Tenure-Track Faculty Position (Open Rank) - Robotics

University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Notre Dame’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in robotics. The search emphasizes human-centered robotics with strong means for experimental deployment and cross-disciplinary collaboration across engineering, computing, and the health sciences.

The successful candidate will teach, establish an externally funded program, and contribute to the PAIR initiative and broader Notre Dame robotics ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated potential for internationally distinguished scholarship.
• Externally funded research program development.
• Excellence in undergraduate and graduate education.
• Active contribution to research community and Notre Dame.

Responsibilities

• Teach courses at undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Establish and lead an externally funded research program.
• Mentor students and contribute to department service.
• Collaborate across engineering, computing, health sciences, and industry.

Skills

Robotics research

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Teaching and mentoring

Education

Ph.D. in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering or Robotics

Job description

University of Notre Dame: College of Engineering: Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Location

Open Date

Sep 03, 2026

Deadline

Dec 01, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Description

The Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in robotics. This search is part of sustained growth in robotics at Notre Dame. Recent investments include the Physical AI and Robotics (PAIR) initiative, a cross-departmental effort that connects Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering with Computer Science and Engineering and with Electrical Engineering. Robotics at Notre Dame is organized around a distinctive identity in human-centered robotics, built on established strengths in mechanics, modeling, control, and experimentally grounded robotic systems.

While applications are welcome from all areas of robotics, the Department is especially interested in candidates working in one or more of the following areas:

• Sensing, actuation, and robotic materials, including soft, multifunctional, and biohybrid systems
• Dexterous manipulation and physical interaction with complex or unstructured environments
• Wearable, assistive, and rehabilitation robotics, with particular interest in upper limbs
• Robotic mobility for terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic systems operating autonomously in extreme environments
• Integrated design, modeling, control, and estimation for emerging robotic systems

Across these areas, the Department is particularly interested in candidates who advance robot learning and data-driven reasoning in ways that are grounded in the physics, mechanics, sensing, and control of real robotic systems and demonstrated through meaningful experimental deployment.

The successful candidate will join an interconnected robotics community with active collaborations across engineering, computing, the health sciences, and industry, and with shared experimental facilities and testbeds that support work at the intersection of hardware, control, and learning. Additional information about robotics at Notre Dame is available at robotics.nd.edu.

Qualifications

The Department seeks to attract, develop, and retain exceptional faculty members with strong records of achievement and significant future potential. The search is primarily aimed at the assistant professor level; however, candidates at all ranks with strong records and promise will be considered, and possible position titles include Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. Candidates at the entry level must have completed all requirements for a Ph.D. degree, or have completed all but the dissertation, in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related field; candidates at the advanced assistant, associate, or full professor level must hold a Ph.D. in one of these fields. Duties for a successful candidate will include teaching, research and service. Successful candidates will demonstrate the potential to achieve an internationally distinguished record of scholarship, establish an externally funded research program, excel in undergraduate and graduate education, and contribute actively to their research community and to the University.

Application Process

This institution is using Interfolio's Faculty Search to conductthis search. Applicants to this position receive a free Dossieraccount and can send all application materials, includingconfidential letters of recommendation, free of charge.

The University of Notre Dame seeks to attract, develop, and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration. The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or age in employment. Moreover, Notre Dame prohibits discrimination against veterans or disabled qualified individuals, and complies with 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). We strongly encourage applications from candidates attracted to a university with a Catholic identity.

This appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.Applicants will be asked to identify all felony convictions and/or pending felony charges. Felony convictions do not automatically bar an individual from employment. Each case will be examined separately to determine the appropriateness of employment in the particular position. Failure to be forthcoming or dishonesty with respect to felony disclosures can result in the disqualification of a candidate. The full procedure can be viewed at https://facultyhandbook.nd.edu/?id=link-73597 .