University of California Irvine School of Medicine
Application
Details
Posted: 25-Jul-25
Location: Irvine, California
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Executive
Sector:
Hospital, Public and Private
College / University
Internal Number: -
Chair, Department of Surgery University of California Irvine School of Medicine
The University of California, Irvine (UCI), in partnership with Grant Cooper, announces a national search for the Chair, Department of Surgery.
The Chair, Department of Surgery reports to the Dean of the School of Medicine and is responsible for the effective management of all administrative and operational processes of the department, providing not only comprehensive, interactive clinical services, but also supporting the teaching, educational, and research missions of the department, school, and University. This is a unique opportunity to join a top-ranked university and thriving academic and clinical department, both of which are renowned for their cutting-edge research, innovative educational opportunities, and delivery of impactful clinical services to a diverse community and region. The new Chair will build on the success of prior leadership, leveraging the talents of a diverse faculty, staff, and students, to chart continued success and increased national and international reputation of the department’s important academic and clinical endeavors.
With 59 surgeon faculty and 4 research faculty—including both MD/PhD and PhD scientists, the Department of Surgery is a full scope and vibrant academic department. Members of the department are invited regionally, nationally, and internationally to present research and deliver lectures to physicians from around the world. The Department fully embraces and celebrates the mission of the UCI School of Medicine: Discover, Teach, Heal. Their dedicated teams of researchers, clinical trainees, advanced practice providers, patient staff, and administration work to provide outstanding clinical care, discovery through exceptional research and diligently engage in innovation in order to serve the community. Department faculty have regularly obtained competitive research grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and other non-profit organizations including prestigious NIH R01 awards. The Department maintains a strong focus on translational research, actively bridging basic science and clinical practice to accelerate the development of innovative therapies, surgical technologies, and evidence-based interventions. Research efforts are routinely published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, further advancing the field of surgery and contributing to global scientific knowledge.
The Department is comprised of 11 clinical divisions that reflect the breadth of modern surgical care:
Cardiac Surgery
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Emergency General Surgery
Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery
Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery
Pediatric General Surgery
Surgical Oncology
Thoracic Surgery
Transplantation Surgery
Trauma, Burns, Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
The Department also collaborates closely with several campus-wide centers of excellence, including the Beckman Laser Institute, the UCI Cardiovascular Institute, and the UCI Digestive Health Institute, further enhancing its capacity to deliver innovative, research-driven care and accelerate the translation of discoveries from bench to bedside.
The Department offers a full range of residency and fellowship training programs across all the surgical subspecialties and stands at the forefront of medical education, offering a comprehensive suite of residency and fellowship training programs. At the heart of our educational offerings is a robust general surgery residency program, complemented by an array of 7 specialized fellowships. These advanced training opportunities encompass pediatric surgery, complex general surgery, surgical critical care, acute care surgery, vascular surgery, colon and rectal surgery, and advanced gastrointestinal and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
Beyond technical proficiency, the department's educational philosophy is rooted in a set of core values that shape the future of surgical care. They place a strong emphasis on quality improvement initiatives, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement in patient outcomes. The department’s global surgery programs broaden perspectives and cultivate a sense of global responsibility among trainees. Additionally, they pride themselves on their innovative military-civilian partnership program, bridging the gap between these two crucial sectors of healthcare. Complementing these initiatives are their dedicated programs in community outreach, patient advocacy, and mentorship. These elements are integral to the department’s mission of developing not just skilled surgeons, but compassionate healthcare leaders who are prepared to make meaningful contributions to their communities and the field of surgery at large. Training takes place at UCI Health – Orange, UCI Health – Irvine, and at UCI Health affiliated hospitals including Children's Hospital of Orange County and the Long Beach VA Medical Center.
Ranked as one of the top U.S. medical schools by U.S. News & World Report, the UCI School of Medicine is dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and clinical practice through scholarly research, physician education, and high-quality care. Each year, the School of Medicine educates more than 500 medical students and trains approximately 800 residents and fellows through UCI Health and affiliated institutions. The school’s 1,011 full- and part-time faculty and 850 volunteer faculty are involved in teaching, providing medical care, and conducting research into the health challenges facing the 21st century. UCI School of Medicine has 24 departments, ranging from basic science research to clinical medical and surgical specialties. It has research, clinical, and teaching relationships with the VA Long Beach Healthcare System and Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)/Rady Children’s Orange County.
