Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering

University of Nevada, Reno; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance options

Sick leave

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Fitness center membership

Mountain EAP

Faculty Senate

No state income tax

Grants-in-Aid

Dual Career Assistance

Job summary

The University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Aerospace Engineering within the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering. The role encompasses teaching, research, and service with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027.

We seek candidates with a Doctoral degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field and the ability to contribute to undergraduate and graduate programs, supervise graduate students, and secure externally funded

Qualifications

• We require a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering or a closely related field.
• Candidates with interests that complement existing strengths in the department will be preferred.
• Ability to teach AE and ME courses and conduct high impact research.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate and graduate AE/ME courses.
• Supervise graduate students and develop externally funded research.
• Participate in university and professional service.

Skills

Aeronautics

Aerodynamics

Propulsion

Fluid mechanics

Flight dynamics

Structures

Materials

Space systems

Orbital mechanics

Guidance navigation control

Education

PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Job description

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. Employees are recruited through the university’s own hiring processes. The School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering and the George W. Gillemot Aerospace Program at the University of Nevada, Reno seeks candidates for a tenure track faculty opening in Aerospace Engineering. This tenure‑track position will be responsible for teaching, research, and service responsibilities, as described below. The anticipated starting date is July1, 2027. Based on the University’s mission as a land grant institution, faculty duties will include undergraduate and graduate teaching, supervision of graduate students, performance of research, development of externally funded research projects, and university and professional service. With a recent $36M donation from the Gillemot Foundation, the department expanded its aerospace research and education, including the creation of comprehensive BS, MS, and PhD degree programs in Aerospace Engineering and hiring of four AE faculty since Spring2025.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree in Aerospace Engineering or another closely related field.
• Candidates whose specialization and interests complement existing research and instructional strengths in the department and affiliated programs will be preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

We are seeking candidates working across a broad range of aerospace engineering areas. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: aeronautics, including aerodynamics, propulsion, fluid mechanics, and flight dynamics and control; aerospace structures and materials; and space systems, including orbital mechanics and spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control. Candidates working across disciplinary boundaries are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates are sought who can perform outstanding research and teach relevant AE and ME courses.

Compensation

Grade Assistant Professor, tenure‑track, 9‑month.
Salary Schedules and select Academic Faculty (Engineering 9‑month contract). Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement

Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested on your first day. All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full‑time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.

Perks of Working at UNR!

• Health insurance options including dental and vision.
• Generous sick leave, life insurance, and long‑term disability – Faculty Benefit.
• E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers an annual or semester membership and family membership options.
• E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues.
• Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University.
• No state income tax.
• Grants‑in‑Aid for Faculty Employees The University is proud to provide a reduced‑rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.
• Faculty Grants‑in‑Aid.
• Dual Career Assistance Program The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual‑career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada.

School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering

The GeorgeW.Gillemot Aerospace Program was established in 2023 with a $36 million gift from the GeorgeW.Gillemot Foundation. It is housed in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering where our faculty focuses on advancing national efforts in space exploration, manufacturing, robotics, autonomous vehicles, as well as developing the systems and processes to best utilize our natural resources, including critical materials. School resources include access to the University’s High Performance Computing facility and the new $100‑million WilliamN.Pennington Engineering Building houses an ISO‑5 (CLASS100) cleanroom. In addition, the School is developing new Industrial Engineering facilities to support a Smart Factory/Flexible Manufacturing System learning environment, including space for industrial automation equipment, student work areas, vision systems, and related manufacturing and logistics training platforms.

About the College of Engineering

Join the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. We value faculty and staff as partners in our mission to deliver outstanding education, research and engagement. Our college seeks individuals committed to: Engaging in impactful outreach, Providing state‑of‑the‑art education, Fostering respect, inclusiveness, and diversity. Nevada Engineering is a fast‑growing college, with research expenditure that has doubled over the past nine years. Supported by an Engineering Research Office, the college recorded $24 million in expenditures in FY26 and offers professional development resources to ensure success. We offer bachelor’s, graduate degrees and certificates through three schools: Civil, Chemical, and Environmental Engineering Computer Science, Electrical, and Biomedical Engineering Mechanical, Industrial, and Materials Engineering. Our specialized facilities include the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research, Cybersecurity Center, the Nanofabrication Lab in the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom and the Nevada Water Innovation Institute. Located near the Tahoe‑Reno Industrial Center and offering ready access to the bustling California economy, Nevada Engineering collaborates with leading tech firms and advance research in robotics, AI, battery technology, aerospace, water systems and sustainable energy.

Reno Area Information

The Reno area has an ethnically diverse population of over 500,000, with growing engineering, aerospace, high‑tech, and arts communities, and an international airport 10 minutes from the University. Situated on the banks of the Truckee River on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, the city is 45 minutes from Lake Tahoe and its magnificent recreational opportunities, 3 hours from Yosemite National Park, and 4 hours from San Francisco and the Pacific coast.

Hours, Location and Conditions

Full‑time faculty position with a 9‑month contract. Faculty are employed at least 50% full‑time in order to be eligible for the NSHE retirement program.

Application Deadline

Full consideration for the position will begin January1, 2027. Applications will be reviewed beginning January1, 2027. This posting is open until filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply immediately. This search will close without notice when a sufficient number of applications are received or a hiring decision has been made.

Equal Opportunity

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service‑connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

Contact Information

Search Committee Chair, Matteo Aureli at [e-mail].