Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of Massachusetts Amherst

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level in the area of Geotechnical Engineering. The appointment is expected to begin September 1, 2020.  We seek an individual that can address national and international coastal resiliency and renewable energy challenges in support of a department-level focus on resilient civil infrastructure systems. Specific areas of interest include but are not limited to coastal engineering, offshore geotechnics, geohazards, and soil-structure interaction.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has 27 full-time, tenure track faculty members and approximately 120 graduate students and 330 undergraduates.  The department’s FY 18 research expenditures exceed $13 million/year. Additional information about the Department can be obtained at cee.umass.edu.

Requirements:

• The candidate should have graduate and undergraduate teaching interests that draw from one or more of the following areas: soil mechanics, coastal engineering, offshore geotechnics, soil-structure interaction, and/or cross-disciplinary courses across program areas on coastal resiliency and renewal energy.
• Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering or a closely related field or anticipate such a degree by August 31, 2020. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Additional Information:

• The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a program of externally funded research.
• Commitment to working within a diverse community of students and faculty and will seek out interdisciplinary teaching and research collaborations within the department as well as throughout the campus.

Application Instructions:

Candidates should provide all of the following in their application package addressed to Don J. DeGroot, Search Committee Chair. Applications will be reviewed starting on 15 December 2019 and reviewed until the search is completed. Please apply via this link: http://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/503427/tenure-track-assistant-professor-geotechnical-engineering-civil-environmental-engineering

1. Cover Letter. Addressed to the Geotechnical Engineering Search Committee. The cover letter should lay out your interest in this position and why you are a good fit.
2. Research Statement. Outline your research interests, accomplishments, and future goals. Describe how your expertise could potentially integrate with current department research activities, and where relevant, university research activities.
3. Teaching Statement. Describe your teaching philosophy, relevant experience, and what undergraduate and graduate courses you might offer or develop.
4. Statement about equity, diversity and inclusion as they relate to the faculty role in teaching, research and/or service. Specifically, the search committee is looking for indicators of commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and the different ways this might be demonstrated, such as in research and scholarship, teaching, mentorship, service and engagement, skill building and personal growth, and personal background experiences.
5. Current curriculum vitae.
6. Full contact information for 3 references.

Process:

The steps of the process are as follows:

1. A minimally qualified pool is identified.
2. All remaining candidates are evaluated, and a long list is identified, which will be interviewed via video conference.
3. A shortlist will be developed and be invited to interview on campus.

About UMass Amherst

4. UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
5. As a campus with an increasingly diverse student body, we are looking for candidates who can operate effectively in a diverse faculty and student community, and who value collegiality, collaboration, achievement, and integrity. We encourage applications from women, minorities, and individuals with a commitment to mentor under-represented demographics within engineering. We are committed to helping all constituents reach their full potential, creating best-in-practice operations to support faculty scholarship and fostering excellence in student experiences inside and outside our department.
6. UMass Amherst is a leader in providing institutional supports for faculty to combine work and family/personal responsibilities, and was listed among the Chronicle of Higher Education’s  “Great Colleges to Work For,”UMass is in the top 10% of public research-intensive universities in the COACHE survey for making having and raising children compatible with the tenure-track. For more information on work-life balance at UMass Amherst, see https://www.umass.edu/prospective-faculty/work/balance

The University is committed to active recruitment of a diverse faculty and student body. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities and encourages applications from these and other protected group members. Because broad diversity is essential to an inclusive climate and critical to the University’s goals of achieving excellence in all areas, we will holistically assess the many qualifications of each applicant and favorably consider an individual’s record working with students and colleagues with broadly diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in educational, research or other work activities. We will also favorably consider experience overcoming or helping others overcome barriers to an academic career and degree.

We are seeking talented applicants qualified for an assistant professor position. Under exceptional circumstances, highly qualified candidates at other ranks may receive consideration.