Unleash Your Potential With Us

As a next-generation public research institution, we are an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to shape the future and solve the world’s most challenging problems. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you become an integral part of our mission to become a university for the future. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with uniquely talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses and regional locations. That means greater challenges to tackle, more meaningful opportunities to grow, and rewarding experiences that go beyond a paycheck.

The Opportunity

The University of Central Florida (UCF) has established several interdisciplinary faculty research clusters to strengthen its academic offerings and research mission. In support of this effort, we are recruiting faculty in the area(s) of Energy Storage Systems, Resilience, and Sustainability and plan to hire one tenure-track assistant professor or tenured associate professor for the university research center on Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES). This position has an anticipated start date of August 8, 2023.

This is an interdisciplinary position that will be expected to strengthen both the RISES Center and a chosen tenure home department and may include a combination of joint appointments. A strong advantage of this position is the ability of the candidate to choose multiple units for their appointment in the College of Engineering and Computer Science or the College of Sciences, or both. Both individual/interdisciplinary infrastructure and startup support will be provided with this new position. The position will carry a rank commensurate with the candidate’s prior experience and record.

The ideal candidate will work at the intersection of several areas, such as: a) battery storage technologies, b) renewable electrolysis, c) grid integration, and/or d) energy storage analysis.  They will have research impact, as reflected in high-quality publications and the ability to build a funded and sustainable research program. All relevant technical areas will be considered. We are looking for a team player who can help bring together current campus efforts in energy systems research.

UCF is one of the nation’s largest universities with a diverse student body of more than 70,000 students and has grown substantially in size, quality, diversity, and reputation. Today, the university offers more than 230 degree programs. In 2019, UCF was officially recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education and a "Green College" by the Princeton Review for our efforts in sustainability and environmental responsibility. UCF's students represent all 50 states and over 120 countries. UCF is in a centralized location that is 30 minutes to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando and 60 minutes to the beach. UCF has 16 sports teams, including football, soccer/futbol, tennis, volleyball, and 600+ cultural, academic, and social student clubs and organizations all led by faculty mentors. In addition, UCF has several associations for faculty and staff, among them, the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA), the Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LaFaSA), and the PRIDE Faculty and Staff Association. UCF received the 2019 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, which recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Carnegie Foundation has classified UCF as an R1 Doctoral University for its high research activity and community engagement. This past fiscal year, UCF brought in nearly $205M. The RISES center is one of nation’s very top university research centers as measured by federal funding. For the fifth consecutive year, UCF has been recognized among the nation’s most innovative universities according to U.S. News & World Report while Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review have ranked UCF as one of the nation’s best values for a college education.

UCF is an economic engine, attracting and supporting industries vital to the region’s future while providing students with real-world experiences that help them succeed after graduation. UCF’s Orlando location also puts it at the center of the Florida High Tech Corridor. The corridor has an excellent industrial base that includes software, defense, space, simulation and training, and a world-renowned entertainment industry. Adjacent to UCF is a thriving research park that conducts over $2 billion in funded research, hosting more than 100 high-technology companies and UCF’s School of Modeling, Simulation, and Training. UCF also has an accredited medical school which was established in 2006 and is a neighbor to the VA, Nemours, and the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, all of which have a strong interest in sustainable energy systems research and demonstration. Great weather, easy access to the seashore, one of the largest convention centers in the nation, and one of the world’s best airports are just a few features that make Orlando an ideal location. We encourage you to learn more about UCF at http://www.ucf.edu/faculty .

Minimum Qualifications:

A Ph.D., terminal degree, or foreign degree equivalent from an accredited institution in an area appropriate to the RISES center at the time of appointment. The selected candidate must also have a record of high impact research related to energy systems, demonstrated by a strong scholarly and/or funding record.

In order to obtain tenure upon hire, the selected candidate must have a demonstrated record of teaching, research and service commensurate with rank in the tenure department.

Preferred Qualifications:

Past work experiences in a national lab and/or industry are desired.

A history of working with teams, especially teams that span multiple disciplines, is a strongly preferred qualification.

Prior work experience with energy storage systems is highly preferred.

Additional Application Materials Required:

UCF requires all applications and supporting documents be submitted electronically through the Human Resources employment opportunities website, https://www.ucf.edu/jobs/ . 

In addition to the online application, interested candidates are requested to provide the following six materials to their application:

1)      A Diversity Statement

UCF has a diverse student body and community, and we are committed to meeting the needs of this community. Please tell us about your contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the context of a faculty-student setting and as a colleague, as well as future plans to advance these contributions. Such indicators of commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion may be demonstrated through scholarship, teaching, mentioning, service and engagement. 

2)      A Cover Letter

In the cover letter candidates must address their background in research and scholarship in the areas noted in the job description above and identify the department(s) for their potential tenure home and any joint appointments they would desire (if applicable). Applicants should also specifically highlight their interdisciplinary approach to research.

3)      Curriculum Vitae

4)      Teaching Statement

5)      Research Statement

6)      Contact information for three professional references, including email address.

PLEASE have all six documents listed above ready when applying so they can be submitted at that time. The curriculum vitae should be submitted on the “My Experience” page. The other five application documents (cover letter, diversity statement, research statement, teaching statement, and contact information for three professional references) should be submitted where it says, “Upload any additional application requirements listed in the job posting.” Please be sure to submit all six required application documents. Once the online submission process is finalized, the system does not allow applicants to submit additional documents later.

NOTE: Upon completion of your application, you will see a confirmation screen and be asked to answer some questions regarding the type of work you will perform at UCF. Please do not close out of the application before you answer all of these questions.

Questions regarding this search can be directed to Dr. Zhihua Qu at qu@ucf.edu .

Are Benefits Important to You?

Working at UCF has its perks!  In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, UCF offers:

• Benefit packages including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, healthcare flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Paid time off, including annual and sick leave and paid holidays.
• Retirement savings options.
• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando area attractions.
• Education assistance.
• Flexible work environment.

And more…For more benefits information, go to ‘Prospective Employees’ on the UCF Human Resources website (https://hr.ucf.edu/ )

Who Are We?

Founded in 1963 to fuel the region’s talent pipeline and support the growing U.S. space program, UCF is built to make a better future for our students and society. It’s one of the reasons U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF among the nation’s top 20 most innovative colleges, while Forbes, Kiplinger , and The Princeton Review rank us a best-value university. UCF is one of 14 universities nationwide designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Research 1 university. With 13 colleges, including a fully accredited College of Medicine, UCF offers more than 220-degree programs between its main campus, downtown campus, hospitality campus, academic health sciences campus, and 11 UCF Connect centers located throughout the region. In addition, UCF extends its reach to communities in and beyond Central Florida by offering complete, online programs leading to bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, Ph.D.'s., certificates, and more.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer. Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

Additional Requirements related to Research Positions

Pursuant to Florida State Statute 1010.35, prior to offering employment to certain individuals in research-related positions, UCF is required to conduct additional screening. Applicants subject to additional screening include any citizen of a foreign country who is not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of higher education, employment, or training in China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, or Venezuela.

The additional screening requirements only apply to employment in research-related positions, including, but not limited to faculty positions (including employed visiting positions), graduate positions, individuals compensated by research grants or contract funds, postdoctoral scholar positions, and undergraduate positions.

Department

Office Of Research, Research Centers & Institutes, College Of Graduate Studies, And Burnett Honors College HR Business Center

Work Schedule

Varies

Type of Appointment

Regular

Expected Salary

Negotiable

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF's Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at  http//www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf.

As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.

The University of Central Florida is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.