Finding the right job in higher education requires a strategic approach, focus, and access to the best platforms. Whether you are a faculty member, administrator, or student affairs professional, knowing where to look is half the battle. Here’s a curated list of highly effective higher education job boards, complete with links, target audiences, features, and publishers.
Pro Tip: Bookmark the boards most aligned with your career goals and set up job alerts to never miss a posting.
General Higher Education Job Boards
These boards cover a wide range of positions across faculty, administrative, and executive roles.
HERC Jobs URL:hercjobs.org Publisher: Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) Audience: Faculty, administrators, and executives with a focus on diversity and inclusive hiring. Features: Faculty, staff, and executive listings; dual-career support; resources for inclusive hiring.
HigherEdJobs URL:higheredjobs.com Publisher: HigherEdJobs, Inc. Audience: Job seekers at all levels, from adjuncts to senior administrators. Features: Comprehensive listings, resume upload, and career advice.
Inside Higher Ed – Careers URL:careers.insidehighered.com Publisher: Inside Higher Ed Audience: Faculty, administrators, and student affairs staff. Features: Job listings combined with news, commentary, and research on hiring institutions.
UniversityJobs.com URL:universityjobs.com Publisher: JobTarget, Inc. Audience: Academics, researchers, and administrators worldwide. Features: Faculty, post-doc, staff, and administrative positions with international listings.
AcademicKeys URL:academickeys.com Publisher: AcademicKeys, Inc. Audience: Discipline-specific faculty and research professionals. Features: Job listings by discipline; research, post-doc, and faculty opportunities.
HigherEd360 URL:highered360.com Publisher: HigherEd360 Audience: Faculty, staff, PhD candidates, and post-docs exploring academic careers. Features: Job listings, institutional directories (2,600+ colleges/universities), CV/resume resources, and career advice.
Specialized and Niche Boards
These boards are ideal for targeting specific audiences, such as diversity hires, international educators, or discipline-specific roles.
HigherEd-Diversity – highered-diversity.com Publisher: HigherEd-Diversity, Inc. Audience: Underrepresented faculty and administrators. Features: Diversity-focused postings, unlimited posting plans for institutions.
AAHHE Job Board – aahhe.mcjobboard.net Publisher: Association of American Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Audience: Hispanic/Latino higher-ed professionals. Features: Filterable faculty and administrative positions; job alerts.
HERS Network Job Board – hersnetwork.org Publisher: HERS Institute Audience: Women and gender-diverse professionals in senior leadership. Features: Leadership and executive positions; career development resources.
AHEPPP Job Board – aheppp.memberclicks.net Publisher: Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Programs & Personnel (AHEPPP) Audience: Student affairs, family/parent programs, enrollment, and alumni relations professionals. Features: Parent/family engagement, orientation, enrollment, and alumni roles.
NACUBO Career HQ – careerhq.nacubo.org Publisher: National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Audience: Business, finance, and administrative professionals. Features: Campus business officer roles; resume submission; mid- to senior-level positions.
AERA Online Job Board – careers.aera.net Publisher: American Educational Research Association (AERA) Audience: Education researchers, policy scholars, and doctoral/post-doc candidates. Features: Academic research positions with resume upload and job alerts.
CommunityCollegeJobs.com – communitycollegejobs.com Publisher: CommunityCollegeJobs.com Audience: Two-year college faculty, staff, administrators, and executives. Features: State-by-state search; faculty and administrative postings.
AdjunctWorld – adjunctworld.com Publisher: AdjunctWorld, Inc. Audience: Online adjunct instructors and remote teaching professionals. Features: Curated online teaching jobs and certificate courses to strengthen applications.
Student Affairs Job Boards
Student affairs professionals need specialized resources for leadership, engagement, and student support roles.
The Placement Exchange – https://www.theplacementexchange.org/ Publisher: NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) and ACUHO-I (Association of College and University Housing Officers – International). Audience: Early to mid-career student affairs professionals. Features:Job board, resources for job seekers and employers, communication, and interview scheduling features.
