, UVA is home to several Institutes and Centers that further position the School for continued growth, collaboration, and impact.

The successful candidate will bring exceptional communication, diplomacy, managerial, and relationship-building skills, coupled with the ability to inspire trust and foster collaboration among stakeholders in a multifaceted academic medical environment. UVA seeks a thoughtful and steady leader who is also innovative and future-oriented—capable of navigating the evolving challenges and opportunities facing academic health systems while advancing the School’s mission and extending its impact nationally and globally.

UVA School of Medicine

The University of Virginia School of Medicine, established in 1825, is part of the University of Virginia, a flagship public institution founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, with additional educational and clinical activities in Northern Virginia, the School of Medicine is a central component of UVA Health and plays a critical role in advancing the University’s mission to improve human health through education, research, and clinical care.

As part of a fully integrated academic health system, the School of Medicine supports a broad and interrelated set of missions. It is responsible for educating the next generation of physicians and scientists, advancing biomedical and translational research, and contributing to the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care. This integration enables close alignment between academic and clinical priorities and provides a strong foundation for innovation and growth.

The School of Medicine offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs, including the Doctor of Medicine (MD), a PhD program in biomedical sciences, Master of Public Health (MPH), and combined MD/PhD training. The MD curriculum follows an integrated “Cells to Society” model, emphasizing early clinical exposure, interdisciplinary learning, and a systems-based approach to medical education.

The School is highly selective and draws applicants from across the country. It receives more than 7,000 MD applications annually and has over 600 MD students. Incoming students have very strong academic credentials, and the School maintains a residency match rate of approximately 99 percent, reflecting strong educational outcomes and placement into competitive residency programs. In addition, the School has over 300 biomedical sciences students and over 100 master’s students.

Research is a core pillar of the School’s mission, with approximately $269 million in total research funding supporting a wide range of biomedical and translational initiatives. The School continues to strengthen its national profile as a research-intensive institution while fostering collaboration across disciplines. Research activity and funding are expected to grow further with the completion of the Manning Institute’s state-of-the-art, 350,000-square-foot research facility in early 2028, which will expand capacity for discovery, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The clinical environment is closely aligned with UVA Health, providing students and trainees with access to a high-acuity academic medical center, including a Level I trauma center. This environment offers exposure to a wide range of specialties and complex cases, supporting comprehensive clinical training and professional development.

The School of Medicine includes approximately 29 departments and has UVA’s largest faculty with more than 1,400 faculty members, supporting a dynamic academic community. The culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and leadership development, preparing graduates for careers in clinical practice, research, and academic medicine.

The Role and Responsibilities

The Dean of the School of Medicine serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School and provides strategic leadership across its core missions of education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. The dean works collaboratively with university and health system leaders to advance institutional priorities, strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships, and promote excellence and innovation across the academic medical enterprise. The dean is responsible for overseeing faculty affairs, academic programs, research growth, clinical alignment, financial and operational stewardship, strategic planning, and philanthropic engagement while fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, accountability, and service. Additionally, the dean is expected to:

Visionary and Strategic Leadership 

• Collaboratively develop, articulate, and implement a strategic plan that will improve the position of the SOM among leading academic medical schools recognized for excellence in education, research, and clinical care.
• Provide visionary leadership and support that enables the SOM to achieve and sustain excellence in educational, research, and clinical care missions.
• Leverage the unique assets of the SOM and its affiliates to advance all elements of the tripartite mission including collaborating with Manning Institute leadership and with other deans to hire research faculty for the Manning Institute.
• Ensure a clinical enterprise characterized by quality, safety, evidence-based practices, and patient-centered medicine.
• Serve as a strong advocate for the SOM with university and health system leaders.

Focus on People and Culture

• Support a strong leadership team of associate deans, chairpersons, center directors, and administrative leaders to unite and inspire a highly effective organization committed to advancing the SOM’s vision and strategic priorities.
• Recruit, develop, support, and retain talented faculty and staff. In partnership with department chairs and institutional leaders, establish clear expectations and foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and excellence.
• Foster a strong culture of mentorship, professional development, and career advancement for faculty and staff across the School.
• Empower faculty and staff to contribute ideas, lead initiatives, and take ownership of projects and strategic priorities in ways that align with their strengths, expertise, and aspirations.
• Champion recognition, reward and advancement of teaching excellence, education scholarship, and curricular innovation.
• Sustain a culture of collaboration, civility, professionalism, and collegiality across the SOM and broader health system.
• Engage and energize stakeholders across the School through active listening, transparent communication, and inclusive leadership.
• Promote a culture grounded in integrity, ethics, respect, and accountability, and serve as a visible and trusted ambassador for the School.

