Assistant Professor - Tenure Track - Mechanical System Design AY 24/25

  • California Polytechnic State University
  • San Luis Obispo, California
  • Mar 07, 2024
Education and Training Public Health

Job Description

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING-Tenure Track
Assistant Professor - Mechanical System Design AY 24/25


The Mechanical Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, (Cal Poly) invites qualified applicants to apply for a full-time, academic year, tenure-track faculty appointment at the Assistant Professor rank in the areas of mechanical engineering system design and solid mechanics. This is an opportunity for candidates who are passionate about undergraduate education to join a unique institution that values teaching and applied research activities through a “Learn by Doing” approach.

Preferred specializations include design communication, data-driven design decisions (big data) or artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted collaborative design, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary activities in system engineering and mechanical design or human-centered design. Primary teaching assignments will involve machine element design, design for strength & stiffness, mechanical system design, senior design project, upper-division technical electives, and master’s level courses related to the candidate's expertise. The starting date for this position is September 16, 2024.

Additional responsibilities include advising students, participating in university service activities, and conducting applied research in mechanical engineering. Outcomes assessment and Learn by Doing are important components of Cal Poly’s curriculum. Specific assignments will depend on department and program needs.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Appointment at the Assistant Professor rank is expected; the anticipated hiring range is $96,408 - $107,000 per year.

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees, and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences, and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly's values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility. Cal Poly's commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring, and retention. California Polytechnic State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

The Cal Poly College of Engineering strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as part of our focus on equitable student success The Cal Poly College of Engineering is excited to invite applications to fill multiple tenure-track faculty positions across eight departments to start September 2024. Successful applicants show evidence or demonstrate the potential to implement inclusive and equity-minded teaching strategies as well as increase curricular coverage of the intersection of engineering and computing with societal challenges, particularly around DEI issues. Successful candidates will be expected to contribute to the college’s goals in these areas.

The college is searching for positions in the following disciplines:
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science / Software Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

In addition to the standard new faculty support, candidates with DEI-focused scholarship and/or pedagogy will have the opportunity to apply for additional funds to support their DEI work.

The Cal Poly College of Engineering has an active National Science Foundation ADVANCE gender equity program, and is committed to a pluralistic campus community through equal opportunity and work-life balance. You will be joining a college that strives to be compassionate and supportive of colleagues, staff, and students. You will have the opportunity to teach and develop courses and advise students on projects and research. You will be supported in your efforts to establish an externally funded research program, mentor students, contribute to an inclusive and welcoming community, and provide services to the department, the college, and the university.

Required Qualifications:

Applicants must have earned a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field from an accredited institution, or an international equivalent, which is required for appointments. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a commitment to teaching excellence and scholarly activity at the university level and continued professional development in the general areas of senior design project, mechanical engineering system design and solid mechanics. Cal Poly is committed to the teacher-scholar model: As teachers, faculty are expected to exhibit strong pedagogic skills and to continually improve their teaching. As scholars, faculty members are expected to maintain competency in the field and enhance the vitality of our programs. As colleagues, all faculty are expected to contribute to service activities at various levels of the university. Additionally, they should build collaborative relationships within the university and with colleagues at other universities. An ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively with students, faculty, staff, and administration from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds is essential.

The ideal candidate will show evidence of attention to and/or the potential to contribute on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion across their teaching, scholarship, and service.

Applicants must submit a diversity statement which demonstrates the candidate's experience or potential with respect to supporting the college of engineering’s goals related to diversity, equity and inclusion. In particular, our vision statement is: “The Cal Poly College of Engineering will be nationally recognized for its rapidly diversifying student population and unique, inclusive Learn by Doing educational and applied research experiences. Candidate’s diversity statement should convey how their teaching, research, and/or service at Cal Poly will contribute to this vision. Examples include highlighting the candidate’s experience and/or intentions with respect to: implementing inclusive classroom environments, the intersection of DEI in your research/scholarship, mentoring students with diverse backgrounds, outreach to under-represented student populations, previous professional development in diversity and inclusion topics.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preference will be given to those who can show:
  • Evidence of working with diverse populations and fostering a collaborative, supportive and inclusive environment.
  • Strong background in senior design project, mechanical engineering design, solid mechanics, design for strength & stiffness, mechanical system design.
  • Demonstrated active engagement in scholarship and professional development.
  • Demonstrated excellence in university level teaching and research.
  • Strong knowledge of industry design practices.
  • Demonstrated sound working knowledge in modern design and analysis tools.
  • Demonstrated excellence in laboratory-based, hands-on instruction.
  • Show willingness to teach in multiple areas of the undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering curriculum.


Special Conditions

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Note: Cal Poly cannot deny an applicant a position solely or in part due to a criminal conviction history until it has performed an individualized assessment and linked the relevant conviction history with specific job duties in the position being sought.

Please note: Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Sensitive positions are those requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position based on the potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to Cal Poly or individuals in the university community.

For health and well-being, Cal Poly is a smoke & tobacco-free campus. The university is committed to promoting a healthy environment for all members of our community.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU related work outside of California. It is also expected that faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.

About the Department:

As a premier comprehensive polytechnic university, Cal Poly is ranked as the best public master's university in the western U.S., while its Mechanical Engineering program is also ranked as one of the best public master's level programs in the United States. The program has a strong focus on undergraduate and masters level education through a laboratory intensive, hands-on curriculum. Our 60+ tenured, tenure-track, and lecturer/adjunct faculty are dedicated engineers with a passion for teaching, innovative applied research, interacting with students, and advising student club activities. In addition to nearly a dozen teaching laboratory spaces, our student's education and extra-curricular activities are further enhanced by having direct access to state-of-the-art machine shop facilities. With access to these spaces, students can transform their paper-based designs into working prototypes.

For more information about the department, please visit http://me.calpoly.edu . Cal Poly offers generous benefits for our faculty which can be found at https://afd.calpoly.edu/hr/benefits/ . Cal Poly is family friendly, offering parental leave, dependent care FSAs and an on-campus children’s center (https://www.asi.calpoly.edu/childrens_center).

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must submit:
  • a cover letter,
  • curriculum vitae,
  • a statement on teaching,
  • a statement on research,
  • Please attach your research statement,
  • Please upload evidence of successful teaching,
  • a statement on diversity as described in the preferred qualifications section above, and
  • copies of unofficial transcripts (undergraduate and graduate).

Please be prepared to provide three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the online faculty application. For questions, please contact Dr. Eltahry Elghandour at eelghand@calpoly.edu .

Applicants are encouraged to submit materials by January 07, 2024, for full consideration; however, the position will remain open until filled.

Advertised: Dec 01 2023 Pacific Standard Time
Applications close:

Closing Date/Time:

Job Address

San Luis Obispo, California 93405 United States View Map