ACPA Career Center – careers.myacpa.org Publisher: American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Audience: Campus life and student development staff. Features: Student affairs, counseling, diversity, inclusion, and engagement roles.
StudentAffairs.Com Job Board – https://www.studentaffairs.com/jobs/ Publisher: StudentAffairs.Com Audience: Residence life, orientation, student engagement, and other Student Affairs job seekers Features:Student Affairs job postings, Free Resume Posting Service
SEO & Engagement Tips
Bookmark your favorites: Focus on the boards that align most closely with your career goals.
Set up job alerts: Don’t wait—get notified instantly when relevant positions post.
Network within associations: Many boards (NASPA, ACPA, AAHHE, NACUBO) offer exclusive career development and networking opportunities.
Keep your CV current: Tailor it for faculty, administrative, or student affairs roles depending on the board.
Next Step: Create accounts on 3–5 of these boards today and subscribe to email alerts. You’ll be ahead of other candidates in landing your next higher education role.
Download a version of this information in an Excel Workbook (contains hyperlinks).
Earlier this month, we covered the importance of understanding typical academic hiring cycles when searching for faculty roles. It’s equally important while searching for a job in Student Affairs, but the rhythm of the year is a bit different.
As noted in the previous article, academia operates on a relatively predictable schedule, and job postings are tied closely to the academic calendar. Most institutions plan their staffing needs well in advance of the upcoming academic year.
Open Season: The Job Hunt Begins! Late Winter to Early Spring (January – May)
While fall is the peak season for faculty jobs, late winter to early spring (January through May) is the busiest hiring period for employment in Student Affairs. Most institutions examine their staffing needs between the end of one year and the beginning of the next, and plan to fill vacancies by late summer and early fall.
Job seekers can expect to start seeing job postings for the next academic year by January or February. Working backward, this means that individuals seeking a new role should refine their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, line up their references, and begin planning and budgeting in late fall or early winter (October through December) for a busy interview season, which typically picks up in March and April. Professional Associations like NASPA and ACPA hold their annual conferences, providing opportunities for networking. Some regional associations also post career resources and events on their websites, for those with geographic preferences.
TPE, The Placement Exchange, a joint venture of NASPAand ACUHO-I, is a virtual platform where job seekers can research opportunities, apply for vacancies, and have multiple interviews. Marketed as a resource for graduate students and early-to-mid-career professionals, TPE enables employers to set up virtual career booths and offer recruiting information, videos, documents, and links to institution-specific resources, including their institution’s job posting site and benefits information. Employers can post open jobs, receive applications, view applicants, message them, and schedule and conduct interviews through the TPE platform.
Candidates participating in TPE can attend a virtual career fair, schedule interviews during a designated scheduling week, and participate in interviews during a dedicated interview week. Registration for 2026 Virtual Placement begins on December 1, and TPE Virtual Placement dates are February 13 and February 23-27, 2026. For more information, visit the Virtual Placement page on the TPE website.
Phase 2: Interview Season (March and April)
The next phase of the annual Student Affairs hiring cycle begins in March and April. By this time, many institutions have conducted initial screening interviews and started inviting candidates for second-round interviews. The way interviews unfold during this phase varies. For some positions, particularly early-career roles, the second interview may be the final interview. For more specialized roles and senior positions, the interview process may include different stages and include meetings with various campus stakeholders, including senior management. If an employer doesn’t provide clear explanations of the interview process and hiring timeline, candidates should request this information so they can plan their travel and work around other interview opportunities.
Phase 3: Offers and Acceptances (May through June)
For candidates, the next phase begins and (hopefully) rewards them for all their hard work. By May and June, many employers extend offers, especially for roles that start onboarding and staff training in July. This is common for Residence Life and other areas that welcome students to campus and support student activities and events that take place early in the academic year, such as Orientation, Student Activities, and Greek Life.
