Provost and Executive Vice President

Department: Provost and Executive VP

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Financial Background Check: Yes

George Mason University, under the visionary leadership of President Gregory Washington, PhD, invites applications and nominations for the position of Provost and Executive Vice President. This role offers the opportunity to be a key leader in the continued growth of one of a new category of leading American universities, built on an emerging leadership model that puts size and academic prowess in partnership with one another, not competition. The emerging class of opportunity/research universities is rarified territory, and George Mason is in search of its next provost to advance its further development as a leader in the higher education sector.

About the Position:

The Provost and Executive Vice President provides comprehensive oversight of the university’s academic, research, and public engagement enterprises and plays a critical role in advancing the institution’s mission, vision, and commitments. Success in the role requires close collaboration with the President, Board of Visitors, deans, faculty, staff, students, and external constituencies across the university and beyond.

The role calls for a leader who advances leading-edge academic and faculty excellence, strengthens pathways for student access, degree completion, and achievement, and champions student and faculty success at scale. It also entails guiding the continued expansion of the university’s research enterprise, fostering innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and navigating volatility in funding environments.

Financial stewardship is central to the role, including responsibility for managing academic resources, addressing revenue pressures, and ensuring long-term fiscal health. Equally important is cultivating an inclusive and collaborative institutional culture grounded in shared governance, cooperation, and continuous improvement, while working constructively with internal and external partners to address emerging challenges.

The position supports University Advancement efforts alongside senior leadership, serves as an academic advocate in federal and state policy environments, advances innovative approaches to global education, and leads the identification and implementation of best practices at scale through values-based leadership aligned with institutional commitments.

Responsibilities:

• Leadership and Governance: Serve as a key member of the leadership team, working closely with President Gregory Washington, PhD, and engage with multiple constituencies to enable the university’s mission, vision, and commitments;
• Academic and Faculty Excellence: Foster leading-edge academic excellence, supporting student access, degree completion, and student and faculty success in ways that serve as national models;
• Research and Innovation: Lead the enhancement and expansion of the university's research enterprise, foster a culture of innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and navigate volatility in funding landscapes;
• Financial Stewardship: Manage financial resources and address revenue pressures to ensure the university's fiscal health;
• Inclusive and Collaborative Culture: Foster a culture of cooperation, shared governance, and continuous improvement across George Mason University and within the central administration while supporting the university's deep commitment to inclusive excellence as a core value;
• Constructive Conflict Management: Work closely with the Board of Visitors, deans, and external constituencies to find integrative solutions to emerging challenges;
• Student and Faculty Success: Champion the enhancement of our academic offerings and actively forge robust pathways for student achievement and faculty success;
• Fundraising: Play a support role alongside the president, deans, and senior leadership in supporting University Advancement in the acquisition and the cultivation of principal and major gift donors to support the mission of the university;
• Academic Advocacy: Navigate the complexities of federal and state government interactions and support innovative approaches to global education, aligning university initiatives with a fast-changing policy environment; and
• Best Practices and Values-Based Leadership: Lead the identification and implementation of best practices at scale, demonstrating values-based leadership by aligning those actions with stated commitments.

Required Qualifications:

• An academic background and credentials, including an earned Ph.D., or highest degree in their chosen academic field;
• A successful record of academic leadership based on a combination of scholarly accomplishment and executive experience, or substantial leadership and career accomplishments with an understanding of and demonstrated commitment to higher education;
• Fiscal acumen, including experience with successful budget model design, implementation, and strategic prioritization;
• A demonstrated commitment to shared governance and ability to build strong positive relationships with multiple constituencies;
• A track record of enhancing excellence in undergraduate and graduate education and research, scholarship, and creative activity;
• A demonstrated ability to attract and retain strong faculty, students, and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences;
• Leadership experience in working with global education efforts and/or international campuses; and
• A highly communicative and transparent leadership style that fosters an environment of trust, engagement, and high morale among faculty, students, staff, and the external University community.

Instructions to Applicants: 

Greenwood Asher & Associates is assisting George Mason University in this search. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. Inquiries and nominations should be directed towards Julie Holley & Lois Stetson with Greenwood Asher & Associates.

Application materials should include:

• A letter of interest that clearly states the applicant’s qualifications for the position; and
• A current curriculum vitae/résumé.

For best consideration, applications should be submitted by March 13th, 2026. We strongly encourage submitting application materials as PDF attachments. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.

Please direct inquiries and nominations to:

Julie Holley
Associate Vice President of Executive Search
Greenwood Asher& Associates
E-mail: julieholley@greenwoodsearch.com 

Lois Stetson
Senior Executive Search Consultant
Greenwood Asher& Associates
E-mail: loisstetson@greenwoodsearch.com

For current info related to this opportunity, please visit:
https://www.gmu.edu/provost-search

To apply directly to Greenwood Asher & Associates, candidates can visit the following:
https://www.greenwoodsearch.com/current-opportunities/provost-executive-vice-president-george-mason-university

Posting Open Date: February 9, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  March 13, 2026

Open Until Filled:  Yes