Assistant Professor, Tenure Track Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) 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 2026.

Cal Poly has a tradition of excellence in teaching and scholarship that supports a curriculum centered on a “Learn by Doing” philosophy and focused on preparing graduates to make a positive impact on their world day one. As teachers, faculty are expected to exhibit strong pedagogic skills and to remain proficient and current in their disciplines. The successful candidate will be expected to teach courses at the undergraduate and master’s levels, contribute to and expand curricular development, and advise undergraduate and graduate students on research and project activities.

As scholars, faculty should be engaged in scholarly work that is of very high quality as evidenced by external peer review.

Research Focus Areas:

• AI‑enabled modeling and design for manufacturing or healthcare systems.
• Automation and robotics.
• Digital twins or digital/smart manufacturing.

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience of the individual selected, with an anticipated hiring range of $106,000–$117,000 per year. Qualified candidates with industry experience are encouraged to apply. Cal Poly provides a range of benefits to faculty, including parental leave, educational fee waivers, childcare pre‑tax benefits, and an on‑campus children’s center.

As a premier comprehensive polytechnic university, Cal Poly is ranked as the best public master’s university in the western U.S., while its Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering program is also ranked as one of the best public master’s level programs in the United States. The program has a strong focus on undergraduate and master’s level education through a laboratory intensive, hands‑on curriculum.

The 30+ tenured, tenure‑track, and lecturer/adjunct faculty in the department are dedicated engineers with a passion for teaching, innovative applied research, interacting with students, and advising student club activities. Our “learn by doing” philosophy is emphasized in the curriculum by the large number of design‑centered laboratories, integrating design throughout the curriculum, and the senior project capstone design experience. These prepare graduates for careers in operations management, production planning and scheduling, facility design, human factors design, data analysis and decision‑making, quality control and reliability, economic and resource planning, and process improvement.

For more information about the department, please visit: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities.

Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209, and other applicable state and federal anti‑discrimination laws. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

An earned doctorate (Ph.D.) in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited institution or…