The Second Wave: July Through October
What happens next? A second wave occurs in response to the departure of staff who accepted new opportunities. Many universities begin their fiscal years on July 1st and some do not advertise positions until the new fiscal year starts. Institutions will continue to post new vacancies in late summer through early fall (July through October).
In July and August, “Just-in-Time” hiring takes place to fill positions created by last-minute resignations or newly approved roles before the start of the fall semester. When I worked in Residence Life, I referred to this stage as the time we had a “warm body problem”: we needed to start the year strong, and (facetiously) this meant that we would hire any “warm body” to fill the vacancy. This is an oversimplification. Res Life folks often use sardonic comments to survive the challenges of the professional staff training-student staff training- orientation leader training-residence hall opening-welcome-week-and-everything-else season that ramps up in July and ends in exhaustion (or at some point in October).
Anyway, we wouldn’t take just any “warm body.” We would, however, consider less experienced candidates who showed promise, seemed trainable, and were ready and raring to go. Many of my best staff members joined the department during this time. If you end up being a “second wave” hire, don’t beat yourself up. You weren’t hired late because you weren’t competitive. You were hired late because you had the endurance to keep going.
The End
At the end of this phase, in September and October, there are fewer job postings, many of which are for specialized roles or unexpected vacancies. The academic year gathers steam, and eventually, the hiring cycle for the following year’s vacancies begins. If you are still looking for a job, know that being the best available option is a good thing. Keep the faith, and your opportunity will come. You’ll know your final destination when you get to the “end of the line.”
Some Final Thoughts
Be prepared for a long process. Due to committee approvals, university bureaucracy, and the need to coordinate multiple schedules, the timeline from application to an offer can take 4 to 6 weeks or longer.
October through December: Prepare your resume and optimize your LinkedIn profile. Line up your references. Plan your budget to be prepared for networking, placement events, and travel.
Begin your active search in January and prioritize high-volume application submissions and conference attendance through May to hit the primary cycle
If you can afford to attend conferences early in the year, use them as opportunities to meet other professionals, support other job seekers, and network. New connections can lead to new opportunities.
Participate in TPE. It is a structured, high-volume environment where candidates can complete multiple screening interviews with institutions in just a few days.
Be on the lookout for regional placement events or conferences. Smaller events may offer you opportunities to stand out in a smaller crowd. This is especially important if you are regionally bound.
If you are interested in a specific institution, visit their hiring page frequently in late Spring and early Summer. Many universities begin their fiscal years on July 1 and typically do not advertise positions until the new fiscal year starts.
Maximize Your Chances: Understanding the Academic Job Market Cycle
When you’re seeking a position as a lecturer, assistant professor, or researcher, timing your application is crucial. The academic job market has its unique rhythms, and understanding academic hiring cycles can give you a strategic edge. When is the best time of year to apply for academic jobs?
The Academic Job Market: An Overview
Unlike many industries that hire year-round, academia operates on a relatively predictable schedule. Academic job postings are tied closely to the academic calendar. Most institutions plan their staffing needs well in advance of the upcoming academic year. Understanding academic hiring cycles can help you target your efforts effectively.
Hiring Seasons
Fall (September–November): This is the primary hiring season for academic jobs, especially in the United States. Institutions typically begin posting positions in late summer and early fall, with application deadlines ranging from October to December. Most tenure-track faculty positions, including assistant and associate professorships, are advertised during this period. The timeline allows for campus visits and interviews before hiring departments make job offers.
Winter (December–February): While fall is the busiest time, some job postings continue into the winter months. These might include unfilled positions from the first round, replacement hires due to a faculty member resigning or retiring, or roles in departments with different hiring cycles. For example, universities won’t advertise grant-funded research positions until they receive the formal award of the grant.
Spring (March–May): While many institutions have filled positions by spring, opportunities still exist. Late openings occur due to unexpected retirements, resignations, or changes in funding. Temporary, adjunct, or visiting positions often appear in the spring as departments finalize their course offerings for the next academic year.
