"Assistant/Associate Professor (Career-Track) Winery Process Engineer WSU Tri Cities"

Assistant/Associate Professor (Career-Track) Winery Process Engineer WSU Tri Cities

Online applications must be received before 11:59pm on: December 19, 2025

Available Title(s): 161-NN_FACULTY - Scholarly Assistant Professor - Career, 162-NN_FACULTY - Scholarly Associate Professor - Career

Business Title: Assistant/Associate Professor (Career-Track) | Winery Process Engineer | WSU Tri Cities

Employee Type: Faculty

Position Term: 12 Month

Position Details:

The Opportunity:

The Department of Viticulture & Enology at Washington State University Tri-Cities invites applications for a career-track faculty position in Winery Process Engineering (Chemical Engineering) with a 12-month, 0.75 FTE appointment. Faculty rank will be at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

In this faculty position you will integrate chemical engineering principles with viticulture and enology to advance sustainable, efficient, and technologically enhanced winery operations. To be successful you will also lead a research program focused on automation, energy and water use efficiency, waste mitigation, and fermentation control, and will teach undergraduate and graduate-level courses in winery process engineering.

This academic appointment split is:

• Research 30%
• Teaching 60%
• Service 10%

WSU Tri-Cities and the Department of Viticulture and Enology are committed to creating a student-ready campus, marked by academic excellence, career-connected learning, and social connection. This commitment is informed by our belief that all students, faculty, and staff contribute value to our campus mission.

This position is located in-person on the WSU Tri-Cities campus in Richland, WA.

The successful candidate is anticipated to start on August 1, 2026, but start date is negotiable.

Additional Information:

Last Day Applications Will Be Accepted: Please submit completed applications no later than December 19, 2025, at 11:59 pm.

Annual Salary: Assistant Professor: $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 | Commensurate with experience and qualifications Associate Professor: $95,000.00 - $105,000.00 | Commensurate with experience and qualifications

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position. Successful candidates typically begin up to mid-point of the salary range.

Benefits: WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For a more detailed summary of benefits offered by WSU for Faculty please review the summary of benefits for WSU Faculty and Total Compensation

Required Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or closely related field at time of hire.
• Demonstrated research expertise relevant to winery process engineering
• Evidence of ability to teach at the undergraduate and/or graduate level.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Additional Required Qualifications for Associate Professor Rank

• At least four years of academic teaching and/or research experience.
• A sustained record of scholarly achievement including peer-reviewed publications and grant activity.
• Experience in mentoring graduate students and/or supervising research teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience collaborating with the wine, food, or beverage industries.
• Demonstrated success in securing external research funding.
• Evidence of interdisciplinary research.
• Experience with AI or data-driven process optimization.

Inquiries should be directed to Jean Dodson Peterson, Ph.D., Founding Dept Chair & Associate Professor of Viticulture: jdodson.peterson@wsu.edu

About Department/College/Area/ Campus:

WSU Viticulture & Enology (V&E) is a comprehensive education and research program that prepares students for successful careers in the wine industry and supports the region's winemakers and grape growers. Enhanced by renowned faculty and state-of-the-art facilities, WSU V&E takes a hands-on, multidisciplinary approach, offering students technical, scientific, and practical experience.

Area/College: College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences

Department Name: Viticulture & Enology

Location: Richland, WA,

Application Instructions: Applicants must upload the following required documents to their online application. Application materials should clearly communicate how the applicant meets all required qualifications and additional requirements.

1. Resume/CV
2. Detailed cover letter stating qualifications for the position

External candidates, upload all documents in the 'Application Document' section of your application. Current WSU Employees (internal candidates), before starting your Workday application, please use these instructions to update your education and experience in your worker profile in Workday. Internal candidates, upload all documents in the 'Resume/Cover Letter' section of your application.

Documents may be submitted as one file or separate files. Applicants are encouraged to upload as a PDF, if possible.

Reference contact information will be requested later in the recruitment process through Workday.

Background Check: This position has been designated by the department to require a background check because it requires access to children or vulnerable adults as defined by RCW 74.34, engages in law enforcement, requires security clearance, interacts with WSU students in a counseling or advising capacity, has access to personal identifying and/or financial information, unsupervised access to university buildings/property, or other business-related need. A background check will not be completed until an initial determination of qualification for employment has been made.