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the UCI School of Medicine. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campuses in Orange and Irvine. The 465-bed acute care hospital in Orange, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the 20th consecutive year, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, and behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Health’s new Irvine medical campus, which will complement the flagship UCI Health - Orange, includes a seven-story, 144-bed general acute care hospital (UC Health – Irvine) with a 24-hour emergency department. It also features the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building and the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care. UCI Health is home to Orange County’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of over 5 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County.
Responsibilities
Overall responsibility, authority and reporting relationship. The responsibilities and authority of the Department Chair are established by the Dean of the School of Medicine with the concurrence of the Chief Executive Officer for the Medical Center. All department chairs serve at the discretion of the Dean and report primarily and directly to the Dean. Chairs of clinical departments also work with the President/CEO of UCI Health for their responsibilities for the clinical operations within their departments. Important collaborative relationships include (but are not limited to) the Vice Dean of Faculty/Clinical Affairs, the Vice Deans of Research, the Vice Dean of Education and other department chairs, institute and research center directors, and clinical service center leadership. Department chairs are responsible for strategic planning for the department, taking into consideration the goals. Clinical department chairs shall comply with Bylaws of the Medical Staff of UCI Health and the Procedures for Appointment and Reappointment to the Clinical Staff and Delineation of Appropriate Clinical Privileges.
Faculty. The Chair is responsible for recruitment, management, compensation and retention of faculty, in consideration of the UCI Health System strategic plans, the School of Medicine strategic plans, and of the balancing of the multiple missions of the institution. Initial approval by the Dean or Dean’s delegate is required prior to the initiation of any search process for new faculty. In accordance with SOM and University policies and procedures, the Chair nominates all faculty for initial appointment, additional term appointments, and promotion and tenure within the department. The Chair (or the delegated division chief) will meet at a minimum annually with each faculty member to provide evaluation, guidance, and mentoring for the faculty member. The Chair is responsible for managing faculty time away to ensure there is no conflict of commitment, and for ensuring that faculty disclose consulting agreements and potential conflicts of interest so that these can be evaluated and managed appropriately. The Chair is responsible for annual reporting to the Dean of their own time away from the institution. The Chair will oversee all faculty activities and manage all academic initiatives. The Chair will provide strategic program recommendations on future directions for faculty complement to the Dean. The Chair has the authority to assign administrative, teaching, research, and clinical roles to the faculty of the department. The Chair is responsible and accountable for the academic performance and productivity of the faculty.
Promotion of teamwork. An important responsibility of the Department Chair is to promote teamwork and collaboration both within the department and between/among other departments and other schools in all aspects of academic and clinical functions.
Educational and training programs. The Chair is responsible, together with their faculty, for the development of the medical student and resident/fellow teaching programs of the department. The Chair is responsible for maintaining liaison with other clinical and/or basic science departments to foster an integrated teaching program for the School of Medicine, and to work with the Vice Dean for Education. In particular, the Chair is responsible for promoting and implementing the strategic directions established by the Curriculum Educational Policy (CEP) Committee of the School of Medicine. The Department Chair is ultimately responsible for recruiting housestaff, in partnership with the various residency program directors. The number of housestaff in each program/department is governed by the Graduate Medical Education Committee. The Chair is responsible for the total graduate medical education program including evaluation of residents, conferences, assignment of residents to services, and affiliations with other hospitals. The Chair's responsibility includes appropriate evaluation of programs and the general administration and management of the graduate medical education experience. The Chair will work with the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education on interdepartmental educational programs and on programs that are relevant to overall institutional goals.
Research programs. The Department Chair has the responsibility to encourage and support research creativity and productivity along with the expectation to grow the research portfolio of the department during an anticipated period of major growth for the institution. The goals of departmental research should be integrated with those of the School of Medicine and campus as a whole. The Chair will provide input on research strengths and recommendations on strategic research program directions for the Dean, as well as the Vice Deans for Research. The Chair is responsible for recruitment of research focused faculty, and for proposing and fostering interdepartmental collaboration and integration of basic, translational, and clinical research.
Patient care programs. The Chair is the clinical role model and leader of the department. The Chair works with the Dean, the Vice Dean of Faculty/Clinical Affairs as well as the CSO, COO and the President/CEO of UCI Health to coordinate the clinical activities of the department. The Chair is also a standing member of the Clinical Faculty Leadership Committee (CFLC), chaired by the Dean, and is a standing member of the Clinical Enterprise Leadership Committee (CELC), co-chaired by the Dean and UCI Health President/CEO. The Chair is responsible for maintaining appropriate standards of care appropriate to the discipline. The Chair will work with the CMO of UCI Health regarding their own department in order to assure the best quality of patient care. They will maintain a continuing review of the professional performance of all practitioners with clinical privileges in their department. The Department Chair transmits to the Credentials Committee of the Medical Staff their department's recommendations concerning staff classification, reappointment and the delineation of clinical privileges for all practitioners in their department. The Chair is responsible for enforcement of the Medical Staff Bylaws.