Summer (June–August): The summer months are typically the slowest for academic hiring. Most institutions are preparing for the fall semester, so few advertise new positions. However, you can sometimes find last-minute adjunct or part-time roles posted during this period. By the end of Summer, many institutions have what I call a “warm body problem.” They have students enrolled in classes and need instructors to prevent the cancellation of courses. If you are still looking, your immediate availability may give you a competitive edge over those who might not be able to wrap up current commitments in time to begin the new role.
International Considerations
Academic calendars vary by country. For example, in the United Kingdom and Australia, the academic year starts at different times, and hiring cycles align with their academic years. If you’re applying internationally, research the specific hiring patterns in your target region.
Tips for Academic Job Seekers
Start Early: Begin preparing your materials—CV, cover letters, teaching statements, and research proposals—in the summer, so you’re ready to apply as soon as you see promising vacancies posted.
Monitor Job Boards Regularly: Keep a close eye on major academic job boards, university HR pages, and professional association websites to spot new postings as soon as they appear.
Network: Attend academic conferences and workshops, which often coincide with the fall hiring season. These events can help you learn about upcoming openings and connect with potential colleagues.
Be Flexible: While the fall is the primary season, stay alert for off-cycle postings and be prepared to apply quickly if something fits your interests and expertise.
Conclusion
While it’s possible to find academic job openings throughout the year, the best time to apply is generally in the fall, when universities advertise the majority of their vacancies. By understanding academic hiring cycles and preparing in advance, you’ll maximize your chances of landing your ideal role and advancing your academic career.
Some excellent sources for job postings in academia include:
Once a job application arrives at an employer’s office, the screening process can begin. As mentioned before, screening might be done by a single person, by a group of persons, or by a machine. You may not know which approach a company takes, unless you ask specifically about how screening is done in the department or division where an opening exists.
There may also be nuances between writing for a machine and writing for human. Lacking information specific to a particular type of screening software, job seekers must do their best to present their arguments in language that can be easily filtered by both human and machine.
Let’s imagine a “typical” screening process, discuss some possible stages in that process, and then imagine some strategies that might be useful for capturing and keeping the reader’s attention.
It’s probably impossible to give one explanation that will cleanly and accurately describe all the nuances to different stages of the job search process, but let’s try to describe some generalities.
I have been on many screening and selection committees during my career, and I’ve seen a few thousand résumés during that time. My explanation of the screening process is heavily drawn on my personal experience. In no way should it be construed that my experiences are somehow universal. However, I do believe that I can bring some insights about how résumé screeners and job search committees might conduct their screening processes.
A “Typical” Screening Process
In my experience, screening works like this:
Application packets arrive at the employer. This usually happens these days via e-mail or through a database-driven form that is part of an online application system.
Some companies may use software to scan your documents or keywords and phrases before a real person takes a look at. This is less common in small businesses, non-profit organizations, local governments, and academic institutions.
Other companies may allow a recruiter or members of a search committee to view a candidate’s materials as soon as they are available in the system, and to rank them.
Keywords/Scanning/Rubrics
Whether your résumé is screened by a person or by a computer, some sort of ranking system will likely be used to determine the degree of “fit” between the candidate and a fictional “ideal” candidate. Such a system relies heavily upon the use of scoring rubrics, which are much like the guides that a teacher might follow in grading a standardized test.
Ideally, the screeners use a scoring rubric to rate each candidate on their match to minimum and preferred qualifications. Ideally, those members of the committee follow those guidelines and come up with a list that accurately reflects the match between each candidate and the stated needs of the employer.
Ideally. Not always in practice. But ideally.
In the next post in this series, we’ll explore ways the screening process might break down, and what you might be able to do to minimize the possibility that you will be screened out of a process.
Like most people who end up working in Student Affairs, I didn’t imagine my career when I was a child. I wasn’t even aware that Student Affairs was a career. And, once I chose it as a career, I realized that many people still think it isn’t one.
