Smead Endowed Chair in Space Technology

Requisition Number: 75747

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City:
Boulder

State:
Colorado

Employment Type:

Faculty

Schedule:

Full-Time

Date Posted: 04-Nov-2026

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) seeks an outstanding scholar in space technology to become the Smead Endowed Chair in Space Technology in the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. This tenured position is targeted at the level of Associate or Full Professor and will include responsibility for developing and leading an externally funded research group, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, and engaging in university and professional service.

Additionally, the Smead Endowed Chair will be a leader in The Smead Program, helping the program grow to be the most prestigious Ph.D. aerospace engineering fellowship program worldwide mentoring future leaders in aerospace.

The Smead Endowed Chair in Space Technology recognizes leadership, creativity, and technical excellence in space research. The department is seeking an experienced faculty member in the area of space technology research, a field that includes broad areas of study related to technologies enabling space flight, atmospheric re-entry of Earth or other bodies, technologies to sustain life in space, space weather, space mission development, exploration of solar system bodies, as well as space-based remote sensing technologies.

Tenured faculty in the department typically include 40% teaching, 40% research, and 20% leadership and service.

The Smead Endowed Chair in Space Technology will work closely with the Smead Program Director and other program-affiliated faculty to further enhance and raise the profile of The Smead Program.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

CU Boulder's Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences (AES) is nationally recognized, ranked #5 among public university peers by U.S. News and World Report. AES is known for teaching and research that address both challenges and opportunities facing the aerospace profession. Students engage extensively through both classroom-based and hands-on learning in our modern facilities. CU Boulder aerospace alumni are working at top companies and research labs, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Space Center, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and many other aerospace companies and government institutions.

Additionally, AES faculty and alumni have founded several start-up companies, including Black Swift Technologies, Advanced Space, and Blue Cubed.

AES is home to 60 tenure-track, research, and instructional faculty, with over 550 graduate students, and over 1,200 undergraduates. AES's vibrant community of engineers and scientists tackle challenges in aerospace technology and science. The Department had research awards of about $40 million last fiscal year. Ongoing research activities in Smead Aerospace span five focus areas:

• Astrodynamics and Satellite Navigation Systems (ASN)
• Autonomous Systems (AUT)
• Bioastronautics (Bio)
• Fluids, Structures, and Materials (FSM)
• Remote Sensing, Earth and Space Sciences (RSESS)

AES researchers and faculty are organized into four world-class research centers to address multidisciplinary aerospace research topics: the Aerospace Mechanics Research Center (AMReC); the Research and Engineering Center for Uncrewed Vehicles (RECUV); the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR); and the Bio Serve Space Technologies Center (Bio Serve). Individual faculty also have their own laboratories to conduct aeronautics, astronautics, and computational research.

Colorado is a national leader in aerospace and industry partnerships, which play a key role in AES's research and education programs. According to the Colorado Space Coalition:

• Colorado ranks first in the nation for per-capita private aerospace workers
• Colorado has the second largest aerospace economy
• Colorado has more than 400 aerospace companies providing space-related products and services
• Colorado employs more than 190,000 individuals in space-related jobs

Candidates are encouraged to learn more about the educational mission of the department.

The Smead Program consists of Ph.D.…