Faculty Positions in Sensing, Controls, and Robotics

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) invites applications from highly qualified individuals for full-time, tenure-track faculty positions in mechanical engineering with a focus on sensing, controls, and/or robotics. Appointments are available at any rank commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications. To be competitive for appointment as a tenured Associate Professor or Professor, candidates must have a strong track record of research funding and be nationally recognized for their scholarship. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering or related fields, demonstrate strong potential or record in conducting leading-edge research and publishing high-quality scholarly work, and be qualified to teach both undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Department.

Research Areas

Candidates whose research falls in the broad areas of sensing, controls, and robotics will be considered. Areas such as simulation and machine learning, human-machine and human-robot interaction, and soft robotics are of particular interest to the department. Preference will be given to candidates whose research can effectively leverage existing strengths at UAB such as biomedical engineering; materials engineering; neuroscience and neuroengineering; rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and physical therapy; and other areas of biomedical research and medical practice. Relevant UAB resources include the Center for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces (https://sites.uab.edu/cnbci/), the Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Science (https://www.uab.edu/cedhars/), the UAB Driving Simulator (https://www.uab.edu/uabmagazine/spring-summer-2025/driving-force), and the Materials Processing & Applications Development Center (https://www.uab.edu/engineering/mme/mpad)

Mechanical and Materials Engineering at UAB

The MME Department has 18 faculty members, 250 undergraduate majors, 70 full-time graduate students, and more than 100 online master’s students. Current research areas include bioinspired engineering, biomedical device development, composites, computational fluid dynamics, and metallurgy. Research expenditures in FY25 exceeded $500,000 per tenure-track faculty member; major funders included the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy, Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, and Steel Founder’s Society of America. Department faculty currently lead a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant, a GAANN award from the Department of Education, and a nationally recognized online Masters program in Advanced Safety Engineering Management. Major industry partners and employers include the aerospace and defense, automotive, construction, power, and steel industries.

The School of Engineering

The UAB School of Engineering is dedicated to research excellence and providing the highest quality education to a diverse population of future engineers. The School has approximately 50 full-time faculty members and enrolls 900 undergraduates across 6 undergraduate majors in four departments: Biomedical Engineering; Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Our undergraduate programs emphasize practical, hands-on learning complemented by a guaranteed internship. Approximately 600 graduate students pursue a range of programs including traditional on-campus M.S./Ph.D. pathways as well as online M.Eng. degrees for working professionals. UAB Engineering is housed in Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall, a new, state-of-the art $77M building that brings together classrooms, teaching labs, research labs, and a professional engineering group (EITD) that builds hardware employed on most missions to the International Space Station.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Spanning more than 100 city blocks, UAB is the state of Alabama’s largest single employer with nearly 28,000 employees and has an annual, state-wide economic impact of $12.1 billion. UAB was ranked #1 Young University in the United States for 2018 and 2019 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In 2021, Forbes named UAB as America’s No. 1 Best Large Employer, topping a list of more than 500 public and private corporations, hospitals, universities, Fortune 500 companies and more, across dozens of industries. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” ranks 19 UAB graduate programs among the nation’s top 25 and five UAB specialties were ranked among the nation’s top 50 in the magazine’s 2025-2026 Best Hospitals report.

Required Application Documents

Interested candidates should apply online at: https://uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/26667. Application review will begin January 1, 2026 and continue until the positions are filled. Applications should include a cover letter, a CV, research and teaching statements, and contact information for three to five professional references. References will not be contacted without the permission of applicants, and formal letters of reference will be requested for finalists only. Questions may be directed to Dr. Kathy Lu, Department Chair of MME at klu@uab.edu.

Nondiscrimination Statement

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.

Pre-employment Background Check

A pre-employment background check investigation is performed on candidates selected for employment.

Open Date: 11/15/2025

Open Until Filled: Yes

Anticipated starting date: August 15, 2026