"Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Mechatronics and Robotics"

About the Team

The Faculty of Engineering is one of North America's top engineering schools, known for innovation, collaboration, and impact. It fosters an exceptional student experience through a holistic approach that combines technical excellence with emotional intelligence. With strong community engagement, interdisciplinary research, and a commitment to societal well-being, the faculty prepares students to lead in a rapidly evolving, global engineering landscape.

Description

This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta invite applications for a cross-appointed, full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Mechatronics and Robotics. This position supports the new undergraduate program in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering and the Faculty's expanding research collaborations in this area. The appointment will be made in accordance with the Schedule A Academic Faculty Agreement and includes a comprehensive benefits package. Exceptional candidates at the rank of Associate Professor may also be considered.

Applicants are invited from candidates with a passion for robotics, instrumentation and sensing, actuation, embedded systems, control, system design and optimization, advanced agricultural machinery and agricultural robotics, soft robotics, manufacturing robotics, construction automation, and robotic systems integration. The ability to teach broadly in the undergraduate mechatronics and robotics engineering program will be of paramount importance.

Joining our team means collaboration opportunities with researchers and instructors across the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The successful candidate will join a team of faculty members committed to an exceptional student experience, teaching courses in the Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering Co-op undergraduate program. This program has a strong emphasis on system design, hands-on learning, and cooperative education, efficiently integrating electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering to train the next generation of experts in mechatronics and robotics.

The ECE Department has over 1000 undergraduate students across the electrical and computer programs, which grew in 2025 with the new Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering program. There are opportunities to engage with students in and out of the classroom in research laboratories, capstone projects, and student clubs and teams, like Mission Space Walker, UAlberta Solar Car, and IEEE Student Branch. The Department's graduate program attracts students who are dedicated to developing in their area of expertise from schools worldwide and presently has an enrollment of 400 students, including approximately 200 Ph.D. students. Through hands-on experiences in state-of-the-art labs and instruction from skilled faculty, we help students develop the skills they need to dream of and invent the technology of the future. More information is available at ECE Department.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has over 1000 undergraduate students across our two undergraduate programs (Mechanical Engineering, and Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering), and 400 graduate students across our graduate programs in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management. Our Department prides itself on our design engineering curriculum and the significant hands-on learning integrated into our programs. We are also heavily involved in extra-curricular activities, and our students are disproportionally over-represented in the Faculty of Engineering's student clubs, including AlbertaSAT, Formula SAE, EcoCar, SPEAR (space robotics and rovers), STARR (rocketry), UAARG (aerial robotics), and many others. More information is available at Mechanical Engineering Department.

As we build our team, we recognize that our people are and will continue to be our greatest strength. Applicants who value working across disciplinary boundaries, within and outside engineering, as well as with communities and industry, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

The Assistant Professor role is the starting point on the academic faculty member career pathway at the University of Alberta. Faculty members are full members of the department and play an active role in democratic processes and governance. The responsibilities of the role include active participation in teaching, research, and service:

• Teaching (40%): Participation in teaching programs, including classroom teaching, supervision of students conducting research, and personal interactions with and advising students. An Academic Faculty member may decide on specific course content and instructional methodology, recognizing the approved course description, and academic policy approved by the Department, the Faculty, and the University. Teaching is year-round, with most courses in the Fall (September to December) and Winter (January to April) semesters. Teaching assignments are decided in discussion with the Department Chair. As the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board accredits the undergraduate degree programs in our Faculty, licensure as a Professional Engineer or Licensee in Alberta is required. Licensure must be obtained within five years of the hire date.
• Research (40%): Participation in research, including the preparation or performance of creative works and reflective inquiry, and disseminating research results by means appropriate to the discipline. Academic Faculty members are encouraged to seek funding for research from granting agencies or other sources.
• Service (20%): An Academic Faculty member shall be actively engaged in service to the University and participate in the collegial responsibilities of departmental, Faculty, and University governance. Provision of service to the discipline of the Academic Faculty member; participation in the governance of the University, the Faculty, and the Department, and dissemination of knowledge to the general public by making available the Academic Faculty member’s expertise and knowledge of the discipline.

The Department Chair supervises Faculty Members. Annually, Faculty Members prepare and submit a report of their university responsibilities to the Department Chair and the Dean. We offer a competitive market salary. For information about the responsibilities, salary, benefits, leaves, and related details, see the most recent collective agreement.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or relevant areas
• Experience in effectively communicating the results of research within and outside of the academy, including publications in reputable, peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings
• Licensure, progress towards licensure, or eligibility for licensure as a Professional Engineer or Licensee in Alberta is required through the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA, APEGA). Licensure must be obtained within five years from the date of hire
• Ability to effectively develop, instruct, and engage learners in the engineering curriculum
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

The Following are Considered an Asset

• Industry experience in engineering, trades, sciences, and technology industries
• Experience with interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects as well as with managing large, multi-year research projects
• Experience working with industry and community partners for research projects
• Team, lab, and facility management experience, including but not limited to safety, supervision, and procurement
• Teaching experience and training in teaching, lesson planning, and curriculum design
• Teaching, research, service, and volunteer work related to the role as well as community boards and organizations and outreach to and helping in underserved and underrepresented communities
• Grant application and financial management experience and training

How to Apply

Please ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria above. To apply, please select the Apply Now icon below and submit the following in ONE PDF document:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae, including your research, teaching, and service experience related to the role and responsibilities, as well as the qualifications above.
• Research Plan (maximum 3 pages) that outlines the main areas of current research and short and long-term research goals, and how you will build and retain a high-performing and diverse research team. Please include your plans for the design of the research environment and the team, and for equitable opportunities for all members of the team to engage with the work being conducted and other opportunities that will advance their career goals, and up to 3 recent peer-reviewed research publications
• Teaching Dossier including
  • Teaching philosophy (maximum 3 pages), including how you will contribute to our culture of providing exceptional educational experiences that focus on learner engagement and inclusivity, experiential and active learning, while building engineering knowledge and skills as well as emotional intelligence, social mindedness, and ethics, and
  • Evidence and potential for teaching effectiveness, such as related training, teaching assistantships, courses instructed, recent course evaluations, and example course outlines for courses you delivered as an instructor.

Members of selection committees will be aware of the principles of employment equity, fair selection, and the risks of bias. If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

Next Steps

Applicants will be accepted until March 15, 2026; however, our shortlisting process will begin in early February. The anticipated start date for this position would be July 1, 2026. University representatives will review application packages, and should the Hiring Committee advance your application, you will be contacted for an online pre-interview.

Please note that applications with missing information or components will not be considered.

For applicants selected for interviews, three letters of reference will be requested. Applicants will be expected to contact the three referees and arrange to have them submit their letters of reference via email attachment. Details will be provided to those candidates selected for interviews.