Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering - Wildfire Science and Engineering

Position Rank and

Title:

Assistant Professor - Wildfire Science and Engineering

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $ 101k - $ 124k

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target

Start Date:

August 1st, 2027

Final date to receive applications: November 1st, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

The Mechanical Engineering Department at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an assistant professor (tenure-track) with expertise in wildfire science research and teaching potential in thermo-fluids beginning in August 2027. We seek candidates with a strong engineering, computational, or physical-science background whose research directly addresses problems in wildfire or fire science and engineering A key aspect of this position is that the faculty member will actively collaborate with the SJSU Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC, https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

a National Science Foundation, Industry-University Cooperative Research Center) to seek funding and conduct research related to wildfire science and management. The Center is dedicated to developing strategies, technologies, and science-based approaches to improve wildfire science and management. Specific areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: fire and fluid dynamics; coupled fire-atmosphere modeling; wildfire behavior and spread; wildland-urban interface fire;

combustion and heat transfer in wildland and urban fuels; computational fluid dynamics and multiphysics modeling; high-performance scientific computing; data assimilation; scientific machine learning and AI applied to wildfire prediction; smoke and fire-atmosphere interactions; and experimental or observational approaches supporting wildfire model development and validation.

The successful candidate will join SJSU's Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center (WIRC), an NSF Industry–University Cooperative Research Center that brings together expertise in wildfire dynamics, fire weather, fire ecology, remote sensing, modeling, and related disciplines. WIRC offers extensive observational and computational capabilities, as well as access to operational systems for fire danger, fuel moisture, fire spread, and smoke prediction. Strong partnerships with industry, government agencies, utilities, and other wildfire stakeholders provide opportunities to connect fundamental research with operational applications.

The successful candidate will establish an independent research program that complements and expands these capabilities while leveraging WIRC's interdisciplinary expertise, infrastructure, and external partnerships.

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU Mechanical Engineering provides an exceptional setting for teaching, research, and collaboration. The department has strong programs in robotics and mechatronics, advanced manufacturing, thermal and energy systems, and mechanical design, supported by hands‑on laboratories and interdisciplinary research. Its proximity and connections to Silicon Valley's technology, semiconductor, manufacturing, and emerging engineering industries create opportunities for faculty to develop industry partnerships, pursue applied research, and bring real‑world engineering challenges into the classroom.

The Mechanical Engineering Department and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research,…