Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering Faculty (Open Rank)
JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
Florida Polytechnic University invites applications for a tenure-equivalent faculty position in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, beginning August 2027.
Florida Poly launched its B.S. in Aerospace Engineering in Fall 2026, building on a long-running Aerospace concentration in Mechanical Engineering. This hire will help build the program’s propulsion and aerodynamics coursework and laboratories from the ground up, while also teaching in the thermal-fluids courses shared by both degrees.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Responsibilities
- Teach aerospace courses such as Principles of Flight Vehicle Propulsion, Rocket Propulsion, and Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, along with Mechanical Engineering courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer
- Help develop aerodynamics and propulsion laboratory instruction and equipment
- Mentor aerospace design and senior capstone teams
- Build a research program that involves undergraduate and M.S. students
- Contribute to department and University service
Areas of interest We welcome applicants from all areas of aerospace engineering. Preference will be given to expertise in one or more of the following:
- Aircraft or rocket propulsion and combustion
- Compressible and high-speed flow, including hypersoni
- Aerodynamics and experimental fluid mechanics
Minimum qualifications
- Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical 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
- Experimental or laboratory experience, including developing teaching or research labs
- Industry, government laboratory, or student design-team experience (e.g., rocketry or design-build-fly)
- Record or clear potential of externally funded research
- Experience advising and mentoring undergraduates
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, and senior capstone teams work on industry-sponsored projects, including long-running projects with NASA Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Space Institute. Mechanical Engineering’s most recent ABET evaluation cited the design sequence as a strength.
How to apply Apply through the Florida Polytechnic University Careers website. Upload each document below as a PDF in the Resume/CV field before continuing; once an application is submitted, it cannot be changed. Applications missing any of these documents will not be review and the application will be dismissed as incomplete.
- Cover letter naming the position and rank you are applying for and explaining how your experience fits the role and Florida Poly's mission
- Curriculum vitae with at least three professional references contact information
- Teaching statement (up to two pages) describing your approach to teaching and evidence of its effectiveness
- Research statement (up to two pages), for Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor applicants
- Unofficial transcripts for all graduate degrees. Official transcripts are required upon hire. Degrees earned outside the United States require an equivalency evaluation from a certified credential evaluation service, submitted with the application
Compensation: Commensurate with experience and rank.
Visa Sponsorship: Per Florida State University System directives, all H1B visa sponsorship is on hold until further notice. The selected candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of hire and maintain status throughout their employment.
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.
Certain positions, including research, research-related support, and visiting researcher positions, may be subject to additional screening, disclosure, and review requirements under applicable law and University policy. Applicants for covered positions may be required to provide complete and accurate information and supporting documentation regarding their educational and employment history, publications, research funding, affiliations, and other relevant activities, as applicable.
Any employment offer or appointment for a position subject to these requirements is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all applicable screenings, disclosures, and required approvals.
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. [Explore Lakeland]
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.
ABOUT FLORIDA POLY:
Florida Polytechnic University opened for classes in 2014-15 and is the twelfth university in the Florida State University System. The University was created as an exclusively STEM-focused public university that offers high-value undergraduate and graduate degrees and that has intentional industry connections with a focus on economic development of the high-tech I-4 corridor. Dedicated to preparing students for the competitive STEM workforce, Florida Polytechnic University blends traditional subject matter mastery with problem solving and laboratory experiences to provide students with learning opportunities applicable to both the workplace and a career of lifelong learning. The University delivers its courses in small class sizes, emphasizes a positive student to faculty experience, and is dedicated to both its teaching and research mission.
Lakeland, home to Florida Polytechnic University’s ultra-modern campus, is located along the I-4 High Tech Corridor halfway between Tampa and Orlando. Our central Florida community combines small town comfort with big-city culture. Florida’s High-Tech Corridor is home to 11,000 high-tech businesses, and Polk County alone has more than 600,000 residents, four universities and one state college. Lakeland is just a 45-minute drive from Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, professional sports teams, and thriving performing art centers. With no income tax in Florida, and a high standard of living, Lakeland and Central Florida continue to rise among the best places to live and work.
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
Florida Poly qualified employees have the opportunity to take advantage of a variety of health benefits (through the State of Florida) to help meet their specific needs, as well as the needs of their family. This comprehensive coverage includes flexible spending accounts, medical and life insurance, and worker's compensation. Health benefits are administered through People First, on behalf of the State of Florida, as pre-tax insurance plans. People First handles all new hire enrollments, coverage changes, premium administration, and dependent eligibility. Their Service Center is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. EST, at 1-866-663-4735.
RETIREMENT Florida Poly offers great options for retirement. From the required selection of a state plan to additional voluntary retirement plans, our employees have many opportunities to save and prepare for their future. Click Here for more information.
OTHER BENEFITS
- Discounts & Perks
- Annual Leave
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- To help promote work-life balance, Florida Poly provides a generous leave program, which includes paid time off and paid holidays. Qualified employees may accrue 22 days of annual leave. In addition, the University observes the holidays listed in our University Holidays policy FPU-1.008.
- Sick Leave
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- Qualified employees may also accrue 12 days of annual sick leave and participate in our Sick Pool Program.
- Employee Assistant Program (EAP)
EXPLORE LAKELAND FLORIDA
Conveniently located along I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is home to Florida Polytechnic University and many other businesses and attractions. Click here to explore Lakeland, Florida.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING ATTACHMENTS:
Required attachments are listed on each posting. Please be sure to attach all required documents in the Resume/CV field before continuing through the application. Once your application has been submitted, no changes may be made and additional attachments will not be considered.
An unofficial copy of the degree/transcript is acceptable during the application process. For positions requiring a degree, the official transcripts are required upon hire.
Foreign Transcript: Transcripts issued outside of the United States require a equivalency statement from a certified transcript evaluation service verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. This report must be attached with the application and submitted by the application deadline.
All document(s) must be received on or before the closing date of the job announcements.
This position requires a background check, which may include a level II screening as required by the Florida Statute §435.04.
