Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies

Special Instructions to Applicants

Required Documents:

Cover letter addressing the candidate’s qualifications, experience, vision for leading a contemporary collegiate Jazz Studies program, and potential to contribute to a modern music curriculum

Curriculum vitae

Contact information for four professional references

Video recordings of rehearsals and/or ensemble instruction

Video or audio recordings of performances

(Please submit all audio or video via YouTube or Vimeo links in a Word file or PDF)

Supporting Materials:

Additional materials may be requested at a later date.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for visa sponsorship. The University will not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B).

Job Summary

The School of Music at the University of Southern Mississippi invites applications for the position ofDirector of Jazz Studies.

This nine-month, tenure-track position will begin in August 2027.

The Southern Miss School of Music enjoys a longstanding national and international reputation for musical excellence. Its accredited programs provide opportunities for musical and professional growth at the undergraduate through the doctoral levels. Our diverse student body works with distinguished faculty members who perform on world-class stages and bring their rich experiences to our Hattiesburg campus every day. Ensembles include the Southern Chorale, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, Southern Opera and Musical Theatre, Jazz Lab Bands, and numerous outstanding studio ensembles. Students regularly perform at regional, national, and international events, attend master classes with internationally known guest artists, and become award-winning teachers, performers, and creators around the globe.

The Jazz Studies program has been in existence for over 50 years. Its ensembles include two big bands and several diverse combos, including the award-winning Southern Miss Jazztet. It has hosted many outstanding artists including Gregory Tardy, Joel Frahm, The KC Chamber Jazz Quintet, and the Amina Figarova Jazz Sextet. Notable guest artists who have performed with Jazz Lab Band 1 include Ellis Marsalis, Jeff Coffin, Jovino Santos Neto, John Fedchock, Carl Allen, and Mike Clark.

We seek a dynamic musician, educator, and program builder with a forward-looking vision for jazz education and a demonstrated commitment to preparing students for an evolving professional music landscape.

The successful candidate will provide artistic, curricular, and administrative leadership for the Jazz Studies program and will play a central role in its continued growth and development. The Director of Jazz Studies will lead an active and visible program that honors the traditions and history of jazz while embracing contemporary practices, emerging technologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the diverse ways musicians build sustainable careers in the twenty-first century.

Recruitment and program growth will be a significant priority of this position. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain an active recruitment strategy; cultivate relationships with prospective students, school music programs, community colleges, professional musicians, alumni, and other partners; and establish a strong regional and national presence for the Jazz Studies program.

The program includes large and small ensembles as well as courses in performance, improvisation, theory, arranging, and history. Jazz ensembles and most core jazz courses are open to all majors, so the director works with students from both the School of Music and broader university.

Professionally, the Director of Jazz Studies will maintain an active record of creative activity as a performer, composer, arranger, or some combination of these. That record should reach regional, national, and international audiences, consistent with the tenure and promotion expectations of a comprehensive school of music at a Carnegie R1 research institution. This full-time, nine-month, tenure-track appointment comes at the rank of Assistant Professor.

For full consideration, applications must be submitted byNovember 16, 2026.

Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Joseph E. Jones ([email protected]).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide artistic and administrative leadership for the Jazz Studies program, including developing a clear vision for its continued growth and distinction

• Direct jazz ensembles and jazz combos as assigned, maintaining a high standard of performance

• Create meaningful performance opportunities on and off campus for students and increase the regional and national visibility of the Jazz Studies program

• Teach courses in jazz appropriate to the candidate’s expertise and the needs of the school

• Develop and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy, including regular engagement with prospective students, school programs, community colleges, festivals, conferences, guest artists, and other recruitment opportunities

• Encourage innovative programming and creative projects that reflect both traditions in jazz and innovations in contemporary music

• Collaborate with other school and academic disciplines, professional musicians, arts organizations, and community partners

• Cultivate guest artist residencies, festivals, clinics, touring opportunities, recording projects, and other initiatives that enhance the student experience and profile of the program

• Teach, mentor, and advise graduate students in jazz, developing appropriate curricula related to the area

• Oversee management of scholarship and operating budgets for the area

• Coordinate with administration the teaching assignments of adjunct faculty and graduate assistants

• Maintain an active professional profile as a performer, educator, scholar, composer/arranger, producer, or other creative practitioner

• Foster an inclusive and collaborative culture that supports artistic excellence as well as student achievement, retention, and professional development

• Participate in school, college, university service as appropriate