Assistant Professor – Aviation - Aircraft Systems, Professional Flight, and/or Aviation Management

San Jose State University; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

San José State University seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Aircraft Systems and/or Professional Flight. The incumbent will teach courses in aircraft systems design, principles of flight, flight controls and avionics, flight operations, and General Aviation topics such as air traffic management and aviation safety and management.

The position requires active sponsored research with students, collaboration with industry, and commitment to inclusive teaching while supporting student

Qualifications

• Doctorate or Master’s with aviation industry experience and relevance to the role.
• Commitment to teaching a diverse student population and curricular innovation.
• Experience with laboratory development and externally funded research.

Responsibilities

• Teach courses in aircraft systems design, flight principles, and avionics.
• Deliver flight operations and general aviation topics including air traffic management and safety.
• Carry out sponsored research involving students and engage with industry.
• Contribute to program assessment, accreditation activities, and student recruitment.

Skills

Aviation experience

Airframe & powerplant

Pilot licenses

Aviation research

Education

Doctorate in Aviation/Aeronautics

Master’s in aviation/aeronautics with industry experience

Job description

Position Rank and Title

Assistant Professor/Aviation(Aircraft Systems and/or Professional Flight)

School/Department Name

Department of Aviation and Technology, College of Engineering

Compensation

Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by CSU Salary Schedule . Anticipated hiring academic year annualsalary range: $100,000 - $120,000.

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date

August 17, 2027

Application Deadline

January 24, 2027 (Applicationsaccepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The Department of Aviation and Technology at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Aircraft Systems and/or Professional Flight. The incumbent will be required to teach courses primarily in aircraft systems design, principles of flight, flight controls and avionics, flight operations, and courses in the General Aviation area such as air traffic management and aviation safety and management. In addition, the incumbent is expected to carry out sponsored research and projects involving students.

The Department of Aviation and Technology is the oldest department in the College of Engineering. The engineering technology is ranked #1 (Collegefactual.com, 2026) and the aviation program is ranked #2 in the nation in 2026. The Department is the fastest growing department in the college attracting students at both freshman and transfer levels. The Department has an enrollment of 1,214 students in its programs and has a strong relationship with local industry through continuous support of its Industry Advisory Boards. The Department has had an along-standing internship program as part of its curriculum to allow students to gain industry experience while industry evaluates such students as long-term potential employees. Our full-time faculty are all active researchers and are successful in attracting major funding from industry. The Department of Aviation and Technology website is at https://www.sjsu.edu/avtech/index.php

The Department offers a B.S. degree program in Aviation, a B.S. degree program and a MS degree program in Technology. The B.S. degree program in Aviation has four options: 1) Professional Flight, 2) Airline Operations, 3) Aviation Management, and 4) Maintenance Management.

The B.S. degree in Technology has two concentrations: 1) Computer Network System Management (CNSM) and 2) Manufacturing Systems. The CNSM prepares students to meet the demand by industry in recruiting graduates with knowledge, skills, and experience in Computer Network Systems. The Manufacturing Systems prepares students with modern tools related to Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and data analytics in Advance Factory Operation and Modern Manufacturing Ecosystem.

The Department of Aviation and Technology 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 (or incorporate it into your cover letter) 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

• A Doctorate degree in Aviation/Aeronautics or aviation-related field (ABD may be considered provided the degree will be completed before appointment.); or a master’s degree in aviation/aeronautics or aviation-related field with significant aviation industry experience
• An Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate with direct experience in aircraft maintenance; or valid pilot licenses and ratings, including Commercial Pilot License (CPL) with an Instrument Rating (IR); or an extensive track record of aviation-related research.
• Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to: (a) teaching and working with a diverse population of students, (b) curricular innovation to complement and further advance the program, (c) laboratory development that enhances the quality of education and research, (d) development of externally funded research programs and laboratory capabilities, and (e) publications of research work in peer-reviewed research journals and professional conferences.
• 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

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Experience and a strong research record in one of the following areas: aircraft systems design, flight operation and management, aviation data analytics, and air traffic control.
• Extensive teaching experience relevant to the aviation field in the higher education
• A record of developing competitive grant proposals and securing external funding or industry sponsorship.
• Ability to contribute to program assessment, accreditation activities, and student recruitment.

Key Responsibilities

• Faculty in the Aviation Program are expected to have expertise in the subject matter of the classes and labs they teach.
• The regular teaching duties of the faculty include: (a) Developing all necessary course materials, (b) Teaching the assigned classes in accordance with standard SJSU practices, (c) Grading course assignments, examinations and project reports, (d) Enforcing academic policies in the assigned courses, such as academic integrity violations and reporting these to the appropriate authorities, (e) Coordinating the activities of teaching assistants/graders who may have been assigned to the courses, (f) Posting the final grades in a timely manner at the end of the semester, and (g) contributing to the regular assessment and continuous improvement of teaching effectiveness at both course and program levels.
• Faculty are also expected to maintain a student-centric approach at all times, thus contributing to the development of students as productive, responsible, and caring citizens of the world. This includes maintaining an active research lab that provides research opportunities for students.
• Faculty will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Californian State University (CSU) 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].

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September 28, 2026 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight Time