Assistant Professor - Tenure Track - Mechanical System Design - AY

Assistant Professor - Tenure Track - Mechanical System Design - AY 26/27

Job No: 550308

Work Type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track

Location: Central California:
San Luis Obispo

Categories: Bargaining Unit:
Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Appointment Type:
Tenured/Tenure-Track, Time Basis:
Full Time, Job Search Category/Discipline:
Faculty - Engineering

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Assistant Professor
-Tenure Track - Mechanical System Design AY 26/27

The Mechanical Engineering 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. Cal Poly is committed to the teacher‑scholar model. 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 a variety of mechanical design and solid mechanics courses to undergraduate and graduate students in classroom and laboratory settings. Additional responsibilities include advising students, participating in university service activities, and conducting applied research in mechanical engineering. Outcomes assessment and Learn by Doing are important components of Cal Poly's curriculum. Specific assignments will depend on department and program needs.

The successful candidate may have a specific background in areas such as design theory, mechanics or manufacturing, for example, and are expected to teach in the general areas of mechanics, mechanical design and/or design theory. As scholars, faculty should be engaged in scholarly work that is of very high quality as evidenced by external peer review. As colleagues, faculty are encouraged to perform service activities at all levels of the University.

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience of the individual selected. Qualified candidates with industry experience are encouraged to apply. Anticipated hiring range: $106,000 - $117,000 per year.

The College of Engineering at Cal Poly is committed to building a faculty of teacher‑scholars who collaborate to provide a multi‑disciplinary and hands‑on approach to inclusive excellence in student learning and applied research. We believe that individuals from broad backgrounds strengthen our programs and positively impact student success. We encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for consideration. Cal Poly emphasizes Learn by Doing, which involves extensive lab work and projects in support of theoretical knowledge.

As a premier comprehensive polytechnic university, Cal Poly is ranked as the best public master’s university in the western U.S., while its Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program is also highly ranked. The program has a strong focus on undergraduate and master’s level education through a laboratory intensive, hands‑on curriculum. Our tenured, tenure‑track, and lecturer/adjunct faculty are dedicated engineers with a passion for teaching, innovative applied research, interacting with students, and advising student club activities.

The department values teaching excellence and offers students small class sizes and hands‑on activities throughout their undergraduate careers. In addition to nearly a dozen teaching laboratory spaces, our students’ education and extra‑curricular activities are further enhanced by having direct access to state‑of‑the‑art machine shop facilities where students transform their designs into working prototypes. Cal Poly and the College of Engineering support collaborative research opportunities for faculty.

There are numerous opportunities to partner with faculty across campus to engage in impactful research.

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