Facilities. The Department Chair is responsible for the planning and development of departmental space and for ensuring that all space is used efficiently and productively. The Chair should direct all requests for new academic space (research, faculty office, teaching) or changes in space utilization to the Dean.
Finances and budget. The Department Chair is responsible for the financial affairs and long-term fiscal stability of the department including budget preparation and reporting. Expenditures from an approved fiscal year budget are authorized only by the Chair with the approval of the Dean or Dean’s delegate. The Dean's approval is required for as any professional service agreements outside of UCI Health. The Chair is responsible for and authorizes expenditures from departmental funds with the approval of the Dean, consistent with all institutional guidelines and practices. Clinical department chairs will work cooperatively with our Advancement team on the Grateful Patient Program. Fundraising is an important component of the position.
Remuneration of departmental personnel. Chairs are responsible for making recommendations to the Dean for faculty compensation (base salary and incentive) in compliance with the established University and School of Medicine guidelines. These recommendations must reflect the overall contributions of individuals to the academic and clinical activities of the Health System and be consistent with Compensation Plan guidelines.
Cultural values of the institution. The Department Chair serves as a role model and advocate for the cultural values of UCI Health: ARIISE (Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Service and Excellence). The Chair is an officer of the institution who acts collaboratively and makes decisions based on sound ethics and with due consideration of what will bring the greatest benefit not just to the department, but to the school, and the overall UCI Health enterprise.
Community engagement and philanthropy. The Department Chair should work to engage the community, foundations and industry to advocate for support of the Department’s Discover, Teach and Heal mission to bring in resources to optimize all three missions.
Eligibility:
An MD, MD/PhD degree (or equivalent).
Board certification through the American Board of Surgery.
Be eligible for, or currently hold, a medical license in the state of California.
Meet requirements for appointment at the rank of Professor.
Leadership skills and vision for enhancing the clinical and academic components of a multi-disciplinary department.
Strong record of scholarly activity, evidenced by high quality peer-reviewed publications and a stellar record of research and research support.
Finally, the candidate should possess strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively and collegially within a diverse academic and clinical setting. The ideal candidate will bring an enterprise-minded perspective and a proven track record of meaningful collaboration.
Preferred experience:
Strong commitment to patient care, reflecting a service-oriented philosophy with health system leadership and with colleagues in other specialties.
Evidence of promoting and supporting teaching and scholarly activities.
A reputation for building a clinically strong program.
Successful track record of recruitment and development of faculty, trainees, and students.
A distinguished record of scholarly activity, teaching, and clinical care with national and international stature.
Applicants should complete an online application profile and upload the following application materials electronically to be considered for this position:
Cover Letter
Curriculum Vitae
Statement of Current and Future Research Plans
Teaching Statement - See guidance for writing a reflective teaching statement
Reference requirements - 3 required (contact information only)
For general inquiries, nominations, or to learn more about the position, please contact the Grant Cooper team via email at abby@grantcooper.com. Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position has been filled.
This position is being recruited in the following faculty titles, designation into the following title series will be dependent upon qualifications:
Criteria for the Professor of Clinical "X" Series: The incumbent will be expected to conduct substantial and meaningful research; teach residents and medical students; have clinical care responsibilities; and perform public and University service. Excellence in teaching, clinical expertise, or research is an essential criterion for appointment in this series. Priority will be given to candidates with a proven track record of academic productivity, as demonstrated through high-impact publications, thematic-based research, and/or grant funding.
Basic qualifications (required at time of application):
An MD, MD/PhD degree (or equivalent).
Board certification through the American Board of Surgery.
Be eligible for, or currently hold, a medical license in the state of California.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Document requirements:
The University of California remains fully committed to inclusive excellence and encourages applicants to address how their skills, expertise, and experiences might serve the varied communities of California. Please feel free to include information in any of your application materials relevant to your inclusive excellence work in research, teaching, service, and clinical care.
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
ABOUT UC IRVINE The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC anti-discrimination policy.
As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.
“Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.
