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.

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.

Compensation

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.

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.

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.

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 View phone number on click.appcast.io.

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

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

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.