Texas A & M’s Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development has a great humor page, where I found the Top 10 reasons you became a Student Affairs professional, and I particularly connected with #3 . . .
“You enjoy the challenge of trying to tell people what you do for a living.”
The last time I think my parents really understood what I did for a living, I was a resident assistant. And for many of my friends and acquaintances, that is pretty much what they thought I did, up until I left my last formal position in Student Affairs (Assistant Director of Residence Life at Penn State University.) I was in college for a living, and I settled roommate problems and busted people for drinking. (Which many acquiantainces thought was irony in action, on both counts, but that is a story for another day.)
Academics and “serious” professionals don’t know what to make of us, either. For example, Wikipedia’s current entry for Student Affairs has a section on criticism of the field which reads, in part…
“The field of Student Affairs has been criticized for its emphasis on formal, professional training, calling into question whether the field is theoretical or practical. Complicating this criticism is the question of the role of student development theories in student affairs practice. It is claimed that student development theories are used to “proactively identify and address student needs, design programs, develop policies, and create healthy…environments that encourage positive growth in students.”
“Yet, often student affairs practices often bear little resemblance or connection to student development theories. As Paul Bloland (1979) wrote in an article in the NASPA Journal, “We have cultivated an expertise that was not requested, is not sought out, and for which there is little recognition or demand. Many entry-level and (many) seasoned professionals know little of student development theory and practice and, in fact, do not really need such expertise to meet the role expectations of their supervisors or, in too many instances, their institutions.”
Yet, for almost 20 years now, I have planned my life around the idea that Student Affairs is a career. In 2009, I left a stable job to venture out on my own, and establish a career coaching practice dedicated to helping others pursue their passions for working with students and find their own niche in Student Affairs. My perspective is that Student Affairs is actually a calling, within which you will find many career tracks. And it isn’t for everybody. I actually think it is the responsibility of those in the field to both recruit people with potential, and to “counsel out” out those who don’t have the passion and the fortitude to do the work. It’s no kindness to someone to show only the benefits, and none of the sacrifices, that go along with the profession.
In his song “Mr. Bad Example,” Warren Zevon recalled many career exploits of the song’s protagonist, and like those who work in Student Affairs, the protagonist clearly wore many hats, including the following…
“…worked in hair replacements, swindling the bald, where very few are chosen, and fewer still are called.”
The same could be said about Student Affairs. Very few are chosen, and fewer still are called. And I don’t think that a love of student development theory is required for success. I don’t care much about academics, or about student development theory, but I do know that Student Affairs is a calling, and that you can make a great career in it, if you are passionate about working with young people, and believe that helping people find their way is a worthy pursuit, you may be cut of the right material. But only if you have the strength of will and character to ignore the assaults on your dignity, your professional worth and your profession. They come with this line of work. The only thing that is truly important is that you know who you are and what you are about. If you are meant to serve students, you will. It’s just a matter of time. And in many cases, of strategy. If it’s meant to be, you will find your way. Just know, in the meantime, that many are in your corner, and have been in your place, before you. And we are here to help.
October is Careers in Student Affairs month. In honor of this, I am offering a coaching package for new professionals, to help them get off to a good start. It includes the following:
A professionally written resume, geared toward your preferred target positions ($85 value)
Access to an online job search group, with activities, lessons, and a private discussion board): $50 value
Purchased separately, this package would be $355, but this deal gives you nearly 30% off! For only $250, you get all of the above, including 6 months of access to the group, and any additional workshops or activities added to the job search group.
I’m opening this deal up only to new professionals (either those finishing school and looking for their first job, or with less than 5 years of professional experience). Availability is limited, and this special will not be repeated.
Work with Sean. I help higher ed professionals take control of their careers with tailored services including resume and CV development, LinkedIn profile optimization and networking strategy, interview coaching, and one-on-one career guidance.
