Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Vanderbilt University:
School of Engineering:
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Location Open Date

Oct 01, 2025

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at Vanderbilt University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position from candidates with expertise in artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), foundation models, multiscale modeling, and optimization as applied to challenges in energy and advanced chemical processing. We particularly encourage applicants whose computational research addresses critical materials for energy, data-driven approaches for manufacturing, electrochemical engineering, and the integration of AI/ML with chemical engineering to accelerate the design, discovery, and deployment of next-generation materials and technologies.

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt () includes 14 primary faculty members (11 tenured/tenure-track) serving over 130 undergraduate students and more than 50 graduate students. The department maintains a vibrant research environment with annual research expenditures in excess of $11M and has steadily climbed the USNWR graduate rankings. Our department is consistently ranked as one of the top five chemical engineering departments in the U.S. with fifteen or fewer faculty.

Relevant to this search, we anticipate strong growth in the computational area at Vanderbilt as evident by the announcement of a College of Connected Computing. This new College will be transformative and provide new opportunities for collaboration across engineering, science, medicine, sustainability, and computing.

Our department is located less than a 5 min walk from Vanderbilt's other engineering and science departments and is adjacent to the Vanderbilt Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE), a nucleus for nanoscale materials research  is one of numerous interdisciplinary centers and institutes on campus () that offers comprehensive and state-of-the-art core facilities and means for engagement across departments. The Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Climate and Energy (https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).),

the Vanderbilt Lab for Immersive AI Translation (https://), and the Vanderbilt Institute for National Security (https://) are among our newest centers, providing additional opportunities for collaboration.

Ranked #17 nationally, Vanderbilt University is a private, internationally recognized research university located on 330 park-like acres 1.5 miles from downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Its 11 distinct schools share a single cohesive campus that values collaboration. The university enrolls over 13,500 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, including more than 25% minority students and over 10% international students from 84 countries. The School of Engineering and College of Connected Computing together comprise nearly 120 tenured and tenure-track faculty, with a total research expenditure of $90 million and teach 1500 undergraduate and over 700 graduate and professional students across all programs.

With a metro population of over two million people, Nashville has been named one of the 15 best U.S. cities by Travel and Leisure and was ranked in the top tier as best performing cities in 2024 for sustainable growth and resilience by the Milken Institute. Nashville’s top industries by employment include trade, transportation and utilities; education and health services; professional and business services;

government; and leisure and hospitality. Other industries include manufacturing, financial activities, construction, and information. Long known as a hub for health care and music, the greater Nashville area is a technology center with a considerable pool of health care, AI, EV, and defense-related jobs available. In recent years, the city has experienced an influx of major office openings by some of the largest global tech companies and prime Silicon Valley startups.

Applicants…