"Assistant/Associate Professor-Climate-smart Circular Bioeconomy Engineering"

Assistant/Associate Professor - Climate-smart Circular Bioeconomy Engineering

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level in Climate-smart Circular Bioeconomy Engineering. This position is part of a Strategic Hiring Initiative cluster hire coordinated by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE) and the newly established Levenick Center for Climate-smart Circular Bioeconomy. The cluster hire includes four faculty positions across ABE, Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE), Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES), and Plant Biology departments.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, located in the heartland of agricultural production, is uniquely positioned to lead the transition to circular bioeconomy systems leading to solutions with sustainable productivity. The successful candidate will help shape this transition by advancing engineering solutions that promote sustainability, resilience, and regional economic growth.

Position Responsibilities

Research (50%)

Conduct innovative, interdisciplinary research in circular bioeconomy with emphasis on engineering solutions. Potential research areas include:

• Converting organic wastes sourced from food, agriculture, and other sectors into valuable products including biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials
• Developing bioprocessing technologies for plant-based proteins, biobased chemicals, and sustainable fuel production
• Advancing resource recovery technologies through innovative approaches
• Designing and optimizing sustainable supply chain networks and infrastructures supporting circularity
• Engineering production agriculture systems that minimize resource inputs and environmental impacts while integrating regenerated inputs from circular bioeconomy systems
• Applying digital agriculture, AI, and other data analytics to advance circular bioeconomy systems

The successful candidate will collaborate across disciplines to address sustainability challenges while identifying new market opportunities for circular bioeconomy products and processes. External funding from federal agencies, foundations, and industry partners is expected.

Teaching (50%)

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in areas related to sustainable engineering, circular bioeconomy, or related fields
• Develop new interdisciplinary courses addressing circular bioeconomy principles
• Mentor undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers
• Contribute to curricular development and program enhancement

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biological, Chemical, or Environmental Engineering, or closely related field
• Research experience in circular bioeconomy areas such as bioprocessing, waste-to-resource conversion, supply chain modeling or analysis, or sustainable manufacturing
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals
• Demonstrated ability and interest to conduct interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, or convergent research
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Systems engineering experience with research spanning multiple domains within circular bioeconomy systems
• Postdoctoral research experience
• Experience with pilot-scale or demonstration-scale bio-chemo-processing systems
• Track record of external funding success
• Industry collaboration and technology transfer experience

Collaborative Opportunities

The successful candidate will have opportunities to collaborate with faculty hired in the other cluster departments (Agricultural and Consumer Economics, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, and Plant Biology), the Levenick Center for Climate-smart Circular Bioeconomy, and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE).

World-class facilities include the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL), Pilot-scale Hydrothermal Liquefaction Laboratory, Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub (IFAB), Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), Center for Digital Agriculture (CDA), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB), and the Prairie Research Institute (PRI)

These networks provide exceptional resources for scaling technologies, piloting innovations, and building industry partnerships to accelerate technology transfer and real-world impact.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time, nine-month, tenure-track faculty position. The target start date is August 16, 2026. The budgeted salary range for this position is $100,000-115,000 at the assistant professor level and $115,000-130,000 at the associate professor level. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on January 5, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Upload a cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching statement, and names and contact information for three references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact abe@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.