Open Rank Professor and Director of the M.S. in Cybersecurity

Posting Details

• Posting Number: 0603152
• Recruitment Type: Open to All Applicants
• Position Title: Open Rank Professor and Director of the M.S. in Cybersecurity
• Position Type: Faculty
• Benefits Status: Benefits Eligible
• FLSA: Exempt
• Hiring Range: $75,000 to $140,000 per year + benefits package.
• Location: Tacoma, WA 98447
• Department: Computer Science Department
• Posting Date: 10/27/2026
• Closing Date: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
• Work Schedule: Full-time, 9 month tenure-track or non-tenure-track position available beginning Spring or Summer 2027. Teach 4 classes during the first academic year, and 3 courses in subsequent years, depending on the needs of the program. Administrative responsibilities: Director of the M.S. in Cybersecurity program. The academic year is from September to May.

General Description

The Department of Computer Science at Pacific Lutheran University seeks a Program Director who will lead and teach in our new M.S. degree in Cybersecurity, with the position beginning in Spring or Summer 2027. This position may be tenure-track (hiring at the level of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, based upon qualifications) or offered as a renewable fixed-term contract (visiting or resident). We are seeking a passionate, driven, motivated leader to take a pivotal role in shaping this program, including designing courses and aiding in recruiting students to launch the program in Fall 2027. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the program, ensuring alignment with industry standards and emerging trends. The selected applicant will join and lead an exciting new graduate degree, building upon PLU’s existing Computer Science baccalaureate program. Applicants should be able to assume the responsibilities of teaching graduate-level courses in the program, further refining the curriculum, hiring faculty, marketing the program, and recruiting students.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Serve as Director for the M.S. in Cybersecurity program: design courses for the program; recruit and support faculty and students; manage the day-to-day operations in the program including budgeting, scheduling and resource allocation.
• Develop and teach 4 classes during the first academic year (September 2027 – May 2028), and teach 3 classes in subsequent years, depending on the needs of the program.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the MS in Cybersecurity curriculum, ensuring alignment with industry standards and emerging trends.
• Serve in the Computer Science Department and contribute to the larger life of the University through advising, committee work, and other service activities.
• Provide inspiring and visionary leadership to advance the M.S. in Cybersecurity program at PLU.
• Communicate effectively; collaborate effectively and constructively with colleagues within the Computer Science Department and across disciplines.
• Be committed to graduate teaching in a university that blends undergraduate liberal arts and graduate professional education.
• Have a clearly defined scholarship agenda relevant to cybersecurity (for tenure-track candidates).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong background in computer science and cybersecurity.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive and anti-racist pedagogical practices.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for teaching at the graduate level within a liberal arts setting.
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with others.
• Strong understanding of current cybersecurity challenges and trends.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Technology or related field.
• Evidence of teaching excellence and a demonstrated concern for improving the quality of their teaching.
• Demonstrated competence in scholarship, along with the potential for continued scholarly achievement (for tenure-track candidates).
• Applicant must be legally eligible to work in the United States on hire date AND legally authorized to work in the United States for Pacific Lutheran University without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous teaching experience at the graduate level in cybersecurity.
• Previous leadership experience in a university or other professional setting.
• Active involvement in professional organizations related to cybersecurity.
• Experience in online or hybrid course delivery.

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply, please submit your application including:

• Cover letter;
• Curriculum vitae;
• A statement of teaching philosophy;
• List of three references with contact information;
• List of courses prepared to teach;
• Tenure-track candidates should also submit a research agenda, which may be uploaded under “Optional Documents.”

For questions or more information, please contact Laurie Murphy, Chair of Computer Science, at lmurphy@plu.edu.

Other Information

Pacific Lutheran University purposefully integrates the liberal arts, professional studies and civic engagement in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Our faculty lead with a bold commitment to expanding well-being, opportunity, and justice and instill this commitment in their students. PLU educators work to create an environment where students feel heard and valued, nurturing lifelong learners who aren’t afraid to do things differently to make the world better for everyone. PLU supports faculty as they help students turn ambition into purpose, skills into tools, and their caring into a transformative force.

Because PLU is a community committed to the creation and advancement of knowledge through diversity and inclusion, the university actively recruits a faculty, staff, and student body from all religions, races, socioeconomic groups, sexual orientations, and gender expressions and from all over the world. For the 2025-26 academic year, 45 percent of PLU undergraduate students are from the first generation in their families to attend college; 51.4 percent self-identify as students of color; and 34.2 percent are Pell Grant–eligible.

Offering distinctive opportunities for global engagement, collaborative student-faculty research, and purposeful learning, our faculty guide 2,700 students from all faiths and backgrounds to discern their purpose through relevant coursework, inclusive mentoring, and internships at world-class Puget Sound-area businesses and institutions. PLU is located on a 156-acre woodland campus in the Parkland neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington and about 40 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The campus reflects consciously green practices and is in proximity to the natural beauty of Mount Rainier, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the Puget Sound.

PLU administration supports and respects the strong culture of faculty- shared governance by working closely and collaboratively with faculty leadership to sustain and strengthen existing structures and procedures while working together on key institutional, academic and curricular decisions. PLU is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research, or other work activities. For general application questions or if you need accommodations at any point in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 253-535-7185 or humr@plu.edu. Click here for detailed benefits information.