Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering (Artificial Intelligence)

Job Description

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech invites
applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of
Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of August 10,
2027. We seek an outstanding candidate whose research advances
artificial intelligence in chemical engineering, broadly defined.
The successful candidate will establish an innovative, externally
funded research program; contribute to excellence in undergraduate
and graduate education; and collaborate across engineering,
computing, and sciences.

The search is intentionally broad within AI for chemical
engineering research. Areas of interest include, but are not
limited to:

· High-throughput experimentation, including automated data
acquisition, analysis, and

decision-making

· AI and machine learning for energy, sustainability, climate, and
chemical manufacturing

· AI-guided discovery, design, synthesis and characterization of
chemicals and hard- or

soft-materials

· AI-enabled research at the interfaces of chemical engineering,
chemistry, materials

science, biology, medicine, and human health

· Laboratory robotics, closed-loop experimentation, and autonomous
or self-driving

laboratories

Virginia Tech Chemical Engineering is a highly collaborative and
interdisciplinary department

whose research addresses major societal challenges spanning
artificial intelligence, energy and sustainability, advanced
materials, catalysis, separations, manufacturing,
biotechnology,

medicine, and human health. We welcome applicants whose research
complements and

expands existing departmental strengths and creates new connections
across the College of

Engineering and the broader university. We are particularly excited
by candidates who are

redefining how chemical engineering research is conducted by
bringing together emerging

capabilities in artificial intelligence and automation with
fundamental scientific inquiry and

experimentation.

As a comprehensive land-grant university, Virginia Tech is guided
by its motto, Ut Prosim (“That I May Serve”). We seek faculty who
are excited to pursue research, education, and engagement that
advance chemical engineering while making a meaningful impact on
society. This spirit of service, combined with a deeply
collaborative academic culture, defines our community and our
approach to discovery.

Faculty benefit from strong institutional investments in artificial
intelligence and interdisciplinary research. Relevant university
communities and resources include Virginia Tech’s Artificial
Intelligence Frontier, the Sanghani Center for Artificial
Intelligence and Data Analytics, the Macromolecules Innovation
Institute, the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, the Fralin
Biomedical Research Institute, and the Institute for Critical
Technology and Applied Science. Together with advanced computing,
shared instrumentation, materials characterization, fabrication,
and biological research facilities, these organizations provide a
rich environment for AI-enabled discovery, high-throughput
experimentation, laboratory automation, and translation from
fundamental science to engineering practice.

Virginia Tech is committed to translating fundamental discoveries
into real-world impact. Faculty have access to a robust innovation
ecosystem that supports the advancement of new

technologies from the laboratory to society through LINK, LICENSE,
LAUNCH, Virginia Tech’s

integrated framework for innovation, commercialization, and
entrepreneurship.

Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, Virginia Tech offers an
exceptional quality of life, a welcoming

university community, and access to the natural beauty and
recreational opportunities of the

Blue Ridge Mountains and the surrounding region. We invite creative
and ambitious scholars to join our community and help shape the
future of chemical engineering through discovery,

collaboration, innovation, education, mentorship, and
service.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field is
required; the degree must be

completed by the time of appointment

Preferred Qualifications

-Postdoctoral research experience or comparable research experience
in industry or a

national laboratory.

-Demonstrated expertise in developing or applying artificial
intelligence and machine

learning to advance chemical engineering research.

-Experience collaborating across disciplines, particularly in
connecting computational

methods with experimental research.

-Experience in undergraduate or graduate teaching, student
mentoring, or developing

educational activities relevant to chemical engineering

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$115,000 - $130,000

Commensurate with experience

Hours per week

40

Review Date

12/01/2026

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal
conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve),
Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a
hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be
leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution
that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the
world, Virginia Tech is an
inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and
creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse
enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and
professional students in eight
undergraduate colleges , a
school of medicine , a
veterinary medicine college,
Graduate School , and
Honors College . The university has a significant presence
across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C.
area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites
in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous
Extension offices and
research institutes . A leading global research institution,
Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research
annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional
development opportunities and university shared governance . These valuable
contributions to university shared governance provide important
representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique
and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or
applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including
pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic
information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation,
race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or
otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire
about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation
of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected
by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an
accommodation, please contact Stacey Ratcliffe at
slyons@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10
business days prior to the event.