Position Rank and Title: Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Chemistry

School/Department Name: College of Science/Chemistry

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. 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. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $100k  -  $100k  

Target Start Date: August 2026

Application Priority Deadline: October 31, 2025, Applications will be accepted until the position is filled or closed.

Position Description

The Department of Chemistry at San José State University invites applications for a tenure track position in chemistry. Excellence in research and teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level is expected. The candidate will be teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Analytical, Organic, and/or Physical chemistry. Flexibility to teach in more than one sub-discipline of chemistry is desirable. The candidate must be able to adapt their teaching methods to a variety of learning environments.  The successful candidate will develop a robust research program engaging undergraduate and graduate (M.S.) students

The Department of Chemistry at San José State University strives to provide broad access to the highest quality education in chemistry at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. To achieve this ambitious goal, we have crafted a curriculum affording our diverse students access to expert instructors in each of the sub-fields of chemistry via classroom courses, hands-on laboratory courses, and research laboratories. A rarity among PUIs, we also house the SJSU Nuclear Science Facility, a specialized teaching and research laboratory for nuclear & radiochemistry equipped with comprehensive nuclear counting instrumentation.

The Department of Chemistry and San José State University value inclusive excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry or equivalent doctoral degree.
• Research experience in one of the subdisciplines of chemistry.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience teaching in one of the subdisciplines of chemistry with a desire to teach in analytical, organic, or physical chemistry.
• Postdoctoral experience is preferred.
• Experience mentoring undergraduate and/or graduate research students. 

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will teach courses, including laboratory courses, graduate courses, and other courses as needed by the department.
• The candidate must develop a research program that incorporates undergraduate and MS students.
• The candidate must submit grant proposals and manuscripts to peer reviewed research journals.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually by working in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments such as advising, assessment, and lab coordination.
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Eligibility: Employment is contingent upon proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

Application Procedure:

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents by the deadline to receive full consideration.

• Letter of interest (1-2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae – Please indicate your primary subdiscipline(s) and any student mentoring experiences.
• Optional Inclusive Excellence Statement (1-2 pages)
• Statement of teaching philosophy/interests (2 page limit) – We encourage applicants to review the url below and identify courses they feel well qualified to teach. (https://catalog.sjsu.edu/preview_entity.php?catoid=17&ent_oid=2334)
• Research plans (5 page limit excluding bibliography) – Include how undergraduate and MS students will be involved in your research plans.
• Three reference letters
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial copies accepted for application)

Please do not include any additional materials without first consulting with the Chair of the Recruitment Committee.  Inquiries may be directed to Dr. David Brook at david.brook@sjsu.edu

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position is located in the State of California and requires commuting to the campus. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. The 2020 #1 Most Transformative University in the nation according to Money Magazine, San José State is an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. This cutting-edge research, combined with its world-class scholarship, student-centered learning opportunities, and experiential and interdisciplinary programs, allows SJSU to provide transformative opportunities that advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.