Assistant Professor – Colonial Latin America, Spanish & Portuguese

University of California, Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 84,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Berkeley invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Colonial Latin American studies within the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The position focuses on literary, cultural, and intellectual production across the colonial world, with emphasis on Indigenous cultures, race, transatlantic and transpacific studies, and cross-cultural perspectives.

The successful candidate will teach a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses, advise students,

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent international degree) required or in progress at time of application.
• Native or near-native fluency in both Spanish and English; able to teach in both languages.
• Interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration are preferred; research in Portuguese and/or Indigenous languages welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Teach a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses related to Colonial Latin American studies.
• Advise undergraduates and graduates, supervise student research, and develop an original research program.
• Contribute to the department's diverse and inclusive community through research, teaching, and service.

Skills

Spanish fluency (native/near-native)

English fluency (native/near-native)

Education

PhD (or equivalent)

Job description

Assistant Professor – Colonial Latin America, Spanish & Portuguese – Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Position overview: Position title: Assistant Professor. Salary range: The current salary range for this position is $84,100–$132,900 (9-month academic year salary); however, off-scale salary and other components of pay, which would yield compensation that is higher than this range, are offered to meet competitive conditions. Anticipated start: July 1, 2027.

Application Window:

Open date: August 31, 2026

Next review date: Friday, Oct 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Friday, Oct 23, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description: The Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Colonial Latin American studies, focusing on literary, cultural and intellectual production.

The position entails broad competence in literary and/or cultural studies related to the Colonial world, including, but not limited to Indigenous cultural production, critical race theory, Blackness and African diaspora studies, transatlantic and transpacific studies, material and visual cultures, colonial archives and cartography, gender and sexuality, and comparative work between Latin America, Caribbean, and Luso-Brazilian contexts. The successful candidate will teach a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses. The appointee will also advise undergraduates and graduates and supervise student research, develop a successful and original research program, and provide service contributions. The appointee will be expected to contribute to the department's diverse and inclusive community through their research, teaching, and/or service.

We are an open, collegial and inclusive department that supports all faculty to develop their strengths and interests. Department faculty participate actively in UC Berkeley's abundant interdisciplinary programs and initiatives, including the Program in Critical Theory, the Berkeley Center for New Media, the Townsend Center for the Humanities, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Gender and Women's Studies, among others. All department faculty teach and mentor both graduate and undergraduate students and are given opportunities to teach courses on a wide variety of topics and approaches. Our programs are specially designed for highly motivated students with a passion for other languages, literatures and cultures, for imaginative approaches to these and for careful crossing of traditionally defined geographic, linguistic and disciplinary borders. As a department, we deeply value multilingualism and international engagement, nonconformity to binary gender, and peoples and groups whose citizenship status or ethnic, racial and class background has been marginalized.

UC Berkeley values the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples, single parents, or those who may have taken time off for family reasons. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit the Office for Faculty Equity and Welfare's website.

Department: https://spanish-portuguese.berkeley.edu/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Applicants for this position must hold a PhD (or equivalent international degree) or be enrolled in a PhD or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Native or near- native fluency in both Spanish and English. Candidates will have to teach in both Spanish and English.

Preferred qualifications

Experience in interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and collaboration. Experience conducting research in Portuguese and/or Indigenous languages is welcome.

Application Requirements

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae - with a list of publications. Please indicate your level of fluency in both Spanish and English, including whether you have native or near-native proficiency in each.
• Research Statement - Please discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans. This can include, for example, your publication record, awards, presentations, inclusive research practices that promote the excellence of your research, and areas for future research.
• Teaching and Mentoring Statement - Please discuss prior teaching experience, teaching approach, and future teaching interests. This can include, for example, specific efforts and accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy. Please also discuss your mentoring experiences and approach. This can include, for example, past efforts and future plans to support the success of all students, and to foster an inclusive research environment that removes barriers and promotes equitable access and advancement of the research program.
• Service Statement - Please discuss specific prior (if any) and proposed academic, professional and/or public service activities. This can include, for example, participating in professional or scientific associations, serving on committees that advance department, campus or discipline goals, and conducting outreach activities that can remove barriers and increase participation of academics in your field.
• Writing Sample #1 - Article, book chapter or equivalent
• Authorization to Release Information Form - An institutional reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form.

Reference requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

References will be contacted for those candidates under serious consideration who've reached the zoom interview stage, and we will seek your permission before doing so.

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Aff…

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e. dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Aff…

Job location: Berkeley, CA