Job Details
Description
The University of Virginia Physics Department invites applications for an open rank Professor position in Experimental Quantum Technologies, encompassing Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) Physics and Condensed Matter (CM) Physics. The appointment will begin on August 10, 2027. The successful candidate is expected to establish an outstanding experimental research program that adds significantly to the University of Virginia's existing strengths and directions in quantum photonics, quantum…
information, and quantum materials. The successful candidate is also expected to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The teaching load is one course per semester. Duties also include advising and mentoring, as well as service to the department, school, University and the profession.
Qualifications
We are seeking candidates with a Ph.D. or equivalent in Physics or a related field and post doctoral experience, a research record appropriate for the considered hiring rank, a strong publication record, and an innovative research program. Candidates should demonstrate an aptitude for teaching and mentoring at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Application Instructions
Review of applications will start on December 1, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. We will only consider complete applications. To apply for this position, please click on (Interfolio) and submit the following:
- Cover letter that includes a summary of research plans, teaching interests and experience, and how your skills and experience could advance the University's ambition to cultivate the most vibrant community in higher education in order to prepare students to be leaders in a diverse and globally connected world.
- Curriculum vitae
- Research statement that describes your vision for your research program at the university (maximum 3 pages)
- Statement on teaching and mentoring experience, philosophy and goals (maximum 2 pages)
- Contact information for three references
The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. For questions about the position, please contacxt Olivier Pfister, Search Chair, at op6n@virginia.edu.
Organization
In 1819, the University of Virginia established a new model for intellectual exchange and cross-disciplinary collaboration in higher education. Two hundred years later, as a major research institution, we continue to challenge conventions, lead with ingenuity and advance knowledge for the common good.
What began as an innovative idea has become one of the nation's leading public research universities, with over 21,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UVA also has over 3,000 full-time faculty offering more than 400 degrees.
Each of the University's eleven schools has its own distinctive mission, working together to garner consistently high rankings—including #2 Best Value Public College (Princeton Review, 2016), #3 Public University in the Nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2016), and #3 Best Value Among Public Colleges (Kiplinger's, 2016).
As we invest in and strengthen our research capabilities, UVA seeks new faculty ready to uncover new insights, rewrite old rules and collaborate on intellectual discoveries.
RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS THAT CROSS DISCIPLINES
As an R1 institution, the University's research centers, consortia and laboratories are on the leading edge of discovery and technology, offering collaborative spaces for students and faculty to solve global problems.
Our professors are recognized members of major national scholarly and professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Our faculty's engagement in interdisciplinary research is being facilitated by new research institutes specializing in everything from big data to brain functioning, and by cluster hires across schools.
NATIONALLY RANKED HEALTH SYSTEM
UVA is also home to a nationally renowned academic medical center and the UVA Health System, which serves a three-part mission to treat patients, conduct translational research and train medical practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines.
Established as the nation's 10th medical school in 1825, the institution has since grown to include a 612-bed hospital and a Level I trauma center, nationally recognized cancer and heart centers, a Children's Hospital, and primary and specialty clinics throughout Central Virginia.
The UVA Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation's best hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report magazine and has been named among the top 25 percent in seven specialties.
INSPIRING STUDENTS, INSPIRED TEACHING
The vast majority of UVA students come from the top 10% of their high school class, as well as from all 50 states, over 142 countries and a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Despite their diversity, all UVA students share a love of learning and a drive to achieve.
One of the reasons students choose Virginia is our unique residential culture. At UVA, the community of students, faculty and staff personifies the Jeffersonian idea that living and learning are connected. The Academical Village was constructed to support a unique residential experience, with faculty living in the Pavilions, students occupying Lawn rooms and the world-famous Rotunda at its heart. The University's residential culture continues to support this experience today—strengthened by students, faculty and staff rich in backgrounds, ideas and perspectives. Our unique culture is also paying dividends in innovation: UVA's faculty have generated more than 130 patents since 2010.
Perhaps most importantly, faculty come to UVA knowing that instruction is as important as research, and they pride themselves on their many teaching awards. Our best professors look for ways to encourage, mentor and develop tomorrow's leaders inside and outside the classroom.
LIFE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Living in Charlottesville you'll find sophisticated restaurants, world-renowned wineries and breweries, cosmopolitan arts and music, friendly urban and suburban neighborhoods and a Piedmont landscape that has lured adventurous souls for centuries. No wonder the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research named Charlottesville the “happiest city in America” in 2014.
In addition to UVA and its health system, several major employers have facilities in Charlottesville, including State Farm, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Department of Defense, GE and others. Charlottesville is also becoming a center for innovative start-up businesses. The University also actively helps spouses and partners of faculty members build their networks and pursue employment opportunities with a wide variety of area employers.
The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.