Careers

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

UMass Amherst is a leader in providing institutional support for faculty to combine work and family/personal responsibilities, and has been listed among the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For.” UMass is in the top 10% of public research-intensive universities in the COACHE survey for making having and raising children compatible with the tenure-track. UMass Amherst maintains a nationally recognized ADVANCE Institutional Transformation program that seeks to increase equity in STEM fields through collaboration (https://www.umass.edu/advance/). For more information on work-life balance at UMass Amherst, see https://www.umass.edu/faculty-development/prospective-faculty/work-here/work-life-balance.

The Daniel J. Riccio Jr. College of Engineering is recognized as one of the top 30 public engineering schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report and is the #1 public engineering program in New England. Our inclusive community includes ~2,600 undergraduate, ~750 graduate students, and ~150 instructional faculty across five engineering departments—biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, and mechanical and industrial. Our faculty members are developing life-saving medical devices and therapeutics, designing smart infrastructures, tackling climate change, and revolutionizing materials science, computing, and cybersecurity. They are recipients of prestigious national awards, including 18 CAREER Awards in the last five years. With over $60 million in research expenditures and 20+ affiliated research centers and programs, we're at the forefront of innovation and discovery. The college's new Sustainable Engineering Laboratories building, slated to open in Fall 2026, will offer immersive labs and learning spaces, enabling us to test and develop technologies that address real-world sustainability challenges. Learn more at https://www.umass.edu/engineering/.

For more information on the Riccio College of Engineering and our mission: (https://www.umass.edu/engineering/about/mission-vision-and-inclusivity-statement). The College strives to be a leader in transformative engineering education, supporting faculty in the development of their teaching expertise through various initiatives such as our membership in the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN).

Job Description

The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Computer Engineering specializing in Artificial Intelligence Systems. This position is part of a broader expansion in AI engineering in the college. The position is defined with broad scope that includes research related to developing, securing, or using AI chips and workloads, from edge devices to data centers. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, GPUs, FPGAs, custom accelerators, protecting model IP, hardware-enforced safeguards against misuse or adversarial inputs, trusted execution, securing supply chains for AI, robustness and explainability, safe and equitable human-in-the-loop decision systems, and other advanced hardware and software topics in computer engineering. The successful candidate will be expected to establish a strong research program, teach existing courses in Computer Engineering, and develop creative new curricula in areas of their interest. The appointment is expected to begin September 1, 2026.

The ECE Department is an inclusive and vibrant academic community, with 45 full-time faculty members, 270 graduate students, and 775 undergraduates. Research expenditures exceeded $13.4M in the last fiscal year. The Computer Engineering area has research strengths in VLSI design, EDA, FPGAs, cyber-physical systems, security, computer architecture, embedded systems, networking, digital wireless communication, RF circuits, quantum engineering, bioelectronics, and nanoelectronics. Our department is also affiliated with interdisciplinary academic units, including the Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory, Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, Center for Personalized Health Monitoring, Energy Transition Institute, and Institute for Applied Life Sciences, which provide opportunities for collaborative research and innovation, enabling our faculty and students to engage in cutting-edge research and address complex challenges at the intersection of computer engineering and other fields.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related field, or anticipate having such a degree by August 31, 2026. The successful candidate should demonstrate potential for scholarly excellence and developing an externally funded research program that is sufficient to sustain internationally recognized scholarly presence. Candidates must be able to teach existing undergraduate and graduate courses in electrical and computer engineering, in addition to developing courses in their area of expertise. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Salary Range

Salary (Academic year - 9 month) will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. It is expected that the salary range for this position is between $79,350 and $138,249.

Please note:

• The low-end (i.e., the $79,350 figure) of the pay range in all faculty searches at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the minimum academic year salary for the rank included in the collective bargaining agreement between the University and the Massachusetts Society of Professors, UMass Amherst/MTA/NEA. Engineering tenure track starting salaries are typically well above this $79k minimum.
• The high-end of the pay range encompasses all faculty in this discipline at this rank which includes faculty with multiple years of faculty experience.
• The specific pay for this position will be determined by the University based on consideration of all relevant factors when and if it decides to extend an offer of employment.

Application Instructions

Applications will be reviewed starting on December 15^th, 2025, and applications submitted by this date will receive full consideration. Applications received after this date will be given consideration until the search is completed. To apply, please submit online the following materials:

1. Cover Letter addressed to “ECE AI Systems Search Committee.” The letter should a) introduce yourself, b) briefly describe your research interests, and c) describe your vision for this position. Page limit: 1 page
2. Research Statement that situates your past research in a broader scholarly context and gives your research vision for this position. Candidates are specifically asked to mention the types of scholarship they will perform, how that scholarship will be disseminated, expectations for how that scholarship will be funded; and if possible, any connections to community engagement, broadening participation in STEM, or grand challenges in engineering. Statements will be evaluated based on assessment of demonstrated excellence or demonstrated promise of future excellence. Page limit: 2 pages
3. Teaching Statement describing your teaching philosophy, including courses in our curriculum that you can offer and new courses you would develop, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Statements will be evaluated based on assessment of demonstrated excellence or demonstrated promise of future excellence.  Page limit: 1 page
4. Service Statement describing your involvement and goals for contributing to the profession, institution, common good in our community, and making engineering engaging and accessible to all students. Statements will be evaluated based on assessment of demonstrated excellence or demonstrated promise of future excellence. Page limit: 1 page
5. Curriculum Vitae: The CV is typically ordered as follows: 1) education, 2) employment, 3) awards and honors, 4) sponsored research (if any), 5) peer reviewed publications, 6) service, and 7) other sections as considered appropriate by the candidate.
6. Professional References: Contact information, (name, title, email address, institution) for three professional references. References will not be contacted until the second phase of the search.

Process

The search committee timeline is as follows:

• The committee will screen candidates by early January 2026.
• Qualified applicants will be invited for Zoom interviews beginning in January.
• Candidates will be short-listed for in-person interviews by late February.
• Campus interviews are likely to be held in March.
• The process is scheduled to end with a hiring recommendation by late-March.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.