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.  

About the Departments at UMass Amherst

Building and Construction Technology (BCT) is one of the programs in the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECo) within the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Earth and Sustainability at UMass Amherst. BCT is co-located in Amherst with the Departments of Architecture and Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning in the UMass John W. Olver Design Building, a nationally acclaimed sustainable building on the Amherst campus.

The ECo department hosts a multi-disciplinary group of faculty with programs in Building and Construction Technology, Natural Resources Conservation, Environmental Science, and Sustainability Science. Unifying themes across these programs include conservation of natural resources, sustainable development, and reconciliation of humans with the natural environment. Special emphasis is placed on faculty-student interaction, interdisciplinary activities, and cooperation among faculty. We commonly teach interdisciplinary classes and share a fundamental commitment to serving a diverse student body and the broader public, and we are committed to recruiting, supporting, and retaining a diverse faculty.

Department of Architecture is part of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The Department is responsible for an undergraduate degree (BS-Architecture), a graduate professional degree (Master of Architecture), and a graduate post-professional degree (Master of Design). The Department Architecture provides an accessible, intellectually rigorous design education that firmly grounds students in the art and science of the built environment. The interdisciplinary, collaborative program embraces spirited, socially progressive, and environmentally responsive design. As New England’s first public architecture program, UMass Amherst Architecture seeks to significantly broaden interest in and access to a professional training in architecture throughout the North Atlantic region. The Master of Architecture program, accredited by NAAB, provides the path to licensure.

The Department teaches a creative process that will enable students to tackle complex interdisciplinary problems of varying scales. Students learn to create a wide range of interventions informed by human and environmental systems. Students learn a design process that seeks to envision approaches, conducting research, and enlisting appropriate stakeholders.

Job Description

The Building and Construction Technology Program (in the Department of Environmental Conservation) and the Department of Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time lecturer position to be the director and primary instructor for the UMass DesignBuild program. The successful candidate will provide the core organizational, administrative, and instructional role in the UMass DesignBuild program, which is a service-learning effort that allows students from multiple disciplines to construct a small house or other project each year as an academic exercise and then provide that structure to a local community partner and/or the University for their affordable housing efforts. It is a co-operative effort by the Building and Construction Technology program in the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Architecture, and the Five Colleges Architectural Studies program.

Successful candidates will have a strong interest in design-build pedagogy and experience in both architectural design and full-scale construction.

This position is a calendar year Lecturer (100% appointment, 12 months), joint hire between the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECO) as primary department and the Department of Architecture as secondary.

The initial appointment will be for two years but is renewable based on performance and program need. The successful candidate will be a core faculty member of the Building and Construction Technology (BCT) Program in the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Architecture, and will interface with other academic groups at UMass and industry throughout the region. The ECO and Architecture departments and UMass Amherst place special emphasis on faculty-student interactions and a commitment to teaching and mentoring. We value the retention of new faculty, and the successful candidate will be provided with a departmental mentoring committee and have access to extensive university programs and mutual mentoring opportunities through the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts and the University’s Office of Faculty Development.

The presumed start date is September 1, 2026.

Essential Functions:

Teaching Duties:

• Spring: Teaching a 6 credit undergraduate and graduate level DesignBuild design studio that leads to the construction documents for the upcoming project.
• Summer: Instructor for two 6 credit (each) DesignBuild build courses during which the  structure will be built.
• Fall: Teaching the BCT 313 course (3 cr.) on light-frame, residential construction. This may coincide with instructional duties for the completion of the design/build project.

Service Duties:

Construction Management Duties

Perform all necessary tasks required for the successful construction of the proposed design-build project as specified in the UMass DesignBuild Design Studio, including but not limited to the following:

• Prepare UMass DesignBuild site in preparation for student arrival for the start of the Build, i.e., tools, materials, construction equipment, safety equipment, etc.
• Procure all materials and equipment necessary for the build.
• Instruct students in all aspects of construction procedures including both tool and job site safety.
• Communicate and coordinate as necessary with assorted code officials, municipal authorities, specialty contractors, and materials suppliers.
• Complete construction as needed following the conclusion of the summer build courses, and ensure delivery to community partner.

Program Management Duties

Primary management of the UMass Design Build program including, but not limited to the following tasks:

• Solicitiation and procurement of projects for the DesignBuild program.
• Negotiations and agreements with community partners, the University, and/or other potential collaborators for DesignBuild projects.
• Fundraising for the projects and in support of the grant-funded faculty position.
• Overseeing program and construction finances and interfacing with University accountants.
• Interfacing with UMass Legal as necessary for annual agreements with recipients of DesignBuild projects, and managing agreements between all involved parties.
• Student recruitment.
• Outreach to media, donors, town officials, AEC professionals, faculty, UMass Administers, etc.
• Campus construction site supervision (maintenance and updating).

The successful candidate will need to work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness. They need to work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS and HFA communities and across the campus to support the University’s strategic priorities, especially as it pertains to experiential learning. They may also need to perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.