Assistant/Associate Professor in Systems Engineering

Job description

Posting Detail Information


Working TitleAssistant/Associate Professor in Systems Engineering

Position LocationFort Collins, CO

Work LocationPosition qualifies for hybrid/in-office work

Posting Number202500329F

Proposed Annual Salary Range$100,000- $125,000 Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Employee Benefits
Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service.

With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

+ Review our detailed benefits information here.

(https://hr.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/01/benefits-summary-afap.pdf)

+ Explore the additional perks of working at CSU here.

+ For the total value of CSU benefits in addition to wages, use our compensation calculator (https://hr.colostate.edu/total-compensation-calculator/) .

+ Lastly, click here for more information about why Fort Collins is consistently ranked in the top cities to live in (https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-community/) !


Position TypeFaculty

Work Hours/Week40

Description of Work Unit
Colorado State University ( CSU )is a land-grant institution and is one of the fastest-growing research universities in the country, with annual research expenditures of nearly $500 million and an enrollment of over 33,000 students.

CSU is an institution that emphasizes access, inclusion, and opportunity to ensure an exciting and enriching experience for all students.

Its heritage as a land grant university means CSU students think about a world far bigger than themselves and are not afraid to face the challenges that lie ahead when pursuing their passions.

With more than 170,000 living alumni, graduates of CSU are state governors, heads of corporations, Olympic gold medalists, teachers, researchers, artists, and many other leaders in society.

TheWalter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering ( WSCOE )is a medium-sized engineering college of approximately 170 faculty, 300 postdoctoral scholars and research scientists, 95 academic and administrative staff, 2,500 undergraduate students, and 1,050 graduate students.

Four of its academic departments serve both graduate and undergraduate students, and two have graduate-only programs.

The College also houses two interdisciplinary degree-granting programs and a federal cooperative research institute.

WSCOE is ranked 6th nationally in research funding per faculty among public universities without medical schools in the annual amount of about $600,000 per FTE and has received major research awards representing the CSU thematic focus areas: Sustainability and the Environment; Agriculture and Food Systems; Health and Well-being; Energy and Water; Innovation and Technology; Climate Science; Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences; Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts; Global Engagement and International Development.

WSCOE’s researchers are engaged in inter- and transdisciplinary research, with collaborations that involve every other college at CSU and universities and companies around the world.

The College’s annual research expenditures are around $100M, with per faculty research expenditures that exceed those of most peer institutions and that represent a large fraction (approximately 20%) of CSU’s total funded research activity.

This output, and WSCOE’s focus on addressing societal needs, is also reflected in the large number of invention disclosures, patents, and licenses generated by college researchers.

The Systems Engineering Departmentbegan as a program in 2008 and gained full department status in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering in 2019.

The Department offers graduate-level degrees including a Master of Engineering (M.E.), a Master of Science (M.S.), a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), a Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng.), and graduate certificates in Systems Engineering Practice, Systems Security, Human Systems Integration, and Model-Based Systems Engineering.

The Systems Engineering courses (and all degrees) are offered face-to-face and by distance delivery, synchronously and asynchronously, and may include lecture, seminar, and other distance education formats.

The department’s culture is to embrace intellectual creativity at all levels, operating under the principles of openness, access, and integrity.

The department continues to grow with 40 associated faculty, 8 professional memberships, and a management forum including systems engineering leaders from Woodward, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Northrup Grumman Information Systems, Lockheed Martin, National Renewable Energy Laboratory ( NREL ), United Launch Alliance ( ULA ), Hewlett Packard (HP), Merrick & Company, Ball Aerospace and Technologies, Boeing Company, Western Digital, and more.

Fort Collinsis a community of approximately 168,000 nestled at the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver.

The city is routinely recognized as one of the most desirable places to live in the United Sates for its high quality of life measures (https://www.fcgov.com/visitor/awards.php), and offers a pleasant climate with excellent schools and abundant cultural and recreational opportunities nearby.

More information on Fort Collins is available athttps://www.visitftcollins.com

Tenure/Tenure Track?Yes

% Research50

% Teaching40

% Service10

% Administration0

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on11/28/2025

Number of Vacancies1

Desired Start Date08/20/2026

Position End Date

Position Summary
The Department of Systems Engineeringis currently the largest Ph.D. program at Colorado State University, with over 300 master’s and doctoral students.

In support of this growth, the Department invites applications for one9-month tenure track faculty position at the Assistant/Associate Professor rank.


This search seeks candidates with a systems-centric research and teaching record in the field of systems engineering.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

+ Space systems, secure and resilient systems, or mission assurance

+ Artificial intelligence and machine learning in systems engineering applications

+ Digital and model-based systems engineering

+ Systems design, optimization, and lifecycle management

+ Complex system integration and systems thinking

+ Sustainability, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, or other domains of systems engineering




While the position remains open to all systems engineering specialties, special consideration will be given to candidates whose research or teaching interests align with defense-related systems and technologies.

