Industrial Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Faculty (Open Rank)

Florida Polytechnic University; Florida; On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland invites applications for a tenure-equivalent faculty position at open rank in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, beginning August 2027. The successful candidate will teach courses across both programs, integrating design, manufacturing, and quality considerations.

Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a related field, a record of undergraduate teaching, and hands-on fabrication or industry manufacturing experience.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related field, completed before the start date.
• Associate Professor: six years at the rank of Assistant Professor or equivalent.
• Professor: six years at the rank of Associate Professor or equivalent.
• Evidence of effective undergraduate teaching.
• Ability and interest in teaching both Industrial and Mechanical Engineering courses.
• Hands-on fabrication, prototyping, or industry manufacturing experience.
• Experience mentoring design or capstone teams.
• Record or clear potential of externally or industry-funded research.

Responsibilities

• Teach across Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, in courses such as Manufacturing Processes, Design and Analysis of Machine Components, Process Engineering, Quality Engineering, and Work Design and Facility Layout.
• Teach in the department’s design and laboratory sequence and mentor senior capstone teams.
• Build a research program that involves undergraduate and M.S. students and connects with industry partners.
• Contribute to department and University service.

Skills

Hands-on fabrication

Prototyping

Industry manufacturing experience

Teaching interest across two programs

Mentoring design or capstone teams

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Industrial/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering

Job description

Industrial Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Faculty (Open Rank)

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY Florida Polytechnic University invites applications for a tenure-equivalent faculty position in at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, beginning August 2027. This position is shared between the Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programs and teaches courses in both. We are looking for someone who connects design and manufacturing, who can take students from a CAD model to a manufactured, inspected part, and who brings that perspective to both disciplines.

Responsibilities

Teach across Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, in courses such as Manufacturing Processes, Design and Analysis of Machine Components, Process Engineering, Quality Engineering, and Work Design and Facility Layout.

Teach in the department’s design and laboratory sequence and mentor senior capstone teams.

Build a research program that involves undergraduate and M.S. students and connects with industry partners.

Contribute to department and University service.

Areas of interest

• Manufacturing processes, machining, and CNC
• Advanced and additive manufacturing
• Design for manufacturing and assembly
• Production systems, quality, and automation

Minimum qualifications

Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related field, completed before the start date.

Associate Professor: six years at the rank of Assistant Professor or equivalent.

Professor: six years at the rank of Associate Professor or equivalent.

Preferred qualifications

• Evidence of effective undergraduate teaching
• Ability and interest in teaching both Industrial and Mechanical Engineering courses
• Hands‑on fabrication, prototyping, or industry manufacturing experience
• Experience mentoring design or capstone teams
• Record or clear potential of externally or industry‑funded research

Key dates

Start date: August 2027

Full consideration: applications received by January 11, 2027. Review continues until the positions are filled.

About the department

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering offers B.S. degrees in Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and its entering class has grown nearly 80 percent in two years. Students take a hands‑on design sequence beginning in their first year that culminates in industry‑sponsored senior capstone projects, and Mechanical Engineering’s most recent ABET evaluation cited the design sequence as a strength. Faculty have access to a fabrication shop, 3D printing lab, materials testing laboratory, and senior design space.

About Florida Polytechnic University

Florida Polytechnic University — Florida's only public university dedicated exclusively to STEM — has been ranked the #1 public college in the South for six consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 2014 as the twelfth member of the State University System, Florida Poly is growing fast. Enrollment is at a record high, new degree programs and laboratories are coming online, and the University is hiring faculty across many departments at once. New faculty arrive as a cohort and help shape what comes next. Teaching here is applied and project‑based, in small classes where faculty know their students. Faculty are rewarded for more than publishing: industry collaboration, applied research, and commercialization through start‑ups and technology transfer all count. Industry partners across Central Florida sponsor student projects, hire graduates, and work alongside faculty. The campus, anchored by the Santiago Calatrava–designed Innovation, Science, and Technology Building, sits in Lakeland on Florida's I‑4 High Tech Corridor, within an hour of both Tampa and Orlando. Florida has no state income tax, and Lakeland's cost of living is lower than either metropolitan area.

Tenure-equivalent appointment system

Florida Poly faculty hold renewable, multi‑year appointments under a collective bargaining agreement. The system substantially mirrors tenure systems at other State University System of Florida institutions: reappointment and promotion are based on a comprehensive review of accomplishments. Initial appointments are 3 years for Instructor and Assistant Professor; 3‑6 years for Associate Professor; 6 years for Professor. Applicants with post‑Ph.D. experience may be offered an accelerated timeline to apply for promotion. Faculty are eligible for NSF and NIH grants, including early‑career awards. Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States; an appointment is not final until proof is provided. This position requires a background check, which may include a Level II screening as required by Florida Statute §435.04.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Florida Polytechnic University is an equal opportunity/equal access institution. It is the policy of the Board of Trustees to provide equal opportunity for employment and educational opportunities to all (including applicants for employment, employees, applicants for admission, students, and others affiliated with the University) without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or genetic information. Employment is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. An appointment is not final until proof is provided.

FLORIDA POLY BENEFITS INFORMATION

• Health benefits are administered through People First, on behalf of the State of Florida, as pre‑tax insurance plans. Health benefits include flexible spending accounts, medical and life insurance, and worker’s compensation. People First handles all new hire enrollments, coverage changes, premium administration, and dependent eligibility.
• Florida Poly offers great options for retirement, from the required selection of a state plan to additional voluntary retirement plans.

OTHER BENEFITS

• Annual Leave – Qualified employees may accrue 22 days of annual leave.
• Sick Leave – Qualified employees may also accrue 12 days of annual sick leave and participate in our Sick Pool Program.
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP).

Foreign Influence Compliance Notice

Florida Polytechnic University complies with applicable Florida laws and Florida Board of Governors requirements concerning foreign influence, including Board of Governors Regulation 9.012, Foreign Influence, and applicable provisions of Florida Statutes.