Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Financial Planning & Counseling and Family Economics
The Department of Family and Consumer Studies (FCS) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Utah. The successful candidate will enhance the department’s research and curricular capacity in Financial Planning & Counseling as well as Family Economics. The department is especially interested in scholars whose research focuses on family economic behavior and well-being, preferably with connections to family health and public policy. Example areas include: (1) the effects of public policies and economic shocks on household economic behaviors; (2) how financial literacy and planning impact family well-being; (3) the role of financial education and technology in investment decisions and wealth accumulation; (4) drivers of wealth inequality; and (5) how financial stress and insecurity influence health and well-being. This position involves teaching courses in the areas of financial planning and family economics, such as family economic issues, investments, health insurance and policy, behavioral economics, and families and social policy.
Qualifications: By the time of appointment, applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Economics, Finance, or an applied economics field such as Family Resource Management, Personal Financial Planning, Consumer Sciences, or closely related areas. Candidates should demonstrate a strong record of research and teaching commensurate with their career stage, as well as potential to secure extramural research funding. Teaching experience in the fields of financial planning or family economics is also desirable. CFP® certification is not required at the time of hire, but candidates must demonstrate willingness to pursue certification with departmental support.
The Department of Family & Consumer Studies is an interdisciplinary department with the mission to advance, communicate, and apply knowledge regarding human development and family well-being across the lifespan and within community and societal contexts. Our faculty includes scholars in sociology, economics, psychology, family studies, human development, and early childhood education. The department offers two undergraduate majors: Human Development and Family Studies, and Financial Planning and Counseling. We also offer master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Human Development and Social Policy, as well as a recently approved master’s degree in Financial Planning and Counseling. Both the undergraduate and master’s programs in Financial Planning and Counseling are registered with the CFP® Board. The FCS department is committed to creating an academic and research environment that reflects the University’s foundational pillars: academic freedom, belonging of all people, campus safety, health and well-being, and sustainability. Further information about the Department of Family & Consumer Studies can be found at http://www.fcs.utah.edu.
The University of Utah is a Carnegie RU/VH Research University, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a member of the Big 12, and Utah’s flagship university. Notable institutional resources include the Financial Wellness Center, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, the Marriner S. Eccles Institute for Economics and Quantitative Analysis, the Consortium in Families and Health Research, the Utah Population Database, and the Wasatch Front Federal Statistical Research Data Center. The University provides numerous opportunities for internal research funding and offers a generous benefits and retirement package: https://www.hr.utah.edu/benefits/.
The University is located in beautiful Salt Lake City, a metropolitan area of 1.5 million residents nestled in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains. The city offers an outstanding quality of life, with easy access to Utah’s great outdoors, including skiing, hiking, and mountain biking in the spectacular nearby canyons. Salt Lake City is a cosmopolitan hub with a vibrant theater, arts, sports, entertainment, and restaurant scene. The area has received international recognition for its light rail system, downtown, library system, and growing diversity.
Application procedure: Submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, a list of three references, two writing samples or publications, and other supporting documents at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/188619. Review of applications will begin October 30, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries regarding the position may be directed to the Faculty Search Committee Co-Chairs, Drs. Lori Kowaleski-Jones ([email protected]) and Su Shin ([email protected]).
