Position Title: Assistant Professor

Employee Classification: LC Faculty TT/TN 9m

College/Division: Arts and Sciences College

Department: 330300-ASTRONOMY

Internal or External Search: External - Open to all applicants

Location: Las Cruces

Offsite Location (if applicable):

Target Hourly/Salary Rate: 80,000 to Commensurate with qualifications

Appointment Full-time Equivalency: 1.0

Exempt or Non-Exempt: Exempt

Summary: The Department of Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU) invites applications for an assistant professor tenure-track faculty position. This position will have a start date of August 2026.

Classification Summary:
The Department of Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State
University invites applications for an assistant professor tenure-track faculty position.

The NMSU Astronomy Department currently comprises ten faculty, several research faculty and postdocs, and about 30 graduate students who are involved in a wide range of astronomical research. Additional Department information, including details about our membership in the Astrophysical Research Consortium and its Apache Point Observatory 3.5-meter, the SONG project, and the SDSS 2.5-m telescope can be found at:
http://astro.nmsu.edu.

NMSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution located in Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico (population 111,000) that serves a diverse undergraduate and graduate population of 15,000 students.

Classification Standard Duties:
The expected workload includes teaching, scholarly activity/research, service, and outreach. The allocation of effort for these duties will be reviewed each year.

Required Education, Experience, Certification/License, Equivalency
Minimum Qualifications are a Ph.D. in physics or astronomy, and research publications and
grants commensurate with experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Desired Qualifications include (1) potential for establishing sustained external funding in a research area mentioned above, (2) commitment to teach and mentor students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels using evidence-based pedagogical methods, (3) experience in leading and participating in collaborative research areas, and (4) commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive working and learning and academic environment.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The Department of Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU) invites applications for an assistant professor tenure-track faculty position. The Department maintains traditional strengths in stellar evolution; heliophysics; planetary physics; planet formation and evolution; Milky Way stellar populations; and galaxy evolution. In the coming years, we anticipate growth in one or more of the following areas: cosmology, heliophysics including solar flares and the dynamics of coronal mass ejections; space weather including the near-earth environment and planetary atmospheres; time-domain astronomy; and the interstellar medium. Candidates with observational or theoretical experience in any of these fields will be considered equally, and those with the potential to leverage NMSU’s facilities and science output at Apache Point Observatory or the Sunspot Solar Observatory are particularly strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates with experience and interest in astronomical instrumentation are also invited to apply, as there is a possibility of an interdisciplinary appointment in the photonics group within the College of Engineering. This position will have a start date of August 2026.

Preferred Qualifications

Special Requirements of the Position
A complete application includes the following components: (1) a 1-page cover letter, (2) a research statement (up to 3 pages) indicating research backgrounds, skills, and future plans, (3) a description (up to 3 pages) of teaching experience and teaching philosophy, (4) a 1-page Departmental Roles statement describing the relative responsibilities of faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, and full-time research staff in promoting a healthy, collaborative, and productive academic culture both within and outside of the Department, (5) graduate transcripts (unofficial transcripts are acceptable at this stage) , (6) a curriculum vitae, and (7) names and contact information for three individuals who may be asked to provide letters of reference. Note that our University-provided job submission form may request a DEI statement even though this is not a required part of the application. Please submit the Departmental Roles statement, item (4) above, in lieu of a DEI statement. Candidates who wish to submit a DEI statement may append it to the Departmental Roles statement, but choosing not to append a DEI statement will not affect an application adversely.

Department Contact: Jason Jackiewicz, 575-646-1868, jasonj@nmsu.edu

Contingent Upon Funding: Not Applicable

Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This is NOT a bargaining unit position with American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Standard Work Schedule: Standard (M-F, 8-5)

If Not a Standard Work Schedule:

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

Environment: Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.

Physical Effort: No or very limited physical effort required.

Lifting Requirements: Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.

Risk: No or very limited exposure to physical risk.