Collaboration and External Relations

• Work collaboratively with deans of the 11 other UVA schools in the development of research and education programs, as well as health system colleagues.
• Serve as the principal ambassador for the SOM, engaging effectively with colleagues across the University, donors and philanthropic partners, and communities throughout Charlottesville, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and beyond.
• In partnership with External Relations and Advancement colleagues, develop and execute a strategic fundraising agenda that advances the school's mission, priorities, and long-term goals. 
• Serve as a visible and engaged advocate for the school by cultivating and stewarding relationships with individual, foundation, and corporate donors and partners to secure philanthropic support.
• Cultivate and advance innovative strategic partnerships with industry, foundations, and regional, national, and international organizations to support the School’s mission and expand opportunities for research, education, and clinical innovation.
• Foster the translation of scientific discovery and intellectual property from research to clinical application and broader societal impact through entrepreneurial thinking and collaborative partnerships.
• Serve as a respected voice and visible leader in academic medicine nationally and within one’s own field of professional expertise.
• Engage actively with the Charlottesville community and broader region to strengthen partnerships, advance the School of Medicine’s mission, and promote community health and well-being.

Fiscal Management and Stewardship

• Provide strategic financial leadership across the School of Medicine in close partnership with the UVA Health system, ensuring alignment among academic, research, and clinical enterprise planning and resource allocation.
• Oversee the development and management of the School’s annual and multi-year operating and capital budgets, ensuring fiscal stewardship of state appropriations, clinical revenues, research funding, and philanthropic resources.
• Work collaboratively with UVA leadership to align financial strategy across the School, the medical center, and the physician practice group, optimizing resources within an integrated academic health system.
• Strengthen and diversify revenue streams through sustainable growth in research funding, clinical enterprise performance, philanthropic support, and strategic partnerships, consistent with UVA’s public mission.
• Ensure transparent, data-informed financial planning and accountability processes and a financial model that support long-term sustainability, faculty and staff investment, and strategic institutional priorities.
• Provide strategic oversight of facilities and space planning as a core component of financial strategy, ensuring that capital investments, research and clinical space allocation, and future infrastructure development align with the School’s academic, scientific, and clinical priorities and long-term funding resources.

Ideal Experience and Characteristics

The University of Virginia seeks an accomplished academic leader to serve as Dean of the School of Medicine. The ideal candidate will bring a record of exceptional achievement and a demonstrated ability to advance the School’s missions in education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. Compelling candidates will articulate a bold and forward-looking vision for academic medicine in an increasingly interconnected and global society, paired with the leadership skills necessary to translate vision into meaningful progress with sustainable financial stewardship.

The next dean will possess substantial senior administrative experience within a large, complex research institution and a collaborative leadership style grounded in communication, relationship-building, and service. UVA seeks a strategic and inspiring leader who can elevate the School of Medicine’s national and international standing by responsibly increasing resources while fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and shared purpose. Additional qualifications and characteristics include the following:

• Exceptional professional reputation with deep understanding and appreciation across all aspects of the SOM’s four missions of education, research, clinical care, and community. Highly accomplished in medical education, research, clinical practice, or a combination of these areas.
• Demonstrated ability to set and articulate a vision, execute a strategy, recruit and retain talent, oversee finances and budgeting.
• An ability and passion to successfully raise philanthropic funds and resources to support the vision and mission of the School, including the capital plan, faculty excellence, student scholarships and research.
• A strong understanding of the complex financial pressures facing medical schools and academic healthcare delivery organizations, as well as how to drive operational efficiency. Specific understanding of the potential impact of health care reform on the mission of academic medicine. Similarly, an understanding of the unique pressures of the current research funding environment is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to lead collaboratively across a large, complex organization, fostering strong partnerships and engaging stakeholders through a consultative, inclusive, and transparent approach to decision-making.
• Demonstrated commitment to faculty mentorship, talent development, and leadership cultivation, including the successful support and advancement of department chairs, institute directors, and senior administrative leaders.
• Demonstrated success leading organizations through periods of significant change and ambiguity, with the ability to innovate, align stakeholders, sustain momentum, and achieve strategic priorities.
• Ability to engage and inspire individual, foundation, and corporate donors in support of the school's mission and strategic goals.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage, inspire, and build trust through clear, thoughtful, and transparent communication.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, empathy, strong interpersonal judgment, and the ability to build trust across stakeholders.
• A humble, service-oriented leadership style characterized by integrity, empathy, approachability, and a genuine commitment to supporting the success and well-being of others.
• Inspirational, genuine, and enthusiastic with a high level of energy and endurance.
• Relentlessly pursues excellence in all aspects of work.
• Doctor of Medicine or equivalent with a distinguished record of visionary leadership, research/scholarly accomplishments, and excellence in academic administration is required.
• Leadership and participation in one or more national or international academic, scientific, and/or medical societies is preferred.

Dean, School of Medicine Position Description