application - What is the most accepted time for a pre-tenure move?

I am a second-year assistant professor who is hoping to make a pre-tenure move to a school/location that is better for my family. It is not a situation where my current department is bad or toxic, but I think my partner (job) and kids (schools, time with relatives) would be happier elsewhere.

I read a lot of advice which suggests that it is best to make a move before tenure rather than after. However, no one seems to specify when pre-tenure one should be looking. I am inclined to begin looking even before my mid-tenure review because the departments I would be looking in are typically small and I can't rely on the fact that they would have an opening in any particular year.

Is there a "normal," "accepted," or "typical" time to be make a pre-tenure move?

Here are some related questions:

What is a better point in an academic career to move to the U.S.: as an assistant professor or after tenure?

Job search when coming up for tenure

Answer

There’s no such thing as a normal or typical time to move. Faculty move when the right opportunity presents itself. So long as you’re upfront with everyone, I wouldn’t worry about the timing. The only caveat is to try not to leave your old department in the lurch when you go—if possible, give them enough notice that they don’t have to scramble to replace your teaching load and other assignments on short notice.

Note that those arrangements could be through adjuncts or reassigning the load among the existing faculty, or anything else. I agree waiting for a TT hire is unreasonable—the process just takes too long. However, if you've been there a year or two, you should already have a sense of when teaching assignments are being decided for the following year and can plan accordingly.