Tenure-Track Faculty Position at the University of British Columbia – Advanced Approaches to Sustainable Process and Systems Engineering

UBC

The Vancouver Campus of The University of British Columbia (UBC) is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam).

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE), within the Faculty of Applied Science (APSC) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver campus, invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor. Appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor with tenure may be considered for an exceptional case. This position is part of UBC’s President’s Academic Excellence Initiative (PAEI), and the hire is expected to contribute to a new research cluster within APSC focused on generating impactful knowledge in areas related to the cluster theme: Revolution in the Cycle – Transforming the Product Lifecycle for Global Good. We welcome applicants from all fields related to chemical and biological engineering, including those who would engage with existing fields of strength in our department, and those who would inspire new areas of growth. The anticipated start date of the position is 1 May 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Founded in 1916, CHBE at UBC is ranked among the top 25 Chemical Engineering Departments within public universities throughout the world due to its outstanding graduates, as well as the excellence of its research and training. Our mission comprises three key responsibilities: providing undergraduate and graduate engineers with excellent technical and leadership skills, integrity, and social responsibility through education; creating internationally recognized, industrially implemented technological advances, including fully sustainable solutions to address global challenges in health, energy, and the environment through field-defining research; and promoting an inclusive, safe, collaborative, and respectful community. This mission is guided by our values of collegiality, excellence, innovation, and integrity.

For this recruitment, the Department seeks candidates with research expertise in the engineering, analysis and modeling of complex bio/chemical systems across multiple scales to facilitate sustainable zero-net-carbon manufacturing of bioproducts and biologics, chemicals, polymers, and/or fuels, power systems and energy. These systems are often highly interconnected, dynamic and multidimensional, and advanced tools are required to realize their sustainable design, fundamental understanding, and optimization. Research approaches employed by the successful candidate may include applications of big data analytics and other supercomputing methods to develop fundamental multiscale models based in part on conservation principles for process–product design, synthesis and integration using new machine learning technologies; development of data-driven algorithms and AI-powered decision-making tools to enable optimization of highly complex bio/chemical systems; and/or experimental and ultra-scale-down frameworks that facilitate viable testing of putative sustainable technologies (energy usage, life-cycle effects, costs and processing times, etc.).

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. (conferred by the date of appointment) in Chemical Engineering or in a closely related discipline and must either be registered, or be eligible to register with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia. Registration is required within five years of appointment. Demonstration of clear potential to establish a high-impact research program, as well as to effectively teach and train future generations of Chemical and Biological Engineers, is an expectation of the successful candidate. Applicants should therefore have demonstrated evidence or possess clear potential to excel in research and teaching of advanced design, optimization and operation of complex systems/processes with the target of reducing energy consumption while eliminating material waste, fossil-carbon use and carbon emission.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop an independent, internationally recognized research program, and seek funding, both as an individual and in collaboration with others, from Government and industrial sources. The position will involve teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the supervision of graduate students at the Masters and Doctoral levels and the provision of service to the University and the broader community. The successful candidate must embrace productive relationships across cultural differences and develop an equitable, diverse and inclusive learning and research approach that promotes a respectful environment for all students, staff and faculty.

Details about the CHBE Department and its research and degree programs are available at http://www.chbe.ubc.ca, and information on the Faculty of Applied Science is available at https://apsc.ubc.ca/. Applications must be submitted online at https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/ubcfacultyjobs and should include

  • a cover letter stating one’s suitability for the position
  • A 100-word summary, suitable for a non-specialist audience, outlining the nature and purpose of your research and how it will contribute to the goals of the PAEI cluster theme
  • a curriculum vitae
  • a statement (1-2 pages) of one’s teaching approach, interests and accomplishments
  • a five-year research program plan
  • a statement of how one’s research and teaching will contribute to an equitable, diverse and inclusive academic environment (max. 1 page)
  • the names and addresses (e-mail address included) of four qualified

Details of Statement on Teaching Approach: Describe your teaching experience at any and all scales, and explain your teaching philosophy, including specific examples that have informed the evolution of that teaching philosophy.

Details of Five-Year Research Program Plan: Provide information about your research experience and expertise, and about your research plan as a new faculty member, including current and potential collaborators (at UBC and elsewhere) and sources of funding, as appropriate.

Details on Statement of Contributions to an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Academic Environment: We welcome colleagues with the experiences and competencies that can contribute to our principles of inclusion, equity, and diversity throughout campus life. Please provide a statement describing your experience working with a diverse student body and your contributions to creating/advancing a culture of equity and inclusion on campus or within your discipline.

The initial closing date for applications is 1 January 2023, but applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found.

Our department welcomes and encourages applications from peoples with disabilities and/or any other special needs. Accommodations are available upon request for all applicants at all stages of the selection process. To confidentially request accommodations, please contact Marlene Chow (Marlene.Chow@ubc.ca).

The University of British Columbia hires on the basis of merit, assessed in areas of scholarly activity, teaching and service, and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.