Teaching Post Doctoral Associate (Two Positions) - Department of Engineering

Working Title: Teaching Post Doctoral Associate (Two Positions) - Department of Engineering

State Role Title:Instructional Faculty - Full-time

Position Type:Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Integrated Science and Engineering

Department: 100590 - Department of Engineering

Pay Rate:Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position?No

Is this a grant-funded position?No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position?No

Beginning Review Date:Mar 29, 2026

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Department of Engineering at James Madison University (JMU) invites applications for two teaching post-doctoral associates. This opportunity combines instructional experience, mentorship, and professional development to enable candidates to develop their pedagogical skills and a robust scholarship program in an undergraduate engineering context. Post-doctoral associates will teach within the Engineering curriculum while receiving individual mentorship from JMU faculty and will be provided opportunities to develop their own professional portfolio.

This is a fixed-term appointment at the rank of instructor. The appointment is for two 10-month periods, the first 10-month period will start August 10th, 2026, and the second 10-month period will start in August 2027. In the first period, associates will teach within the engineering fundamentals and design courses (ENGR 112, 231, and 232) and will work with an instructional team to enhance their instructional approaches and methods. In the second 10-month period, associates will have the opportunity to expand their experiences through opportunities such as: teaching upper-level courses, developing special topics courses, supervising undergraduate research or mentoring capstone projects. The specifics will be tailored to the individual and needs of the department, in consultation with the Academic Unit Head and their mentors.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Over the course of the appointment the Teaching Post-Doctoral Associate will:
* Teach engineering courses in collaboration with a teaching team
* Develop and revise course materials, instructional experiences, and pedagogies
* Engage with undergraduate students in curricular and/or co-curricular activities
* Work with a mentorship team to enhance their own professional development

Associates will have access to the same professional development funds available to instructional faculty within the department and college.

Qualifications:

Each candidate will be evaluated in relation to the department's needs in teaching. Successful candidates will have a Ph.D. in engineering (or closely related) field completed by August 10, 2026. Successful candidates should address the following items in their application materials:
* The candidate has experience with, or demonstrate the potential to, teach in an undergraduate engineering setting;
* The candidate can express clear connections between the duties of this position, their individual background, and how this position will further their professional goals;
* The candidate will demonstrate a potential to teach within the engineering fundamentals and design courses and describe other existing courses in which they might be able to teach.

Additional Posting Information:

JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Review of applications will begin March 29, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is August 10, 2026. Follow the procedures to submit an online application for this position. Note that only complete submissions that are uploaded electronically to the JMU PageUp website will be considered. A complete submission includes the following items and addresses the relevant Qualifications outlined above:
1) a cover letter summarizing your personal and professional career experiences that prepare you for success in this position and a discussion of how this opportunity will further your professional goals;
2) a curriculum vitae;
3) a statement describing your approach and goals in teaching (submitted as 'Statement of Teaching Philosophy'); and
4) a list of three references who can comment on your potential for success in the position.

References will not be contacted until a candidate is being considered for a campus visit; please do not request letters of reference until instructed to do so by the search committee chair. For additional information, applicants are encouraged to contact the chair of the search committee: Dr. Jason Forsyth, forsy2jb@jmu.edu

The JMU Department of Engineering is a community of educators who support each other in achieving broad success in teaching, scholarship, and service. The department offers an ABET-accredited BS degree in engineering with concentrations in civil and environmental, geo-environmental, and electromechanical systems. JMU's engineering major is characterized by experiential learning of engineering in team-based settings, and the major culminates in a two-year-long engineering project experience. More information about the department and undergraduate engineering curriculum may be found at https://www.jmu.edu/cise/engineering/index.shtml.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.