Assistant Professor - Palaeoanthropology

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga invites applications for a full-time tenure stream position in the area of Palaeoanthropology, with a focus on early hominins, including early Homo. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027.

This search aligns with the University’s commitment to strategically and proactively promote diversity among our community members (Statement on Equity, Diversity & Excellence). Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other Racialized communities have experienced inequities that have developed historically and are ongoing, we strongly welcome and encourage candidates from those communities to apply.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must have earned a PhD degree in Anthropology, or a closely related field by the time of appointment, or shortly thereafter, with a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching in palaeoanthropology. The successful candidate must have expertise in quantitative methods and active engagement in palaeoanthropological fieldwork. We seek candidates who can provide outstanding research and training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, including the possibility of participating in fieldwork and analysis of fossil datasets. The ability to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across anthropology, biology, and related fields would be an asset. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance our existing departmental strengths.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated through a record of publications in top-ranked and field-relevant journals or forthcoming publications that meet high international standards; the submitted research statement; presentations at significant conferences; awards and accolades; and strong endorsements from referees.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be demonstrated through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier (including the required materials outlined below, as well as evidence of superior performance in other teaching-related activities), and strong letters of reference. Other teaching-related activities can include performance as a teaching assistant or course instructor, experience leading successful workshops or seminars, student mentorship, or excellent conference presentations or posters.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research, and to establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program. The successful candidate will conduct research on early hominins, including early Homo, applying quantitative methods in evolutionary morphology, and will have a research program that integrates fossil evidence with innovative analytical techniques to address major questions in human evolution.

The successful candidate will teach quantitative methods in anthropology at the graduate and undergraduate level along with other relevant disciplinary offerings.

In addition, the successful candidate will be assigned a service load.

HIRING SALARY RANGE

The salary range is $140,000 to $180,000 CAD per annum, depending on experience. Negotiations beyond this salary range will be considered for exceptionally qualified candidates.

ABOUT US

This appointment is at the University of Toronto Mississauga, which is a research-intensive campus with a commitment to interdisciplinary research, a multicultural student body, and a modern campus. The University offers the opportunity to conduct research, teach, and live in one of the most diverse cities of the world. The successful candidate will also be a member of the tri-campus Graduate Department of Anthropology located on the St. George campus in downtown Toronto. The Department of Anthropology at UTM includes faculty members with interests in archaeology, sociocultural, linguistic, medical, and biological anthropology. For more information about our department, please visit our home page: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/anthropology/department-anthropology.

For more information on working at the University of Toronto, please visit https://www.utoronto.ca/research-innovation/working-at-uoft.

At UTM we are committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion. With an enviably diverse student body, we especially welcome applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, Black, or racially visible (persons of colour), and who have experience working with teaching or mentoring diverse groups or students. Candidates must demonstrate, in their application materials, an ability to foster diversity on campus and within the curriculum or discipline, and must show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial environment. Candidates must submit a statement describing their contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): teaching that incorporates a focus on underrepresented communities; efforts undertaken to develop inclusive pedagogies, collaboration, and engagement with underrepresented communities; and mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. If you have questions about this statement, please contact the Chair of UTM Anthropology anthrochair.utm@utoronto.ca.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All application materials, including recent reference letters, must be received by 11:59pm on October 15, 2026.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. Applicants must submit the following materials:

• a cover letter;
• a current curriculum vitae;
• a research statement outlining current and future research interests;
• a recent writing sample;
• a teaching dossier, including
  • a teaching statement,
  • sample course materials, and
  • teaching evaluations, or evidence of superior performance in other teaching-related activities as listed above; and
• an equity, diversity and inclusion statement (as noted above)
• the name and contact information of three references

The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee within 48 hours of an application being submitted. Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that references submit recent letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date. Submission guidelines and details on the automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQ.

If you have any questions about this position, please contact the Chair of UTM Anthropology anthrochair.utm@utoronto.ca.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.