Assistant/Associate Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering

The California State University; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 102,000 - 136,000; Full time

Job summary

San José State University’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering invites applications for a tenured/tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor in Materials Engineering, beginning August 2026. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including laboratories, and establish a vigorous research program with undergraduate and MS students.

Required qualifications include a Ph.D.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Engineering or related field.
• Strong scholarly agenda and teaching effectiveness.
• Awareness of diverse student population and inclusive teaching.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including laboratories.
• Develop a research program with undergraduate and MS students.
• Submit grant proposals and publish in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Participate in governance and service on department/college/university committees.
• Organize classes in the Canvas LMS.
• Apply inclusive teaching practices for a diverse student body.

Skills

Scholarly agenda

Teaching effectiveness

Diversity awareness

Online instruction

Education

PhD in Materials Engineering

B.S./M.S. in Materials Engineering

Tools

Canvas LMS

Job description

Position Rank and Title: Assistant/Associate Professor Materials

School/Department Name: Chemical and Materials Engineering

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule . Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $102,000 - $136,000

Target Start Date: January 25, 2027

Application Deadline: Open until filled or closed; First review of applications begins Oct 9, 2026

Position Description

The Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for one tenured/tenure-track position in the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor in Materials Engineering beginning in August 2026. The candidate will be teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. The candidate must be able to adapt their teaching methods to a variety of learning environments, including online instruction. The successful candidate will develop a robust research program engaging undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) students.

The Materials Engineering program strives to provide broad access to the highest quality education in materials at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. To achieve this ambitious goal, we have crafted a curriculum affording our diverse students access to expert instructors in via classroom courses, hands‑on laboratory courses, and research laboratories.

The Chemical and Materials Engineering department, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first‑generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher‑scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill‑building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Engineering or related engineering discipline
• A record of or strong potential for scholarly agenda and teaching effectiveness appropriate to the candidate’s academic rank and area of expertise
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience

Preferred Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Materials Engineering or related engineering discipline
• Postdoctoral experience in academia or industry
• Research interests and experience in fields including, but not limited to, the mechanical behavior of materials, physical metallurgy, 3D printing of structural metals/ceramics, artificial intelligence/machine learning applications, and semiconductor materials.
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate research students.
• Experience adapting teaching methods to a variety of learning environments, including online instruction

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will teach courses, including laboratory courses, graduate courses and service courses as needed by the department.
• The candidate will develop a research program that incorporates undergraduate and M.S. students
• The candidate will submit grant proposals and manuscripts to peer reviewed research journals.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on‑campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley – one of the most innovative regions in the world – San José State University is the founding campus of the 23‑campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top‑200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting‑edge research, world‑class scholarship, student‑centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life‑changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self‑disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf . The ASR contains the current security and safety‑related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408‑924‑1501 or by email at [e-mail].

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire‑Safety‑Report.pdf . The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on‑campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408‑795‑5600 or by email at [e-mail].