Tenure Track Engineering Faculty Positions, Space Engineering and Instrument Development Center

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) College of Engineering (CoE) announces up to 10 tenure-track positions to begin in the fall of 2024 as part of a multi-disciplinary team comprised of faculty representing the core for a new Space Engineering and Instrument Development Support Center serving ground-based astronomy in Hawaiʻi. The positions will also contribute to research, teaching and service relevant to the Engineering Support Center.

UHM has embarked on a Space Science and Engineering Initiative to broaden the university’s capabilities, to take advantage of Hawaiʻi’s unique geographical and cultural positioning in the world, and to more actively participate in the continually growing fields of ground-based astronomy and space flight and exploration. In order to more specifically support ground-based astronomy activities and operations in Hawaiʻi, the College of Engineering is recruiting up to ten engineering faculty positions starting in Fall 2024: up to five in Honolulu (on the UH Mānoa campus) and up to five in Hilo (at the UH Hilo (UHH) campus). As part of an on-going faculty hiring plan for a newly approved Engineering Support Center located at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA), this initial cohort of faculty team members will provide operational and research expertise for the Engineering Support Center in direct support of ground-based activities for observatory operations including, but not limited to, additive manufacturing and prototyping, electronics, cryogenic systems, mechanical systems and servo/controls, optics, adaptive optics, semiconductor optical detectors, photonics, software, and instrumentation.

This significant, large-scale initiative places an emphasis on a collaborative approach to both research and education, focusing on hands-on-learning, teamwork, complementary technical expertise, and system-level multidisciplinary thinking. It will serve to expand Hawaiʻi’s local high-tech workforce by utilizing and leveraging existing observatory facilities on Maunakea and Haleakalā as platforms for new instrumentation and technology development, facility innovation, and proving grounds for operational upgrades and advancement. The cohort will serve as a dedicated engineering team to develop technical proposals, write grant applications, and perform engineering design tasks both at UHM facilities as well as the new Engineering Support Center on the UHH campus. Additionally, the faculty cohort will develop and deliver courses of importance in relevant disciplines to UHM and/or UHH.

For complete position announcements, including position descriptions, minimum qualifications, and desired qualifications, please visit the links below. Each position of interest requires a separate application. Screening of applications begins immediately and will continue until the positions are filled.

Assistant Specialist / Associate Specialist (Engineering Faculty - Hilo)

Assistant Specialist/Associate Specialist (Engineering Faculty - Mānoa)

Associate Specialist/Specialist (Engineering Faculty - Hilo)