"Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry"

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Bates College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in biochemistry, to begin July 2026. We seek an outstanding scholar with strong commitments to excellent undergraduate teaching and mentorship in a liberal arts context. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in any area of biochemistry, and should be familiar with the molecular details of energy and its transformation in biological systems, structure/function relationships of macromolecules, kinetics and mechanisms of enzyme catalyzed reactions, and information flow and storage in living systems. We welcome applications from individuals who are broadly trained Ph.D. scientists from chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, or related fields.

The position carries a standard five-course annual teaching load each year (laboratory sections count as 0.5 courses). The duties of the position include the three main areas of faculty work: teaching, scholarly achievement, and governance and engagement. The standards of excellence for faculty at Bates are articulated in Article II of the faculty handbook, and include a commitment to inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy, peer-reviewed professional work, and contributions to the broader Bates community. The successful applicant will offer general chemistry (lecture and lab) and both semesters of the biochemistry sequence (lecture and lab.) They will also design and teach courses in their specialty area and contribute to the general education curriculum, provide academic advising, and mentor student theses. Successful candidates will be expected to develop a signature and independent research program. We also expect the candidate to take part in our system of shared governance.

Review of applications will begin on Sept. 15, 2025. Applications should include a cover letter and a curriculum vitae. Applicants should also submit a teaching statement that describes how they plan to meet Bates’ standards of excellence in terms of inclusive and evidence-based pedagogy and how their background has prepared them to teach general chemistry and biochemistry. In addition, a research plan that speaks to the current and future promise of a candidate’s professional work at a small liberal arts college is required. The research statement should describe the candidate’s current scholarship and future plans in a way that is accessible to a hiring committee of faculty with varied interdisciplinary specialties, including a discussion of how the candidate would incorporate undergraduates in their research agenda.

Given the wide range of backgrounds of Bates students, we seek candidates who are committed to each student’s success. As part of the submitted statements, we ask that candidates share plans for helping all students succeed, and share evidence of relevant preparation or experience. This can be either in a separate, additional document or integrated into the teaching and research statements. We encourage applications from individuals from historically marginalized groups and from those who may have followed non-traditional pathways to higher education due to societal, economic, or academic circumstances. The search committee will request letters of recommendation from three referees for short-listed candidates. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and verification of degree.

Bates College is a residential liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine—a diverse and growing community roughly 45 minutes from the state’s largest city (Portland), 2 ½ hours north of Boston, and 4 ½ hours south of Montreal. Faculty scholarship and creative work at Bates are robustly supported by start-up packages, internal grants, and a well-staffed external grants office. Community-engaged learning and study abroad are both broadly encouraged and supported; pedagogical development and innovation is further buttressed by the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning.

Educational access and racial justice are central to Bates’ history and mission and our faculty-led initiatives reflect this commitment.

A Ph.D. is required by July 1, 2026. Applicants should have completed applicable graduate-level coursework and/or developed equivalent expertise to teach appropriate courses. Post-doctoral or other additional relevant research experience is required.

About Bates College: Founded in 1855, Bates is one of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, with a long history of commitments to principles of human dignity and diversity. Since its inception, Bates has been a coeducational, nonsectarian, residential college with special commitments to academic rigor and to programs and opportunities by qualified learners of all backgrounds. Historically, Bates students and graduates have linked education with service, leadership, and obligations beyond themselves. Bates has highly competitive admission, graduates over 90% of its entering students, and over half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates has 1,700 students, 200 faculty members and 550 staff and administrative employees. The College is proud of its strong involvements in the Lewiston-Auburn communities, Maine’s second largest urban area, with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 109-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, Maine, a lively small city enjoying an exciting economic and cultural revitalization. With an engaged citizenry, lively arts scene, and historic downtown, this walkable city is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 340 miles north of New York City.