Assistant Professor - Physical Chemistry

unf; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive startup package

Job summary

The University of North Florida invites applications for a 9-month, tenure-earning Assistant Professor position in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. We seek collaborative and innovative scientists who will contribute to our growing research and teaching missions.

UNF is a Carnegie R2 institution and offers competitive startup packages. The position supports teaching Physical Chemistry I & II, research mentorship for undergraduates and master’s students, and a path toward tenure

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, or related discipline.
• Excellence in research as demonstrated by a strong publication record and future funding proposals.
• Strong commitment to high-quality research and teaching.

Responsibilities

• Establish an active research program involving undergraduates and/or master’s students.
• Pursue extramural grant support and publish in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Teach Physical Chemistry I & II and related courses; participate in mentoring and service.

Skills

Research excellence

Teaching commitment

Mentoring

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry or Physical Chemistry

Job description

Department

Chemistry & Biochemistry, Chair

Compensation

Negotiable

General Description

This is a 9-month, tenure-earning, Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry position in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, in the College of Arts and Sciences. We seek collaborative and innovative scientists and educators who will contribute to our growing research and teaching missions.

UNF is a Carnegie R2 institution, reflecting our commitment to high-impact research while maintaining our tradition of excellence in teaching. We are proud to support active faculty researchers and offer competitive startup packages. The department is also conducting a simultaneous search in other subdisciplines of chemistry; scientists working at the interface of these areas are encouraged to apply to the position most aligned with their teaching strengths.

Position Highlights

Research Expectations

Establish a research program, focusing on physical chemistry related topics, that actively involves undergraduate students and/or master's students. This will include continually pursuing extramural grant support, disseminating research results in presentations at professional conferences, and publishing manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. We are especially interested in candidates whose research area is in materials, computational chemistry, or biophysical chemistry. However, we encourage applications with research programs across the physical chemistry spectrum.

Teaching Load

Four-six courses per academic year, with a reduced load (two per semester) for the first three years. Continued course reductions are available for faculty with strong research productivity aligned with the UNF Strategic Plan.

Courses Taught

Physical Chemistry I & II both lecture and laboratory, upper-level electives in the candidate's area of expertise and a willingness to teach lower-level lecture courses.

Mentorship and Service

Participate in departmental governance, advise and mentor students, and contribute to our service mission at the department, college, and university levels.

Supervisor

This position reports to the Department Chair.

Working Hours

Varies

Supervision Exercised

This is not a supervisory role.

Required Licensure

N/A

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, or related discipline.
• Excellence in research as demonstrated by a strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals and proposals for future work.
• A strong commitment to high-quality research and teaching.

Preferred Qualifications/Skills

• UNF seeks to attract faculty of the highest caliber, who are skilled in the scholarship of teaching, discovery, application, and integration of knowledge in physical chemistry.
• Commitment to excellence in teaching undergraduate courses within the Chemistry and Biochemistry department curriculum specifically Physical Chemistry I and II, as well as physical chemistry electives, and lower-level courses.
• Strong commitment to mentoring and supervising research students.
• Demonstrated potential to establish an independent research program.
• Postdoctoral experience and teaching experience are preferred.

Anticipated Start Date

August 2, 2027

Additional Application Materials Required

• Cover letter
• Current curriculum vitae
• Unofficial transcript of highest earned degree
• A single PDF that contains the following three sections
  • Research Statement (3-5 pages), including: Project Summary, How UNF students will be active participants of the research program; include a brief overview of your mentoring plan for students with varying lab skills, and a short summary/list of where you will seek external funding (including which program)
  • For Proposed Startup Budget ($200-300K, over three years) (1 page)-including A list of equipment required to start an independent research program (this list should include items that are greater than $10,000), and an estimate of supplies, chemicals, and consumables to complete the proposed research activities.
  • General Teaching and Mentoring Philosophy (1-2 pages)-including: Prior teaching experience (if any),Strategies for mentoring research students at the undergraduate and master's level, Strategies for teaching students with varying levels of prerequisite knowledge and helping them succeed and persist in STEM disciplines, and Ideas for new elective courses that you would like to develop/teach.
• Name, phone number, and email address of three professional references will be requested during the application review stage.
• The selected candidate will be required to submit official transcripts (and, as applicable, U.S. degree equivalency evaluations) documenting the conferral of their qualifying academic credentials by the date of hire.
• Additional Requirements : Applicants may be required to upload additional documents based on their responses to the Foreign Infl