Assistant Professor - Tenure Track – Mechatronics - AY 25/26

The Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department in the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California (Cal Poly) is excited to invite applications for a full-time, academic year, tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor rank beginning Fall 2025.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach and collaboratively develop undergraduate and master's level courses in mechatronics, system dynamics, and controls; pursue research with undergraduate and master’s students in their area of interest; and provide service to the department, the university, and the community. Cal Poly features an approach to mechatronics that focuses on hardware-software interaction and electro-mechanical systems. This position is an opportunity for candidates who are passionate about undergraduate education to join a unique institution that values teaching and scholarship through a Learn by Doing approach.

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience of the individual selected. Qualified candidates with industry experience are encouraged to apply. Anticipated hiring range: $106,000 – $118,000 per year.

At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 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.

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 undergraduate program is also highly ranked.  The program has a strong focus on undergraduate and master’s level education through a laboratory intensive, hands-on curriculum. Our 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.  The department values teaching excellence and offers students small class sizes and hands-on activities throughout their undergraduate careers.  In addition to nearly a dozen teaching laboratory spaces, our students’ education and extra-curricular activities are further enhanced by having direct access to state-of-the-art machine shop facilities where students transform their designs into working prototypes.

Cal Poly is committed to the teacher-scholar model. As teachers, faculty are expected to exhibit strong pedagogic skills and to remain proficient and current in their disciplines. As scholars, faculty should be engaged in scholarly work that is of very high quality as evidenced by external peer review. As colleagues, faculty are encouraged to perform service activities at all levels of the University.

For more information about the department, please visit http://me.calpoly.edu.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

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 2025. 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
• Biomedical 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.

Cal Poly provides a range of benefits for our faculty which can be found at  https://afd.calpoly.edu/hr/benefits/. Cal Poly is family friendly, offering parental leave, educational fee waivers, childcare pre-tax benefits, and an on-campus children’s center (https://www.asi.calpoly.edu/childrens-center/).

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in mechanical engineering in the general area of mechatronics or a closely related field from an accredited institution or international equivalent is required for appointment. Candidates nearing completion of the doctorate (ABD) will be considered but must provide proof that the doctorate was awarded prior to or by the start of the appointment.

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Strong commitment to teaching excellence and laboratory-based instruction.
• Dedication to continued professional development and scholarship.
• Strong written and oral communication in the English language.
• Commitment to student-centered learning and teaching
• Ability to collaboratively work in multidisciplinary settings.

The successful candidate must have the ability to work effectively with students, staff and faculty from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 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.

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.

Preference will also be given to candidates who demonstrate any of these additional qualifications: 

• Excellence in university level teaching and research (commensurate with time since degree).
• Experience with multiple coding languages, including assembly, C/C++, and python.
• Experience with embedded systems.
• Broad experience in mechanical engineering.
• Experience with laboratory-based instruction.
• Experience working with undergraduates on research activities.
• Experience working as a practicing engineer in industry.

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 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.

Faculty employees who wish to apply for permanent residency will be responsible for retaining an immigration attorney. All filing and attorney's fees will be incurred by the faculty member.

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.  At Cal Poly, tenure-line faculty are expected to establish an on-campus presence.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, applicants are encouraged to provide the following supplemental documents: (1) a cover letter providing some details of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) a current CV; (3) a statement of teaching philosophy; (4) a statement of goals and plans for research; (5) a copy of unofficial transcripts (official transcripts will be required prior to appointment) (6) a diversity statement that 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, and previous professional development in diversity and inclusion topics.

Please be prepared to provide three professional references with names and email addresses when completing the online faculty application. For full consideration, candidates are encouraged to apply by the Review Begin Date, November 1, 2024. Applications received after this date may be considered.

For questions, please contact Peter Schuster via pschuste@calpoly.edu