This may include work supporting Department of Defense programs, defense industry partnerships, or applications in aerospace, autonomy, modeling and simulation, or other areas relevant to the defense community.


This position seeks to build cross-disciplinary scholarly capacity between the Systems Engineering Department (www.engr.colostate.edu/se)and other academic units of Colorado State University, including (but not limited to) topics of institutional strengths such as Aerospace, Sustainability, Atmospheric Science, Agriculture, and Biomedical engineering.

Further information about the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering can be found at:www.engr.colostate.edu.


This faculty position is a full-time, regular, nine-month appointment.

The successful candidate is expected to build and maintain a strong, interdisciplinary, internationally recognized research program supported through external funding, to enhance Systems Engineering’s educational programs at the graduate level, and to provide service to the College of Engineering and broader community.

This faculty position will teach courses and advise students in the Systems Engineering Department and will develop advanced courses in their areas of expertise and will greatly contribute to Systems Engineering’s commitment to the teaching missions of the University.

Conditions of EmploymentPre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)

Required Job Qualifications

+ A Ph.D. or equivalent (D.

Sc., D.

Eng.) in an engineering discipline or a closely related field is required by start of appointment,

+ A rank-relevant portfolio of systems-centric publications in peer reviewed scientific and/or engineering journals,

+ University systems-centric teaching experience.



Additional for Associate Professor Position:

+ More than 5 years of documented university systems-centric teaching experience,

+ More than 5 years of funded systems-centric research with documented grant support as Principal Investigator,

+ A strong record of publications as the senior author in their research field and have established a national reputation in their field of research.


Preferred Job Qualifications

+ Candidates should have evidence of systems engineering scholarship in an academic, government, or industrial setting aligned with Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, Systems Engineering Department, and CSU’s institutional strengths.

+ Candidates should demonstrate ability to secure competitively funded research.

+ Candidates should demonstrate potential to develop collaborations with defense or aerospace organizations, including DoD agencies, primes, or national laboratories.

+ Candidates should exhibit ability and enthusiasm to teach distance education and conventional courses in the curriculum of the Systems Engineering Department.

+ Candidates should have mentoring or advising experience.

+ Candidates should demonstrate a personal and professional commitment to CSU’s mission, as demonstrated by involvement in teaching, research, creative activity, and service to the profession.


Special Instructions to Applicants
For full consideration, please apply by 11/28/2025 11:59pm Mountain Time.

Applicants will need to upload the following materials to be considered complete.

Hard copy or emailed applications cannot be accepted.

+ Cover letter(maximum two pages) – Clearly demonstrates how the candidate meets the required and preferred qualifications of the position.

+ Curriculum Vitae– Comprehensive summary of the candidate’s academic background, professional experience, and accomplishments.

+ Teaching and Education Statement(one page) – Describes teaching and educational interests and/or philosophy, including plans to develop and deliver educational materials, attract and mentor students, and engage the broader community.

+ Research Statement(maximum three pages) – Outlines the research vision for the next five years, including anticipated impact on the broader community and society, and the potential for research collaborations.

+ Professional References– Names and contact information for at least three professional references (references will not be contacted without prior notification to candidates).

+ Land-Grant Mission(one page) – In alignment with the land-grant mission of access and success, the candidate should describe how their professional activities, in teaching, research, and/or service, align with and advance the land-grant mission.

The purpose of the statement is to identify candidates who have the professional skills, experience, and/or willingness to engage in activities that will advance institution’s land grant mission.


Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students.

To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks for the finalist before a final offer.

The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification.

Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.

EEO
Colorado State University ( CSU ) provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Search ContactCheyenne Hassebrock; cheyenne.hassebrock@colostate.edu


Essential Duties


Job Duty CategoryTeaching/Advising

Duty/Responsibility

+ Providing intellectual leadership and excellence in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Systems Engineering and developing new courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels within the candidate’s area of research focus and creating/teaching short courses and advising graduate students


Percentage Of Time40


Job Duty CategoryResearch

Duty/Responsibility

+ Submitting proposals to sponsors for funding, receiving awards, providing oversight compliance, and completion of tasks on all funded awards.



+ Providing leadership within the research field, presenting results at relevant conferences, and publishing in leading peer-reviewed journals.


Percentage Of Time50


Job Duty CategoryService and Outreach

Duty/Responsibility

+ Lead interactions with professional societies, industry, government, other universities, and non-profits.



+ Pursue scholarly activities, serve the academic community and contribute to university outreach.



+ Serve on department, college and university level committees where appropriate.



+ Other duties as assigned.


Percentage Of Time10



References Requested

References Requested


Minimum Requested3

Maximum Requested3


Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).




Applicant Documents
Required Documents

+ Cover Letter

+ Curriculum Vitae

+ Statement of Research Interests

+ Statement of Teaching Interests

+ Other

Optional Documents

Required Skill Profession

Other General