Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
A tenure-track Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, builds a funded research program, and mentors students, balancing teaching, research, and service. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy do?
An Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy joins a department on the tenure track to teach, research, and mentor students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The role calls for excellence in teaching, a commitment to innovative research, and enthusiasm for guiding students in a department focused on student engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.
It balances teaching, research, mentorship, and service to support the department’s mission. It is a tenure-track faculty role within the higher education sector.
A tenure-track appointment is a faculty position on the path toward tenure, a long-term commitment granted after a probationary period. Assistant Professor is the entry rank on that track. External funding is grant money secured from outside agencies to support a faculty member’s research program.
What does the role balance?
Key responsibilities of an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
- Teach undergraduate and graduate-level courses in physics and astronomy, using innovative strategies to engage a diverse student population.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of the department’s curriculum by developing new courses and updating existing ones.
- Establish and maintain a robust research program in physics, astronomy, or related fields, securing external funding to support research initiatives.
- Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences to contribute to the academic community.
- Supervise undergraduate and graduate research projects.
- Provide academic advising and career guidance, and participate in departmental, college, and university service activities.
- Collaborate with local and regional organizations to promote science education and outreach, enhancing the visibility of the department and institution.
What qualifications does the role require?
- PhD in physics, astronomy, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
- Demonstrated potential for excellence in both teaching and research.
- Postdoctoral research experience and evidence of successful grant-writing and securing research funding.
- Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and student-centered teaching approaches, with a commitment to an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
Why is the Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy role important?
Tenure-track faculty carry both the teaching and the research mission of a department. An Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy educates and mentors the next generation of scientists while producing the funded research and publications that build a department’s reputation.
Because the role is judged on teaching, research, and service at once, the strongest candidates show genuine promise in all three. An early-career hire who can teach well, win grants, and mentor students shapes a department for decades.
A hiring note from Excelon
Tenure-track searches are a long-term bet: the department is choosing someone it may keep for thirty years. Through our higher education practice, we look for candidates with a strong research trajectory and real teaching ability, since the early-career faculty member who can both win funding and engage students is the one who pays off over a full career.
An early-career hire who can teach well, win grants, and mentor students shapes a department for decades.
Related sample job descriptions
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy: frequently asked questions
What does an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy do?
An Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, builds and maintains a research program, secures external funding, publishes in peer-reviewed journals, supervises student research, provides academic advising, and participates in department and community service.
What qualifications does the role require?
This sample role requires a PhD in physics, astronomy, or a closely related field by the time of appointment, with demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching and research. Postdoctoral experience and a record of grant-writing and securing funding are preferred.
What does tenure-track mean?
A tenure-track position is a faculty appointment on the path toward tenure, a long-term commitment granted after a probationary period based on teaching, research, and service. Assistant Professor is typically the entry rank on that track.
Is research and external funding part of the role?
Yes. Alongside teaching, the role requires establishing a robust research program, securing external funding to support it, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at national and international conferences.
Why is this role important?
Tenure-track faculty carry both the teaching and the research mission of a department. An Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy educates and mentors students while producing the funded research and publications that build a department’s reputation.
Hiring an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy?
Excelon Associates recruits tenure-track faculty and STEM academic talent for colleges and universities across the United States through our higher education recruitment practice. Retained executive search since 2007, headquartered in Asheville, NC, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL.
More Sample Job Descriptions
Templates you can adapt for your own roles.