Assistant Professor in Fusion Energy Engineering - UC San Diego

UC San Diego Academic Jobs; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 111,000 - 139,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Fusion Energy Engineering within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The successful candidate will build an independent, internationally recognized research program and teach undergraduate and graduate students.

The department seeks exceptional researchers in fusion engineering, with area interests spanning high-heat systems, fusion power plant engineering, and related thermo-fluid topics.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Fusion Energy Engineering or a related discipline by start of appointment.
• Strong potential for an independent, externally funded research program.
• Ability to teach at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Responsibilities

• Establishing a robust research program and securing funding.
• Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.
• Maintaining professional competency in related discipline.
• Participating in a variety of service activities.

Education

Ph.D. in Fusion Energy Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Position overview

Position title: Assistant Professor

Salary range: A reasonable salary range estimate for this position is $111,400 - $139,200. The posted UC Academic salary scales set the minimum pay as determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the salary scale(s) for this position: (Published Salary Scale). The base salary range, from the salary table(s), for this position is $111,400 - $139,200. “Off‑scale salaries” and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system‑wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience. Additional UCSD salary information can be found here: Salary Programs and Scales

Application Window

Open date: September 21, 2026

Next review date: Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Monday, Sep 20, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), at the University of California, San Diego, invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in Fusion Energy Engineering.

We seek exceptional candidates with research interests in fusion engineering including, but not limited to:

• Engineering of fusion energy components and systems, with particular emphasis on thermal management and thermo-fluid phenomena, and with consideration of related MAE disciplines. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: management of high heat and neutron fluxes on first-wall and divertor systems; tritium-breeding blankets, including neutron transport, shielding, activation, and radiation damage; and thermo-fluid engineering of liquid‑metal and molten‑salt systems.
• Fusion power plant systems engineering and integration. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: multiphysics and techno-economic analysis of coupled thermal-fluid and mass-transport processes relevant to energy conversion and fuel-cycle processing; data and physics driven engineering approaches to plant control, safety, and risk analysis under limited instrumentation; electricity generation and thermal energy end-uses; and integration of fusion energy with other low-carbon/zero-carbon energy systems.

The activities of the newly appointed Assistant Professor will be synergistic with those of existing Department faculty working in fusion plasma physics, laser-plasma interactions and pulsed power, plasma-material interactions, thermofluids, photonics, materials in extreme conditions, mechanics of materials, and other related areas.

Exceptional candidates without a background in fusion energy, but with strong expertise in one or more of the areas identified above, are strongly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be expected to build upon their existing expertise to develop an independent and internationally recognized research program that contributes to the advancement of fusion energy science and technology at UC San Diego.

Required Job Duties

• Establishing a robust research program, which involves the development of grant proposals and securing funding.
• Teaching university students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Maintaining professional competency in related discipline.
• Participating in a variety of service activities.

Role

In this role, we expect that the successful candidate will showcase significant contributions that reflect their ongoing scholarly progress in their respective field through the following attributes:

• Consistently outstanding teaching performance;
• Exceptional scholarly achievements;
• Consistent delivery of high-caliber research and work;
• A deep passion for creative endeavors

For More Information On The Professorial Series Visit

Appointment & Promotion - Professor Series

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Department: https://mae.ucsd.edu

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

A Ph.D (or advancement to candidacy) is required in the area of Fusion Energy Engineering or a related discipline at the time of application

Additional Qualifications (required At Time Of Start)

Ph.D. will be completed, awarded and conferred by the time you start the position.

Application Requirements

Document Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Statement of Teaching
• Misc/Additional (Optional)

Reference Requirements

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

About UC San Diego

The University of California 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, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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.

The University of California prohibits smoking and tobacco use at all of its university-controlled properties.

The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at: https://www.police.ucsd.edu/docs/annualclery.pdf. This report provides crime and fire statistics, as well as institutional policy statements & procedures. Contact the UC San Diego Police Department at [phone] if you want to obtain paper copies of this report.

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, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• “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, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy: [https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH]
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties: [https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination]

Job location

La Jolla, CA